Kentuckiana Hunter

Locals Participate in Record-breaking
Youth Turkey Season

Camp Loucon was bustling with children's laughter and veteran hunting stories the Easter weekend as the Twin Lakes Area Youth-Only Beard Bash settled into their annual event. The Twin Lakes Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation sponsored the event that allowed area youth the opportunity to take part in the spring turkey season on a one-on-one guided hunt Saturday, April 3.

Twenty-seven participants made their way to Camp Loucon on Friday evening, thanks to their families. New friendships were made as soon as they met and another memorable event was underway. Volunteers from across the state came to help as coordinators, guides, and cooks! "This event is unique not only in size, but mostly because it is 100% free to everyone. Lodging and all meals are provided, not to mention a good time!" said Sam Coffey, co-coordinator of the local NWTF JAKES events.

JAKES is the NWTF program for youth and stands for: Juniors Acquiring Knowledge Ethics and Sportsmanship. The Twin Lakes event certainly provides an opportunity for the kids to stick to that motto. Friday evening after dinner Kentucky Conservation Officer Steve Nelson addressed all attendees about the laws and ethics associated with hunting. He went out of his way to make sure everyone understood the logic behind the laws and that everyone abided by them.

The youth participants and some adult volunteers stayed overnight at Camp Loucon in the Orchard cabin area and awoke on Saturday morning to a home cooked breakfast of sausage and biscuits & gravy. The other adult volunteers and guides arrived at camp Saturday morning around 4:30am to pick up their hunting partner and head to the fields. The morning hunt proved to be perfect, despite the rain! When they returned to camp for lunch participants were welcomed by 6 successful hunters!

After a catered lunch of BBQ and pork chops, all of the hunting pairs without a morning kill departed for the woods and fields again. Those left in camp began to get anxious as dark approached. When everyone had returned to camp for dinner, only 1 more turkey had been harvested. Participants were picked up by their parents after dinner and everyone involved is already looking forward to the next event!

Successful hunters were: Kennedy Nelson, Kyler Cannon, Dillon Mahurin, Brady Johns, Merv Miller, Matthew Hogan, and Charlie Rafferty.

The Twin Lakes Area Youth-Only Beard Bash committee would like to thank all of the sponsors, volunteers, participants, and parents that helped with the 2010 event.

This event was proudly sponsored by Flambeau Outdoors, Realtree Outdoors, Kentucky Afield & Tim Farmer, Lost River Game Calls, Conservation Officers Association, area individuals, and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Thanks to our volunteer guides from the Kentuckiana chapter of SCI, Jim Warren, Randy Phelps and Mary Phelps.