Over the years my NWTF chapter has put on a lot of youth hunts in an effort to introduce more kids to the outdoors and educate them on wildlife and their habitat. Most of those hunts have been turkey hunts hosted at the John Beorschig ranch in Brackettville through THYP, and I've met a lot of great guys from this forum who have come out to help with this event each year who remain close friends to this day.

In the last couple of years we've been blessed to pick up a couple of more hunts including a feral hog hunt/eradication at Gus Engling WMA and a doe/spike hunt for two essay contest winners at the Double Draw ranch in Junction. Because a lot of youth have been blessed through these events and we're always running in to those looking for an opportunity to be a part of something we're hoping to pick up a few more hunts. Our turkey and hog hunts take place in the spring and the doe/spike hunt for two youth essay contest winters in Junction takes place in January for special late artlessness/spike season.

We would like to pick up a fall deer hunt for about 5-10 kids. If there's anyone here that has a ranch that we can accommodate that many kids along with a guardian and need to thin out a few does or culls we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to come out. We can either pay a few bucks for lodging or camp out on the place if possible. We'd like to possibly have a couple of biologist out to talk to the kids about wildlife, and I'd like to include a foraging segment where Merriwether, of Foraging Texas comes out and take the kids on a hike identifying plants that benefit both wildlife and humans. We can do the hunt through TYHP or NWTF which both has great insurance that covers both the landowners and the hunt participants, and us who will be organizing and conducting the hunts are all Huntmasters with TYHP and other trained personnel who promote safety.

None of these opportunities would be possible if it were not for generous land owners and TPWD staff who care about passing this knowledge and these hunting traditions down to our younger generations. They also understand that this day and age there are all sorts of things competing for the attention of our young people, and the outdoors provides an alternative like nothing else offered today. For me personally as a youngster, hunting and fishing kept me away from a lot of things and people that could have ended in me going down the wrong path in life, and today there is a lot more out there competing for the attention of young minds. This is my reason I do what I do as well as the rest of those on my committee...not for kudos to be able to say that we're doing something good, but to make a difference... this is ministry. I'm thankful for the opportunity to be a participant and also for those who have given us access to make these things happen and to those who will. Thanks for taking the time to read this and if you have or know of a place we can conduct these hunts please send me a PM. Thanks again!

This appeals was for landowners that may have excess does on their place that may need help thinning a few out while helping youth hunters in the process. I know doe/spike hunts are money makers for many landowners and we can probably work on funding and sponsorship's to give the landowners something for does harvested, but if no deer hunts are available we will settle for hogs. All we need is the space and opportunity to make some sort of harvest. Let me know if anyone think they can help us out. Thanks again!