Pheasants Forever Youth Mentor Hunt Successful

More than 30 volunteers combined their efforts to make the Webster County Pheasants Forever Youth Mentor Hunt, held Saturday Oct. 10th, a huge success despite cold weather. Fourteen youth between the ages of 12 and 15 and their mentors participated. Organizers believe that there is enough interest in youth hunting to make the mentor hunt an annual event. Each of the 14 youth participating were presented with an orange hunting vest with the Nebraska game and parks logo and the Pheasants Forever logo on it. The youth were required to complete the hunter Safety course before participating in the PF Youth Mentor Hunt. Two certified hunter education instructors, Troy Schmitz and Jim Moore were present at the hunt. Webster County Pheasants Forever chapter president Jamie Reiman said he was well pleased with the turnout and appreciated the many volunteers who cooperated to make the day such a success. .The event was held at the Rep. Valley Trap shooting range near Rosemont. The chapter was grateful to Dave Kohmetscher for allowing the use his property behind the old locker plant to get out of the cold wind for a lot of the events. Stations were set up around the property to teach the youth how to take care of their weapons, shoot blue rock and clean birds. They also go to do some 22 rifle target shooting. The 22 rifle target shooting station helpers were Ron Olsen and Bob Fountaine. The Blue Rock station was manned by Bruce and Dave Kohmetscher. Instruction in Gun cleaning was provided by Pat Kile. The Pheasant cleaning station was presided over by Mike Hall and Shawn Trumble. Helping with the live pheasant hunt were Toby Alber, Mike Morganflash, Andy Alber, Jason Fowler, Jim Moore and Reiley Hall. Shuttling people from station to station were Gary Reiman, Herb Shannon and Tom VanBoening The young hunters had the opportunity to hunt live pheasants behind pointing hunting dogs along with their mentor. Every youth was able to bag at least one bird. Area hunters who brought their dogs were Toby Alber, and Jason Fowler. The event included a lunch for the hunters and their mentors at the Rep. Valley club house served by PF chapter members, Vicki Alber and Roger Meyer, . Wimmers Wieners donated the brats for the lunch, Thramers in Blue Hill donate the buns and other items for the lunch. The Webster Co. Pheasants Forever chapter furnished the blue rock, shells and bird. The annual Webster County Pheasants Forever banquet is the main fund raising event for the chapter. Three volunteers from the Little Blue Chapter of Pheasants Forever assisted, Jim Moore, Dale Janitscheck and Nate Allen. .Mentors were Terry Jordening, Roger Wengler, Tim Streff, Mitch Frazer, Tyler Frazer , Ryan Sluke, Cody Karr, Nathan Petska, Nate Allen, Dale Janitscheck, Heidi Kyle, Troy Schmitz, Jack Shiverly, and Casey Fangmeyer. Youth participants were Wyatt Kyle, Matthew Wengler, Chyanna Sharp, Dakota Lovette, Brady Schmitz, Austin Strasberg, Adam Kearney, Dillon Buschow, Jacob VanBoening, Austin Woodward, Brett Streff, Jacob Shiverly, Chase Seybold, and Peter Trausch. Co chairs of the event were Andy and Vicki Alber. Committee members Mike Hall, Toby Alber, Bob Fontaine, Ron Olsen , Jason Fowler and Brad Wulf. Jamie Reiman and Casey Fangmeyer. The Webster County event is one of about 70 youth mentor hunts sponsored by Nebraska Pheasant Forever chapters across the state, during the month of October. Pheasants Forever Chapters across the state and Nebraska Game and Parks commission have been combining their efforts to provide Youth mentor hunts since 1996 The Goal for sponsoring the hunts is to encourage interest in the sport of hunting and to teach youth to hunt safely, conserve our natural resources and to teach respect the property rights of the land owners. Youth are allowed to participate in the Pheasants Forever Mentor hunt just once, next year a new group of youth will be invited to participate. Door prizes were given including a 22 rifle and a mounted pheasant donated by Osage taxidermy. Pheasants Forever obtained special permission from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to allow for this live bird hunt prior to the opening of the regular pheasant hunting season.