47 youths become JAKES at Shade Mountain Chapter field day event
Blake Hale, 10, of Burnham, gets some help from Trout Unlimited instructor Ben Crago handling the large mouth bass Hale caught while taking part in the Youth Field Day held Aug. 12 at Mifflin County Sportsman’s Club in Lewistown.
Olivia Good, 11, of Mifflintown receives archery instruction from volunteer Randy Mayes of Burnham during the Youth Field Day at Mifflin County Sportsman’s Club.
Sentinel photo by MATT STRICKER<BR> Camren Moore, 11, of Burnham, learns about fly tying from Trout Unlimited instructor Joe Hackenberg during the youth field day, sponsored by the Shade Mountain Chapter of the National Wildlife Turkey Federation.
Pennsylvania Trappers Association instructor Jim Carolus, left, watches as Braden Varner, 9, of Mifflintown, left, and Garth Beward of Honey Grove sift dirt while learning to set a trap.
NRA Certified Firearms Instructor Randy Crowder watches as Hunter Marks 11, of Milroy, shoots a .22 long rifle.
Dan Lyter of Mifflintown, watches as his daughter Riley shoots an air rifle during the Youth Field Day.
Mifflin County Sportsman’s Club member Jack Price instructs Nathan Weltmer, 8, of New Cumberland, on firing a .22 bird shot rifle.
Pennsylvania Game Commission officer Amanda Isett watches Caleb Hale, 12, left, and Tyler Mateer, 11, both of Burnham as they dissect owl pellets.
Blake Hale, 10, of Burnham, gets some help from Trout Unlimited instructor Ben Crago handling the large mouth bass Hale caught while taking part in the Youth Field Day held Aug. 12 at Mifflin County Sportsman’s Club in Lewistown.
Olivia Good, 11, of Mifflintown receives archery instruction from volunteer Randy Mayes of Burnham during the Youth Field Day at Mifflin County Sportsman’s Club.
Sentinel photo by MATT STRICKER<BR> Camren Moore, 11, of Burnham, learns about fly tying from Trout Unlimited instructor Joe Hackenberg during the youth field day, sponsored by the Shade Mountain Chapter of the National Wildlife Turkey Federation.
Pennsylvania Trappers Association instructor Jim Carolus, left, watches as Braden Varner, 9, of Mifflintown, left, and Garth Beward of Honey Grove sift dirt while learning to set a trap.
NRA Certified Firearms Instructor Randy Crowder watches as Hunter Marks 11, of Milroy, shoots a .22 long rifle.
Dan Lyter of Mifflintown, watches as his daughter Riley shoots an air rifle during the Youth Field Day.
Mifflin County Sportsman’s Club member Jack Price instructs Nathan Weltmer, 8, of New Cumberland, on firing a .22 bird shot rifle.
Pennsylvania Game Commission officer Amanda Isett watches Caleb Hale, 12, left, and Tyler Mateer, 11, both of Burnham as they dissect owl pellets.
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LEWISTOWN -- Volunteers from the Shade Mountain Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation turned out for the group's 19th annual Youth Field Day. held Aug. 12 at the Mifflin County Sportsmen's Club.
The event is set up and run by the local NWTF chapter and community volunteers continue to provide their support to this initiative by promoting outdoor awareness and instruction.
This year 47 young people ages 8 to 15, with their parents, attended the event to enjoy a day of outdoor fun. The weather held off long enough for the kids to get through eight of the nine rotations. The event included supervised activities in which the youths get not just instruction but also supervised hands-on opportunities to use what they have been taught. Included in the field day were archery; fly tying along with rod and fly fishing; shooting with BB guns, black powder, marksmen and birdshot stations; trapping sets; and owl forensics, in which owl pellets were dissected to see what owls eat.
In addition, all youth received a one-year Jakes Youth membership to the NWTF, an event T-shirt and a grab bag of outdoor goodies from game calls to fishing lures. Lunch also was provided to all in attendance.
"This is an opportunity for kids to get away from the TV for a day and discover how exciting the outdoors can be," said John Czerniakowski, the chapter coordinator for youth field days. "It's also a great time for kids to connect with their parents or grandparents by doing hands-on activities they both enjoy."
The NWTF is five years into a 10-year initiative, "Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt." Through this national initiative, NWTF has committed to raising $1.2 billion to conserve or enhance more than four million acres of essential upland wildlife habitat, create at least 1.5 million hunters and open access to 500,000 acres for hunting, shooting and outdoor enjoyment. Local and state NWTF chapters host thousands of similar events nationwide each year to introduce youth to the outdoors through the JAKES (ages 12 and under) and Xtreme JAKES (ages 13 to 17) Hunting Heritage programs or youth field days. JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) conveys the NWTF's dedication to educating the next generation of smart, ethical hunters.
The Shade Mountain Chapter's annual heritage banquet fundraiser, held in March, provides the bulk of the funding for the local chapter to host this this event.
For information about the Shade Mountain Chapter contact Mike (Ted) Carothers at (717) 935-2369 or email mcarothers@centurylink.net. Monthly meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month (except May and December) at the Reedsville fire hall.