NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION TO HOST YOUTH CAMP

Registered youth will enjoy a weekend filled with all things wild

PRATT ­– The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is hosting the 2014 Kansas State September 13 and 14 at White Memorial Camp, six miles north of Council Grove. All interested youth 17 and younger are invited to participate. The cost to attend is $20 for JAKES members, $30 for non-JAKES members (which includes a JAKES membership), and $20 for adults. Lunch and dinner will be provided on Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. Registrations must be received by Sept. 5.

JAKES (Juveniles Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics, and Skills) Camp

Saturday’s activities include geocaching, fishing, BB gun and air rifle ranges, trapshooting, still-target shooting, 3-d archery, turkey calling with world-champion turkey caller Chris Parrish, and lunch.

Saturday evening activities include a presentation on Quail in Kansas, courtesy of the Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation; archery demonstrations, courtesy of Archery in The Schools; arts and crafts; and canoeing. The evening will conclude with the NWTF Kansas State JAKES (youth 12 and under) and Xtreme JAKES (youth 13-17) turkey calling contests and dinner.

On Sunday morning, participants can enjoy breakfast; followed by a class on turkey biology and management presented by Jim Pitman, small game coordinator for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; and an arson dog demonstration, presented by the Kansas State Fire Marshal. A 6 a.m. sunrise service will also be available to participants.  

For more information, and to register, contact Gib Rhodes at (620) 437-2012. 

Kansas Deer Hunting Info

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION HOSTS YOUTH TURKEY HUNTING CAMP

Two-day camp offers youth a crash course on turkey hunting taught by local experts

PRATT ­– The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is hosting the 2013 Kansas State JAKES Camp September 14-15 at White Memorial Camp, six miles north of Council Grove. Youth age 17 and younger can participate in a variety of fun and educational activities, including fishing, arts and crafts, deer hunting, trap and target shooting, archery, and canoeing.

Participants will also have the opportunity to attend several presentations, including “Quail in Kansas,” presented by the Council Grove Chapter of the Quail and Upland Game Federation; “The World of Sporting Dogs,” presented by KVOE radio host Phil Taunton; and “Turkey Talk” presented by turkey hunting legend, author, outdoor TV personality, and Grand National turkey calling champion, Ray Eye.

Evening activities will include the NWTF Kansas State JAKES (youth 12 and under) and Xtreme JAKES (youth 13-17) turkey calling contests, as well as story-telling with Eye around the campfire.

The following morning, participants can enjoy a predator calling seminar with Knight & Hale Pro Staff member, Mick Bowman; a presentation on turkey biology and management from NWTF biologist, Brandon Houck; and a wildlife presentation by the Milford Nature Center. A sunrise service will also be made available to participants, led by Pastor Gary Cargill. Before heading home, participants will get to draw for prizes, as well as take home a commemorative t-shirt.

The cost to attend is $20 for JAKES members, $30 for non-JAKES members (which includes a JAKES membership), and $20 for adults. Lunch and dinner will be provided on Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday.

The NWTF Kansas State JAKES Camp was awarded the "Best State JAKES Event" in 2012 and the "Best Special JAKES Event" in 2013 at the NWTF National Convention in Nashville, TN.

For more information, contact Gib Rhodes at (620) 437-2012.

WILD TURKEY FEDERATION STATE YOUTH CAMP SEPT. 15-16

At two-day event, kids can camp out and learn archery, shotgun shooting, crafts, much more

EMPORIA — The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) will hold its 2012 NWTF Kansas State JAKES Camp for youth on Sept. 15-16 at Camp Alexander, near Emporia. JAKES stand for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship, and the acronym is also a common name for young male wild turkeys.

