Winter 2012 VHEA DLINES - VAHEA | Virginia Hunter ... Winter 2012.pdf · Winter 2012 A quarterly...

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vHeadlines Page 1 VHEADLINES Winter 2012 A quarterly Newsletter of the Virginia Hunter Education Association Inside This Issue Letter from the President 1 Board Bulletins 1 Membership Information 2 Treasurer’s Report 2 Fall Highlights 2-3 Winter Events 4 Promoting Skills Weekends 5 In Our Sights 5-6 Hunter Skills Flyer 7 Letter from the President Greetings to all Association Instructors, We have now completed all events at Holiday Lake for 2012. We are now busy with our hunter education classes and I know there is a lot of interest in classes. I am receiving e- mail requests daily from people across the state trying to find both regular and internet classes before hunting season. Officer elections were held at the last Advanced Training and we welcome a new Region 4 Director, Jason Miller. He replaces John Dunne who decided not to continue in that position. Ed Crebbs was elected secretary, replacing Ralph Graybill who also decided not to continue. I would like to thank both John and Ralph for the work they have done for the association. Their expertise and experience will be missed but I am sure the new additions will bring new ideas and vigor to their offices. I would also like to welcome “Spud” Almond back for another term as Region 2 Director. I would like to thank those who supported me for President. I have enjoyed seeing the many things the association has accomplished in the 6 years since we started. I believe we have done much more than anyone thought we could in such a short time. I look forward to the next two years as your president. We are facing a lot of changes and an uncertain future that will require all of us to work together to overcome the obstacles ahead in hunter education. There have been a few people circulating a lot of false rumors and accusations over the last two years. Many of these were directed at me and friends. It is time for this childish behavior to stop and allow us to focus on the things that are important for the future of the association and Hunter Education. Again I look forward to the next two years and I know that together we can accomplish many more things for the good of the program. Vernie Kennedy President Board Bulletins VHEA Officers effective January 2013: Vernie Kennedy, President [email protected] Rob Zepp, Vice President [email protected] Wade White, Treasurer [email protected] Ed Crebbs, Secretary [email protected] Regional Directors: Region 1: Mike Norkus [email protected] Region 2: George "Spud" Almond [email protected] Region 3: Mike Cantrell [email protected] Region 4: Jason Miller [email protected] Region 5: Jesse Ebron [email protected]

Transcript of Winter 2012 VHEA DLINES - VAHEA | Virginia Hunter ... Winter 2012.pdf · Winter 2012 A quarterly...

Page 1: Winter 2012 VHEA DLINES - VAHEA | Virginia Hunter ... Winter 2012.pdf · Winter 2012 A quarterly Newsletter of the Virginia Hunter Education Association Inside This Issue Letter from

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VHEADLINES Winter 2012

A quarterly Newsletter of the Virginia Hunter Education Association

Inside This Issue

Letter from the President 1

Board Bulletins 1

Membership Information 2

Treasurer’s Report 2

Fall Highlights 2-3

Winter Events 4

Promoting Skills Weekends 5

In Our Sights 5-6

Hunter Skills Flyer 7

Letter from the President

Greetings to all Association Instructors,

We have now completed all events at Holiday Lake for 2012. We are now busy with our hunter education classes and I know there is a lot of interest in classes. I am receiving e-mail requests daily from people across the state trying to find both regular and internet classes before hunting season.

Officer elections were held at the last Advanced Training and we welcome a new Region 4 Director, Jason Miller. He replaces John Dunne who decided not to continue in that position. Ed Crebbs was elected secretary, replacing Ralph Graybill who also decided not to continue. I would like to thank both John and Ralph for the work they have done for the association. Their expertise and experience will be missed but I am sure the new additions will bring new ideas and vigor to their offices. I would also like to welcome “Spud” Almond back for another term as Region 2 Director.

I would like to thank those who supported me for President. I have enjoyed seeing the many things the association has accomplished in the 6 years since we started. I believe we have done much more than anyone thought we could in such a short time. I look forward to the next two years as your president.

We are facing a lot of changes and an uncertain future that will require all of us to work together to overcome the obstacles ahead in hunter education. There have been a few people circulating a lot of false rumors and accusations over the last two years. Many of these were directed at me and friends. It is time for this childish behavior to stop and allow us to focus on the things that are important for the future of the association and Hunter Education.

Again I look forward to the next two years and I know that

together we can accomplish many more things for the good

of the program.

Vernie Kennedy

President

Board Bulletins

VHEA Officers effective January 2013:

Vernie Kennedy, President [email protected]

Rob Zepp, Vice President [email protected]

Wade White, Treasurer [email protected]

Ed Crebbs, Secretary [email protected]

Regional Directors:

Region 1: Mike Norkus

[email protected]

Region 2: George "Spud" Almond

[email protected]

Region 3: Mike Cantrell

[email protected]

Region 4: Jason Miller

[email protected]

Region 5: Jesse Ebron

[email protected]

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Look for the

“Virginia Hunter Education Association” on

And

Us!

