Barnie shot his first duck in 1976 at the age of 16, and was hooked. Since that first experience in the blind, he has pursued ducks and geese across much of the United States and Canada, and in that time, has arguably become one of the best duck callers the sport has ever seen. In 1989 Barnie captured his first World Duck Calling Championship. He added a second World Championship ring to his collection in 1999, and in 2000 he made history. When Barnie walked off the stage in Stuttgart, AR in November 2000, he had won his third World Duck Calling Championship, and in doing so, became the first person in 26 years to win back-to-back championships. His third title, which forced him into automatic retirement, put him into an elite fraternity of callers. Today, Barnie owns and operates Calef Calls and works as a contractor with his brother.