NWTF Awards Hunt to Youth Essay Winner
Tim Hoffman, 12, of Monrovia, Calif., won this year's Kansas One-Shot Governor's Turkey Hunt essay contest. The contest was sponsored by JAKES, the National Wild Turkey Federation's youth outreach program.
He was awarded the all-expense-paid hunt during the 28th annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show, in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 21. Kids from 11 different states and one Canadian providence participated in the contest.
Hoffman's essay, titled "Why Hunters are the Greatest Conservationists," explains how hunting is used as a management tool for wildlife. Last year, while hunting in Nebraska, Tim called in a wild turkey for his dad. Unable to legally shoot until age 12, this will be Tim's first chance to harvest a bird himself.
The NWTF has more than 213,000 JAKES members across North America and strives to include them in wildlife conservation and passing on North America's rich hunting heritage. JAKES, which stands for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship, is for children 17 years old and younger. More than 600 JAKES Conservation Field Days events are held across the continent each year to promote the program and teach children about conservation and hunting ethics.
Tim and his dad learned about the essay contest through JAKES Magazine, a quarterly publication for JAKES members. The magazine is dedicated to involving youth in conservation and passing on the North American hunting tradition.
For more information about the NWTF Grand National Youth Art Contest or about the NWTF, visit the website at www.nwtf.org or call 1-800-THE-NWTF.
2004 NWTF National Convention and Sport Show sponsors:
BASF, Bass Pro Shops, Browning-USRAC, Brunton, Club Car, Experience Ohio (Columbus Visitors Bureau), Federal Cartridge Company, Fin Feather and Fur Outfitters, Fran Buchholzer, Henkel Harris Furniture, International Paper, Leupold & Stevens, Marlin Firearms/H & R 1871, Mathews, Inc., Mossberg Firearms, National Shooting Sports Foundation, NWTF Ohio Chapter, P.J. Rich and C.S. Rich, Remington Arms Company, The Outdoor Connection, The Lodge at Cabin Bluff, T.I. Industries Frame Molding, USDA- Forest Service, U. S. Sportsmen's Alliance, Van Darby Hunting Club, Vance Outdoors, Wild Turkey Bourbon, Winchester/Olin Corporation
