Park Ridge Junior Champs |
From the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
-- West Montgomery High School, a sophomore effort in youth hunter education skills competition, recently won the senior division at the North Carolina championships. The Park Ridge Christian School Sharpshooters of Albemarle won in the junior division.
This popular competitive event is a component of the state's free hunter education program, offered to all ages in all 100 counties. Hunter education is required for all first-time hunting license buyers in North Carolina.
Instructions on Firing Range |
Both team and individual championships were determined at the 31st annual Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament, held by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission on April 25 at Millstone 4-H Center near Ellerbe. Categories were orienteering, target shooting in archery, .22 rifle, shotgun and muzzleloader, along with testing in wildlife identification and hunting safety knowledge.
"There were upwards of 3,000 people at this year's event," said Travis Casper, the state's assistant hunter education coordinator. "The level of competition was incredible and the commitment of these students is encouraging."
West Montgomery Senior Champs |
The Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament is open to teams that previously competed and qualified at a district level. There are senior (high school) and junior (middle school and elementary) levels, with overall team and overall individual awards based on aggregate scores in all events.
The senior division overall individual champion was Levi Epps, of West Montgomery. Junior division individual champion was Robbie Potts of Fall Creek. Complete scores and results are available at http://www.ncwildlife.org/news_stories/pg00_NewsRelease/TOURNAMENT_RESULTS_FINAL_2009.pdf
Hunter education courses cover hunter ethics and responsibility, conservation and wildlife management, survival and first aid, specialty hunting and tree stand safety. For more information, North Carolina residents can find hunter education information at http://www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_08_education.htm , or they can call (919) 707-0031.
Photos Courtesy North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission