Area youths get a chance to show outdoors skills

I had a chance to be involved in what I would consider a momentous event April 5. The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Volunteer Hunter Education Instructor's Association sponsored Southeast Missouri's first annual Youth Hunter Education Challenge.

YHEC is an event held annually in Jefferson City, and there also is a national event held each year. YHEC involves youth from 11 to 19 competing in shooting, archery, wildlife ID, orienteering and hunter safety events. One hundred twenty-five youths will compete in the event in Jefferson City from June 21 to 22. Many more will compete at the national level.

The Southeast region's YHEC was at Apple Creek Shooting Range in northern Cape Girardeau County. Twenty-three youths attended from all over Southeast Missouri. Several competed well enough to qualify to go to the state and national events.

As a hunter education instructor, it was great to see area youngsters put some of the skills we teach in hunter education to work in this competition. Often, they attend a hunter education course but then don't get the chance to further develop those skills and interests.

YHEC is an event that helps them hone those skills and further develop interests in hunting, shooting and the outdoors.

Teams or individuals

Youths interested in YHEC can form teams or compete as individuals. Most of the teams practice on a monthly basis, preparing for the regional, state or national events. Last year a team from Jefferson City went to the national event and brought home several awards. Eventually, I would like to see Southeast Missouri represented at the national event. We had several youths who competed so well that this may soon be possible.

Two teams from Southeast Missouri competed at Apple Creek and qualified for state competition. The Doniphan FFA team of Roger Clements, Gary Slayton, Von Smith, Matthew Thornton and Michael Thornton qualified, and a team from Poplar Bluff consisting of Matt Boyers, Adam Campa, Brian Chronister, Ethan Hoggard and Cody Slayton also qualified for the state event.

Other opportunities

YHEC is not the only event that helps youth develop interests in hunting and shooting. The National Wild Turkey Federation hosts several JAKES events around the region each year. JAKES stands for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Skills. These JAKES events usually consist of shotgun shooting, fishing, muzzleloader shooting, turkey calling, archery and other outdoor-related activities. 4-H also has an organized shooting sports and firearms safety program. Local 4-H groups compete with other 4-H groups in regional, state and national events.

If you are interested in any of these events or in learning more about hunting, shooting and the outdoors, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation or one of the organizations mentioned. Hunter Education courses are held on a regular basis in each county, JAKES events are planned for Cape Girardeau, Perry and Butler counties in the upcoming weeks, and there will be another YHEC competition next year in this area.

Mike Lancaster is an agent with the Missouri Department of Conservation's Cape Girardeau office.