Fan Mail
An apple from the teacher
I would like to thank the board of directors, staff and volunteers of the National Wild Turkey Federation for naming me the 2009 NWTF Conservation Educator of the Year. It is quite an honor and one I am proud to accept.
I believe that getting youth interested in the outdoors and shooting sports is a vital step in continuing the strong hunting tradition in Michigan. Exposing youngsters to archery through the school, teaching about conservation and wildlife management, and just getting students outdoors is important to keep students in touch with their environment and to take an interest in conserving it. Hopefully, some of today’s students will become tomorrow’s turkey hunters.
The generous grant [awarded to the Conservation Educator of the Year] will allow me to develop a wetland area with suitable habitat for the birds and animals that live around our school. My students and I enjoyed spending the winter months planning what we will do with the area, and look forward to spring when we can actually get out and do the planting.
Jon W. Gray
science teacher at Waldon Middle School, Lake Orion, Mich.
Texas Veteran Praises Red River Longbeards
I want to tell you about the veteran deer hunting trip sponsored by the Red River Long Beards from Wichita Falls, Texas, last November. I was an attendee, and want you to know how significant that weekend was for me and, I’m sure, for the other veterans.
I had the time of my life, met wonderful people, and I bagged two deer!
It might not seem very important to someone who hunts regularly, but for me it was a dream that the Red River Longbeards made a reality. I did not grow up around hunters, nor do I have any friends who hunt and would have never gone out by myself. I was in an “I can’t do it” mode, due to my shoulder and right side disability and settled with watching hunting shows on TV.
The Red River Longbeards volunteers sponsored this event using their own resources and time. They had two female guides assist me and provided great food and accommodations. They procured a rifle sled so I would not further injure my shoulder, and they taught me how to use the gun. And they gave up the first day of deer season to make it happen.
Sidney Gibson, president of the Red River Longbeards, and his team members should be acknowledged and commended for the unforgettable experience they provided me.
Lucy Carracedo
Wichita Falls, Texas
Get by with a little help…
I had to smile when I read Field of View in the January/February issue. You spoke about how helpful the field biologists at the NWTF are. I have some swell field biologists and game wardens at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources who answer all my questions. And there are some folks at Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge who are just as helpful. They deserve all the kudos we can give them.
M. Jayn Bigler, Editor
The Dongola Tri-County Record
The Big Picture
After reading a letter from a fellow Hoosier in a recent issue, I had to say something.
Sure, I would also like to see more how-to articles on turkey hunting because I just started and crave any information I can get to help me get my first turkey. But, even if the NWTF didn’t publish a magazine, I would still be a member .
People don’t realize how close we are to losing our gun and hunting rights. Anti-gunners are getting stronger every day and without organizations like the NWTF, NRA and others, we would have lost these rights long ago. Education and introducing non-hunters to our sports should be a priority.
The NWTF is working hard to introduce people to all kinds of hunting, which is what a lot of the magazine articles are talking about.
My husband has always said that anyone who owns a gun should belong to the NRA. The same holds true for whatever your passion is — turkey, ducks, deer, pheasant, elk, etc. Join organizations that work hard to conserve these animals and give us the opportunity to pursue them.
Maybe, working together, we will be able to pass these rights on for generations to come.
Nancy Alumbaugh
Carlisle, Ind.
More than words
I enjoyed reading [The Hunters, January-February issue] and could identify. I grew up poor in the country and know firsthand what it was like to hunt and fish for food. If you took the number of gunshots in cities you would see it far outweighs the number fired by hunters, but, of course, at a different quarry. Your article brought back my thoughts on outsiders trying to close the book on a tradition that many of us live for. I could never put into words the feelings you did for me.
Charlie Ratcliffe, Virginia
Our BAD
We omitted the poacher hotline for Washington in the 2010 Spring Hunt Forecast. It’s (800) 477-6225.
Remember, you can find the most updated forecast information at www.nwtf.org.