Page 65 - OSCSCI 38th Annual Banquet
P. 65

Following  that  deer  season,  I    week before the hunt to find the
                                            began actively seeking more av-        best spot. I learned something in
                                            enues to share the rich heritage       this  process  that  will  stick  with
                                            of my beloved pastime. After just      me  forever.  I  learned  it  did  not
                                            a  couple  of  weeks  of  searching    matter how many ducks we shot,
                                            for a place to share my passion        but what mattered most was the
                                            for  the  sport  I  love,  I  was  ap-  fellowship  with  the  hunters.  On
                                            proached by a group of individu-       the morning of the hunt, we shot
                                            als who are a part of the South-       seventeen ducks and two geese.
                                                                                   The joy that reflected in the face
                                            west  Delta  Waterfowl  Chapter,
                                            and  they  asked  me  to  join  their   of a young boy named Cash is a
                                            team. After attending a couple of      memory  that  will  forever  stay
                                            meetings,  I  knew  this  was  the     with  me.  The  novice  hunters
                                            place for me. It was only a cou-       learned  the  importance  of  hunt-
                                            ple  months  after  becoming  a        ing  and  got  to  experience  the
                                            committee member of this chap-         natural beauty of the outdoors.
                                                                ter  that  I  was   By  sharing  my  knowledge  and
                                                                     promoted      expertise, I am not only teaching
                                                                      to    the    others  the  skills  necessary  for
                        Senior Division Boy                           position     hunting, but I am also passing on

                                                                  of youth co-
                        Grade: 11          Teacher: Travis Bradshaw   ordinator.  With   a legacy that has been cherished
                                                                                   for  generations.  Through  these

                        Age: 17  School: Elgin Public          this  position,  I   experiences,  I  am  instilling  a
                                                                            the
                                                                                   deep  appreciation  for  nature,
                                                               plan
                                                                       all
                                                            youth  and  veter-     wildlife,  and  the  importance  of
     Sharing the Heritage :                 ans’  activities  and  prepare  for    conservation. Hunting is not just
                                            the youth hunts we put on twice        about  the  thrill  of  the  chase  but
                                            a  year.  This  position  has  given
                                                                                   also  about  understanding  the
     …(Continued)…                          me  opportunities  to  share  my       delicate  balance  between  hu-
                                            true  passion  for  the  outdoors,     mans and the natural world.
      I told him we could go back out       and I am grateful.                     By  passing  on  the  heritage  of
     that  evening  since  he  was  stay-   As  of  now,  I  have  put  on  three   hunting,  I  am  ensuring  that  this
     ing the night. Before I could fin-     youth hunts and have had a total       tradition continues to thrive. I am
     ish my sentence, he was putting        of twenty youth and seven veter-       creating a community of hunters
     on his gear to go back out. I nev-     ans  participate  in  them.  I  won’t   who  not  only  respect  the  land
     er imagined we would see anoth-        forget any of the youth hunts that     and  wildlife  but  also  understand
     er deer that same day, but after       I  have  put  on,  but  nothing  will   the  importance  of  sustainable
     an  hour  of  sitting  and  enjoying   ever  compare  to  the  first  hunt.   hunting  practices.  Through  my
     the  peaceful  outdoors,  a  buck      We  held  it  during  a  youth  and    efforts,  I  am  contributing  to  the
     walked  out.  Deacon  displayed        veterans  activity  day  at  the  be-  preservation of our natural herit-
     that  evening,  and  in  that  mo-     ginning  of  last  year’s  duck  sea-  age and the conservation of our
     ment,  I  once  more  recognized       son. We had four youths and two        wildlife.
     that  this  was  a  pursuit  I  could   veterans.  I  searched  for  over  a
     dedicate myself to for a lifetime.                                                                               63
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