AmmoLand.com

14-year-old Emily DeCuir of Spring Hill won a Tennessee Lifetime Hunting & Fishing License, given by TWF Board Member Tom Rice.

Tennessee Wildlife Federation

Tennessee --(Ammoland.com)- More than 120 student-athletes from Tennessee’s Scholastic Clay Target Program assembled at the Lannom Center in Dyersburg the evening of Feb. 3 with their parents, coaches, sponsors and guides to kick off the 4th Annual Tennessee Wildlife Federation Davis P. Rice Youth Waterfowl Hunt.

At the banquet Friday, a crowd of about 300 enjoyed a barbecue dinner while TWF Director of Ecological Services Chad Whittenburg served as master of ceremonies and hunt director. No one left empty handed – gear from Delta Waterfowl, Final Flight Outfitters and Ducks Unlimited was given away hand over fist, and a lifetime license and college scholarships were presented to a few lucky winners.

Tom Rice, a longtime TWF Board member whose son, Davis, was killed in an automobile accident in 2007, has always been focused on introducing kids to the outdoors. Rice funded one Tennessee Lifetime Hunting License, won by 14-year-old Emily DeCuir of Spring Hill.

Several students won cash scholarships. Murphy Watkins of McKenzie and Alicia Smits of Spring Hill each won $250 scholarships from Delta Waterfowl; Hunter Finan of Jackson and Ryan Scarlett of New Market won a $250 prize from Final Flight; And last but not least, Bryan Tefft of New Johnsonville and Hunter York of Dickson each won $500 scholarships from the TWF’s Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program.

Saturday morning found the young hunters spread across 18 farms in West Tennessee. RIO Ammunition had provided shotgun shells, and the guides were able to work ducks and geese into range.

“These kids are excellent shooters, but the majority of them had never been hunting before,” Whittenburg says. “It was an experience they likely won’t forget, and we sparked an interest that will help continue that great tradition.”

In addition to TWF, Delta Waterfowl, Final Flight Outfitters, RIO Ammunition and the Tennessee Army National Guard, other sponsors included Sweeping Corporation of America, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the City of Dyersburg, Dyersburg Chamber of Commerce, Ducks Unlimited and Stites & Harbison PLC.

About:
The Purpose of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation is to champion the conservation, sound management and enjoyment of Tennessee’s wildlife and natural resources for current and future generations through stewardship, advocacy and education. Visit: www.tnwf.org

Filed under: Conservation News, Hunting News by Ammoland No Comments »

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

TRENTON, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Hooked on Fishing not on Drugs (A638), a bill that the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance has made a priority to become law was unanimously approved by the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week.

NJOA (CF) council members present at the hearing and testifying in favor of the bill were New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, Jersey Coast Anglers Association, and New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. Other groups also testified for the bill, including New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association.

Committee members:

• Albano, Nelson T. (D)
• Clifton, Robert D. (R)
• Wilson, Gilbert L. (D)
• Caride, Marlene (D)
• Dancer, Ronald S. (R)

Bill sponsors:

• Rumpf, Brian E. as Primary Sponsor
• Conaway, Herb, Jr. as Primary Sponsor
• Gove, DiAnne C. as Primary Sponsor
• Albano, Nelson T. as Primary Sponsor
• Wolfe, David W. as Co-Sponsor
• Diegnan, Patrick J., Jr. as Co-Sponsor
• McHose, Alison Littell as Co-Sponsor
• Moriarty, Paul D. as Co-Sponsor
• Chiusano, Gary R. as Co-Sponsor
• Rumana, Scott T. as Co-Sponsor
• Peterson, Erik as Co-Sponsor
• Burzichelli, John J. as Co-Sponsor

Bill A638 (HOFNOD) would establish a program within the Division of Fish and Wildlife to encourage children to avoid drug use. HOFNOD is a nationally recognized program developed by the Future Fisherman Foundation which has operated successfully in over a dozen states.

The program’s funding source would be the Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund (DEDRF) from which there would be a $200,000 appropriation to support the cost of implementing the program. This is a statutory account established to receive fines and penalties from convicted drug offenders that are used to support State authorized drug and alcohol abuse abatement programs.

Ed Markowski, President of NJOA (EP) and a long-time champion of the bill said, “HOFNOD is a uniquely designed approach to drug prevention among our youth. It is as effective with urban kids as it is with suburban and rural kids. HOFNOD consists of developing positive life skills while providing an appreciation of wildlife and the outdoors with the catalyst being the teaching of angling skills to school-aged children.”

The legislation is scheduled to be heard by Senate Environment and Energy Committee (S178) on Thursday, February 9, 2012. If approved, it would need to be passed by the full Assembly and full Senate to be sent to Governor Christie to be signed into law.

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earths resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

Filed under: Hunting News by Ammoland No Comments »