Fall Highlights

Bedford Youth Hunt

November 17, 2012 a rifle hunt was hosted by the VHEA near the New London Business and Technology Center off Route 460 in Bedford County. Ten youth, each accompanied by a parent or guardian and a certified hunter education instructor, took to the classroom and the field for a day of instruction and hands-on experiences in deer hunting. The program was developed five years ago to get youth familiar with the hunting regulations and assist them in learning the correct way to do things – with safety as the top priority. Preparation began for the instructors earlier in the week by setting up multiple blinds and establishing shooting lanes for each. During the hunt their primary duty was to ensure that shooting lane integrity was maintained. Hunters could not leave their blinds until granted clearance from the central controller. Five deer were harvested in the morning providing an opportunity for a lesson in field dressing. A total of 6 deer were harvested and several youth “tagged out” for the day. Participants’ feedback was positive - one mentioned that he got to know the game warden less as an enemy and more as an ally. One parent commented that it was worth giving up the opening day of rifle season the see the smile on his son’s face when he harvested his deer. A Youth Muzzleloader Hunt is scheduled for December 22.

Membership Information (as of 12/10/12)

Membership is at a new record high!

Current membership: 168 Life members: 78 *

*(77 Instructors, 1 Associate life member) To join, go to VAHEA.ORG, print the membership form and mail to the address printed at the bottom along with your check. Membership options and costs are: Regular (1-year) - $ 20.00 Associate - $ 15.00 Life - $150.00

Treasurer’s Report By Wade White, Treasurer

Account – Checking balance as of 12/12/2012

$ 10,944.32

Bedford County Youth Hunts 0

John Dunne’s Crossbow Hunt $ 1,004.26

Rob Zepp’s Wounded Warrior Turkey Hunt 0

Hunter Education Challenge 0

Hunter Skills Weekends 0

Bedford Co. HE- Milan Ashbrenner Memorial

$ 193.42

Total allocated funds $ 1,197.68

General Fund $ 9,746.64

Unpaid Bills 0

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4th Annual VHEA / NORVA Veteran’s Hunt

The 4th annual Virginia Hunter Education

Association / NORVA Wounded Veteran’s Hunt was

held on October 12 and 13, 2012. Four veterans

attended, two others who registered were unable

to attend.

Veterans Ken, Paul, Dave and Mike arrived on

Friday by midafternoon. Introductions were made

followed by a crossbow orientation on the bows,

bolts and broadheads generously loaned from

Parker Bows. A safety session followed by a sight-

in and shooting practice allowed the men to try

different models. All were impressed with the

speed and accuracy of the crossbows.

After dinner a review of hunting regulations

was held and included information on the

special CWD regulations for Frederick County.

Gifts from VDGIF and the VHEA were presented.

Rocks Baptist Church in Pamplin, VA, donated

gifts of hunting theme quilts.

Lee Turner woke hunters and hosts on Saturday morning

and provided a quick breakfast. Morning and afternoon

hunts proceeded with a break in between for a meal and

time to share stories about the day. The Veterans saw a

variety of deer, lots of squirrels and one hunter was

surrounded by coyote. Unfortunately shot opportunities

for the deer did not present themselves. After the hunt

everyone returned to camp, packed up crossbows for

return to Parker, then enjoyed a venison dinner. Paul

won the drawing for a crossbow donated by the VHEA,

and Addison Hurst presented additional gifts.

Sunday morning a breakfast provided by the Star Tannery

Community was hosted by Aaron Mitchell at the Ruritan

Club for the group. After breakfast the hunters returned to

Quantico.

Thanks go to Steve Johnson, Lance Simons, George Lever,

Lee Turner and Debbie Perkins for providing meals for

everyone. This hunt was made possible by the generosity

of Parker Bows, NORVA Rod and Gun Club, Lee Turner,

Aaron Mitchell, Janet and Ralph Lowery (who provided a

new place to hunt), The Star Tannery Community and the

VHEA.

