DU Area Chair Wins World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest

Nick Brichacek of Schuyler, Nebraska, was recently awarded the title of World Champion at the 88th World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest and Wings Over the Prairie Festival in Stuttgart, Arkansas. This is an enormous honor for a small-town Nebraska boy who has been working toward this dream for over 20 years.

Nick was only 13 years old and just getting started in contest calling when he first met Nebraska DU Regional Director Steve Wilson. At the time, Nebraska DU and the Duck Callers of Nebraska offered a great instructional program for youth callers. One of the instructors was past world champion Jim James, who is from Omaha. Along with Jim, there were several other very talented callers who devoted their time to helping the kids. From the beginning, it was clear that Nick had the drive and determination to become one of the best.

Twenty years later, Nick is helping a group of volunteers who host several youth activities throughout the year. One of those activities is a rebirth of those original duck calling classes. Nick was blessed to have access to world-class instruction as a young man, and now he is a world-class instructor.

Nick also serves as the DU area chair in Schuyler, which is one of the largest chapters in the state. He took over as chair at a young age and developed a plan to add more young volunteers to the committee. Nick’s goal was to preserve the legacy of the 50-year-old chapter. He wanted to demonstrate to his father, one of the longtime chapter leaders, that his generation has what it takes to run a successful chapter.

Nick puts the same passion and pride into his local community and DU chapter as he does into his calling. This effort, along with the work of his fellow volunteers, has doubled the Schuyler DU chapter’s revenue over the past seven years, leading it to become a nationally recognized President’s Elite Chapter. Under Nick’s leadership, the chapter has overcome numerous obstacles, including managing events through Covid as well as hosting an event one week after a 2019 flood devastated the area. It has been a tough go, but drive, dedication, and passion can move mountains with the right group of volunteers and great leadership.

Nick is now a world champion caller, but according to Steve, his character has always been world-class. “Our local DU volunteers are very proud of his accomplishments and look forward to his kind words, big smile, and passion for many years to come,” Steve said. “I have always introduced Nick to folks as the third-best caller I know, but now I am going to have to introduce him as the best caller in the world!”

Nick has proven that a person with determination and passion can reach any goal. Congratulations to Nick Brichacek, 88th World’s Duck Calling Champion.