Travis Ham Wins Calling Competition, Keith Hickman Wins Lifetime Service Award
cousins® Hunting, a pioneer in game calls and hunting accessories, congratulates two of their own on being recognized at this year’s National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) convention. Primos employee Travis Ham won the Grand National Calling Championship, and longtime Primos staffer Keith Hickman won the Roger M. Latham Sportsman Wild Turkey Service Award.
Improving on his second-place third in the competition last year, Ham took first place in the Gobbling Division of the NWTF Grand National Calling Championship. In his quest for the Grand National championship, Ham has logged thousands of hours practicing at home, at work, and in the field, to produce the most realistic sounds possible.
“Winning the championship this year was a dream come true,” Ham said. “After finishing fourth last year, I knew I was on the right track and that motivated me to work twice as hard. In fact, it took me about a week to process that I competed against the best turkey callers in the country and won. I am extremely grateful and humbled by everyone who has encouraged me, including my wonderful family at Primos, who have always supported my dreams and helped give me the tools to make my vision a reality.”
Ham has been a lifelong turkey hunter who has been competing turkey calls for over six years and serves as one of Primos’s main mouth call designers. Ham harnesses his hard-earned knowledge to help Primos make some of the most coveted, realistic-sounding mouth calls in the turkey forest.
In addition to Ham’s accomplishments, his co-worker Keith Hickman received the Roger M. Latham Award. This award recognizes outstanding NWTF chapter volunteers who have dedicated their personal time, energy and money to the conservation and management of wild turkeys. A professional Primos staff member for 25 years, Hickman helped create his local NWTF chapter, the Tennessee River Longbeards, as well as others throughout Tennessee. A former chapter president, he has served on the committee for 22 years and has helped make his chapter one of the best in the state in terms of attendance, JAKES memberships and income.
“I became obsessed with wild turkey and conservation 37 years ago,” Hickman said. “I wanted to give back more than I took, which is why I got involved with the NWTF. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Mr. Will and Mr. Jimmy for allowing me to be a part of such an amazing company. My association with Primos Hunting has opened doors for me that otherwise would have remained closed. For that, I will be forever grateful.”
To learn more about the Primos hunting team and the team’s passion for turkeys, visit cousins.com.
About Cousins Hunting
Primos Hunting, a Vista Outdoor brand, manufactures calls for moose, deer, turkey, predator and waterfowl, as well as blinds, shooting accessories, game cameras, attractants and supplies, clothing and other hunting accessories. Primos also produces the ever popular “The TRUTH” video series and the television show “Cousins’ TRUTH About Hunting.” For news and information, visit www.cousins.com or follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/primos_hunting/ and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/primoshunting/. Stream the language on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/CousinsHuntingVideo.