This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Most parents would not support their teenage son in a hobby that leads to police showing up at the front door, but Tate Douglas has supportive parents and a loud passion.
The Harrisville 15-year-old is rarely spotted without a duck or goose call hanging on his neck or sticking out of his mouth. It has been that way since the first duck-hunting trip Tate took with his father as a 9-year-old.
"He showed me what to do and then I did it better than he did," Tate said.
"It is true," said Brett Douglas, Tate's father. "He is just a natural. He picked it up no problem."
Tate, who has his eyes on a world championship in waterfowl calling, will continue developing his skills at contests at the annual International Sportsmen's Expo Thursday through Sunday in Sandy.
The teenager is entered in six different duck- or goose-calling contests during the show. Tate says the more calling he can do in front of judges, the better prepared he will be when the world championship rolls around this Thanksgiving in Stuttgart, Ark.
To help him get there, Tate has one of the best waterfowl callers in the country as a teacher. The problem is that Butch Richenback, former world champion and founder of Rich-N-Tone duck calls, lives in Stuttgart.
"We do it over the phone. He puts me on speaker and I set down the phone and walk away so it doesn't crackle," Tate said.
After "blowing" three routines, Tate and Richenback talk about things that sounded right and those that didn't. The process seems to be working.
"Butch says he can't believe how quickly Tate picks things up," Brett Douglas said. "He really seems to have a knack for it."
Whether it is a natural skill or not, Tate knows practicing will only improve his calling. So he is constantly blowing on one of his seven acrylic calls.
But he has been relegated to the basement after his excessive calling irritated people in the neighborhood.
"I guess there is a kind of noise ordinance thing. The cops were pretty good. They laughed about it and said they understood," Brett Douglas said.
The ducks and judges don't seem to mind the noise as much as his parents and neighbors do.
"This is just something I really enjoy doing. I'm a big fan of the outdoors. I love fishing, hunting and camping," Tate said. "I like being able to call to ducks and geese and to have them answer my call. It is pretty cool."
If it keeps his son from locking eyes on a video game or the television, Brett Douglas is all for it.
"It keeps him from sitting on the couch wasting his time," Brett Douglas said. "We love hunting, and it is also a great thing for us to do together."
Indoor show for outdoor lovers
The International Sportsmen's Expo will be March 17-20 at the South Towne Exposition Center, 9575 S. State St., Sandy. In addition to numerous outdoor-related vendors, the show will feature contests ranging from elk, duck and goose calling to the Dutch Oven World Championship Cook-off to a fly casting tournament and DockDogs jumping. Tickets are $12 for adults, youth younger than 15 get in free. Visit http://www.sportsexpos.com for show hours and more information.