Outdoors With Othmar Vohringer
Great youth turkey hunt event

By Othmar Vohringer

The Northern New York Hunters Helping Kids held their fourth annual Youth turkey weekend event at the Sandy Pond Sportsman’s Clubhouse on April 25 & 26th with 34 youth registering this year. Eighteen youth harvested a bird this year with one weighing in at twenty four pounds,9,1/2 beard. A first for our chapter, we had a youth with his dad from Canada register from the Watertown Sports Expo and he harvested a bird. Plus there was several double bearded birds taken by the youth hunters. One youth harvested two birds with one shot. Troy Miller, from the Mason/Dixon PA HHK Chapter, was one of mentor/callers and also photographed our youth hunters. His family also helped out for the weekend event.

All enjoyed a lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers with soft drinks furnished by SPSA. Then they enjoyed the laser shooting game furnished by the Oswego Co 4-H program and telling their hunting experiences of the morning.

On Sunday, more birds were weighed in and everyone enjoyed a chicken barbecue furnished by the NNY HHK chapter members. After the meal, awards were given out. Each hunter was asked to write an essay about his/her weekend hunting experience and the best essay was won by Justice Ames of Watertown and the runner up was Matt Glowfeskie of Henderson. The winner of a turkey mount provided by Don Miller of Lakeside Taxidermy in Fulton was Zach Kirksey of Dexter.

Door prizes for the youth were drawn and a bingo board game awarded each youth hunter in attendance, two prizes. Also a prize was given to all the underage youth in attendance.

Everyone enjoyed the festivities and looking forward to next year.
A big thank you goes out to the Sandy Pond Sportsman's Assn, the Oswego Co 4-H, NRA, Troy Miller family from the Mason-Dixon, PA HHK chapter, Jefferson Co Journal, Oswego County Weeklies, also the various sportsmen's clubs, the mentor/callers, the local businesses and the community for their support so NNY HHK can keep this a free event for the youth of our north country.

As any organization the HHK needs your help to continue the important work they do in passing the hunting heritage on to the next generation. One way to create support is a fundraising events. We are having a display table built like a glass top coffee table with a drawer under the top for displaying a assortment of unique Turkey calls preferably made by D.I.Y. craftsman, hobbyist, not major call manufactures. As soon as we get this completed tickets will be offered to the public and at all HHK show booths and events by all chapters.

So if any of you make turkey calls or know of someone who does please approach them with this idea
All donors will be shown on any literature we have for promoting this fundraiser along with a tax-deductible receipt if requested. For more information visit: Northern New York Hunters Helping Kids

Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Founding Member of Outdoor Bloggers Summit

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