The cost of this event is $20 for JAKES members, $30 for non-JAKES members, and $20 for adults. Youth 17 years old and younger get to select from 15 activities in which to participate, including fishing, first aid in the field, air rifle, small game animals, arts and crafts, nature hikes and birding, firearms handling and safety, shotgun live fire, turkey calling, archery, sporting dogs, GPS, JAKES Take Aim range, and game calling.
Ralph Duren, two-time Grand National turkey calling champion, will present "Calls of the Wild" and will entertain campers later around the campfire Saturday night. Youth attending can participate in the 3rd Annual NWTF Kansas State youth turkey calling contest Saturday evening.

Attendees may choose to tent camp Saturday night or commute. Top-notch meals will be provided both days. Last year's Kansas State JAKES Camp was awarded the NWTF "Best State JAKES Event" at this year's NWTF National Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

For more information or a registration form, contact Gib Rhodes at 620-437-2012.

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TURKEY FEDERATION CHAPTER YOUTH HUNT APRIL 7

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Guide hunts, gun giveaway to highlight event; application deadline March 30
HIAWATHA — The Thundering Toms Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) — representing Northeast Kansas and Southeast Nebraska with headquarters in Hiawatha, Kan. — will sponsor a guided youth turkey hunt on Saturday, April 7. Hunters, parents/sponsors, and guides will meet at the Hiawatha National Guard Armory the evening of April 6 for a safety meeting and to introduce and assign each hunter a guide. The guides will have written permission to hunt private land and will arrange with hunters and parents or sponsors on the time and place to meet on April 7, before departing to the designated hunting location.
After the hunt all hunters, parents or sponsors, and guides will meet at the shelter house at Hiawatha City Lake for a noon meal. After the meal, birds will be scored, pictures will be taken, prizes will be awarded, and a gun will be given away to one of the young hunters.
All young hunters who are interested in participating in the youth hunt must complete an application, available from Larry West at east@rainbows.net. The hunt will be limited to 15 participants, and the application deadline is March 30. Successful applicants will be sent an agenda for the day(s) of the hunt, meeting times, and other information.
For more information, contact West at the above email address.

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TURKEY FEDERATION SUPPORTS KANSAS QUAIL INITIATIVE

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Effort will concentrate on two” focal areas” in eastern Kansas
PRATT — The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) is introducing a new five-year initiative — the Kansas Quail Initiative — aimed at improving habitat conditions for bobwhite quail, an upland species that has declined throughout much of its range. The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Kansas State Chapter was the first conservation group to provide financial support for this important conservation effort, committing $12,500. The NWTF also will help deliver and promote the program by helping locate interested landowners and assisting with habitat improvements.
The NWTF has 33 chapters in Kansas with more 2,800 members. More than $885,715 has been raised and spent by Kansas chapters on projects within the state.
"It was a no-brainer for the Kansas State Chapter to step up and become the first conservation organization to support the Quail Initiative," said Todd Adolph, NWTF Kansas State Chapter president. "We have a positive working relationship with KDWPT, and I expect this initiative will be a big success."
The Kansas Quail Initiative aims to increase quail populations by 50 percent in five years within “focal areas.” A northern focal area includes portions of Lyon, Osage, and Wabaunsee counties, and a southern focal area includes parts of Neosho and Labette counties.
KDWPT biologists identified these regions as areas with high restoration potential, and they both contain sizable amounts of public land that can be used for core habitat improvements.
"The fact that the NWTF has committed to this initiative shows that we’re not just about turkeys, and that our volunteers understand the urgency to conserve habitat for quail" said Jared McJunkin, NWTF conservation field western region supervisor.
For private landowners in the focal areas, this initiative will increase available cost-share assistance to 100 percent of the estimated costs of implementing quail-friendly practices on their property. KDWPT is committed to spending as much as $100,000 per year on private land habitat improvements in the focal areas for each of the five years of this initiative.
KDWPT also will emphasize the voluntary public access and habitat improvement program in these focal areas to promote enrollment in continuous Conservation Reserve Program practices.
To become an NWTF member, or for more information about the NWTF, go online to www.nwtf.org or phone (800) THE-NWTF.

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