SWNPF Chapter to host second Reunion Hunt

The Southwestern Nebraska Pheasants Forever (SWNPF) Chapter will host the second Youth Mentor Reunion Hunt on Dec. 28.
Graduates and volunteers from the previous 19 years of youth mentor hunts will be invited to reconnect and celebrate the success of the program, as well as share a day in the field.
Plans this year are to meet Saturday Dec. 28 at 9 a.m. at the Chase County Fairgrounds Expo Building.
Teams and locations to hunt will be decided on the morning of the hunt within Open Fields and Waters public access sites and private land sites in Chase County.
There will be a social hour and supper the same day at 5 p.m.
The first annual Youth Mentor Hunt for SWNPF was held in 2001 with 18 participants.
Since then, 262 youth have graduated from the program in Imperial alone.
Even if you don’t plan to come and hunt, stop by to have supper and join in the reunion event, said Heather Francis, Chapter President and Wildlife Biologist for Pheasants Forever.
The Reunion Hunt was an idea that was brought up two years ago by a few chapter volunteers.
“The idea came about during a set up for one of our Youth Mentor Hunt events. We wondered if the youth we mentored years ago are still hunting,” Francis said. “This is a new way to address the national R3 effort; recruit, retain and reactivation of hunters and conservationists.
“The SWNPF Chapter approaches this challenge by reconnecting with these mentees and mentors in a unique way. We are excited to see what the future of this event holds.”
There will be four contests during the hunt including, longest tailfeather, heaviest bird, number of species and the longest pheasant spur.
This is a day where hunters could complete Nebraska’s upland slam, Francis added.
 The Upland Slam is hosted by the Nebraska Game and Parks and hunters must harvest one each of Ring-necked Pheasant, Northern Bobwhite (quail), Sharp-tailed Grouse and Greater Prairie Chicken.  
The Youth Mentor Hunt program is a partnership with Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and would not be possible without the hard work and dedication from chapter volunteers.
For more information on events in Nebraska, visit www.nebraskapf.com.

 

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