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Winter Events Region: 1

New Kent Youth Turkey Hunt The goal of this Youth Hunt Management Plan is to provide safe, ethical and rewarding hunting opportunities for Venturing Scouts from The Boy Scouts of America, Colonial Virginia and Heart of Virginia Councils. This Youth Hunt shall be conducted under tightly controlled and managed circumstances in a safe and ethical manner consistent with all applicable policies and procedures and the safety of all participants shall be its primary purpose. Dates: April 6 and 13, 2013 Location: New Kent Forestry Center 11301 Pocahontas Trail, Providence Forge, VA 13140 Contacts: Henry McBurney; 757-897-9681 or Huntmaster: John Germanos, email: [email protected], phone: (mobile) 757-285-1909; (office) 757-467-2016 Registration Information: Closed registration. This event is for Boy and Girl Scouts of the Colonial Virginia and Heart of Virginia Councils. Special Announcements:

1. Prior to hunting the youth hunter must have turned in the completed VHEA Liability Waiver form.

2. All volunteers must have completed the Scout “Youth Protection Training” offered on line at http://myscouting.scouting.org . This is an on-line training course that takes 20 to 30 minutes. The certificate will be kept on file with the Boy Scouts of America, Colonial Council. Volunteers shall print out the completed certificate and bring the large copy to Denny Newhouse or Diana Delgado. This Scout Youth Protection Training is good for a two year period so those who completed it last year for the New Kent BSA event will not have to re-take it this year.

3. All Youth Hunters must log in (upon arrival) and out (prior to departure) of the New Kent Forestry Center hunter log book. The instructor/guide has the final authority while hunting and in the blind – NO Exceptions!

Volunteers needed: If you’d like to volunteer to help with calling, setup, etc. contact John Germanos, email: [email protected], phone: (mobile) 757-285-1909; (office) 757-467-2016 to offer your services.

Region: 5 Members Picnic Season Greetings! Hope you have a fun and safe Holiday. I’m looking forward to a great New Year! First! There has been talk about a picnic for Region 5 members. Ed Crebbs has the place. We need to hear from the members. Let us know what you think? Stay Safe, Jesse Ebron Interested members in Region 5 should contact Jesse Ebron at [email protected].

Region: 1 Northern Neck Youth Turkey Hunt The goal of this hunt is to provide safe, ethical and rewarding turkey hunting opportunities for the youth of the Northern Neck area of Virginia. This hunt shall be conducted under tightly controlled and managed circumstances in a safe and ethical manner consistent with all state regulations. Safety is paramount! Registration Information: Age limit 10 – 15, selected randomly out of Hunter Education classes or awarded. Successful completion of Hunter Education required. Date: April 20, 2013 Location: Virginia Wildlife Federation’s Fulfillment Farms, Albemarle County, VA Contacts: Rick Wilks at [email protected] Special Announcements: 1. All parents/guardians will sign a liability and

publicity waiver prior to their children being allowed to hunt.

2. There will be a safety brief prior to the hunt that all must attend. After the hunt a turkey hunting seminar will be conducted.

3. The hunt will be conducted “2 deep” with all instructor/guides being Hunter Education Instructors, DGIF personnel or qualified personnel from sponsoring organizations. The observer (parent/guardian/mentor) shall remain in sight of the hunter/guide at all times. The instructor/guide has the final authority while hunting and in the blind – NO Exceptions!

Volunteers needed: If you’d like to volunteer to help with calling, setup, etc. Contact Rick Wilks at [email protected] or call him at 540-775-4625 to offer your services.

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In Our Sights By Wendy Hyde

VHEA Life Member – Reba Cartwright

Question: What do you get when you cross a female

business professional with a hunter education

instructor?

Answer: Reba Cartwright!

Meet Reba - one of the first women Charter Members of

VHEA and a Life Member. She’s been teaching hunter

education since September 19, 1999, and is currently

one of two female Master Instructors in Alleghany

County (the second is a CPO).

Promoting Skills Weekends

The two Hunter Skills Weekends coming up in May

and August 2013 provide for hunters and

outdoorspeople ages 11-90+ a great chance to learn

hands-on a variety of hunting related skills. The

VHEA’s goal is to have every class full for every event,

and it needs the help of instructors state-wide to

promote these valuable learning opportunities.

Listed below are several ideas for getting the word

out in your communities. Please take the initiative to

try one or more!

1. Co-op with a business

Approach a local business to sponsor a paid

tuition to the program for two participants.

Businesses could offer an in-store sign up and

give away the trip to the winning

customer(s). Potential business types are

sporting goods stores, gun or archery shops,

equipment dealers, farm stores, co-ops, or

power sport dealers. For information on how

to handle the registration please contact

Bryan Branch of Holiday Lake 4-H

Educational Center at (434) 248-5444 or

[email protected].

2. Co-op with government agencies

Check with your local Dept. of Forestry, Dept.

of Agriculture, Soil and Water Boards, or

other agencies to see if they have any funds

available to sponsor participants.

3. Promote in Hunter Education classes

Print the attached flyer (the last page of this

newsletter), make copies and talk about the

events at every class you teach.

4. Post a flyer in a public place

Many grocery stores, gyms, and retail stores

offer bulletin boards for public events. Ask

the store manager for permission to post a

flyer.

Together we can make these events a success!

This unique, enthusiastic lady has a real desire to teach

and empower the women who attend the public classes

in Region 4. She works in White Sulphur Springs, WV,

for a construction management company. After

answering phones and processing invoices all day she

often goes directly to public classes and teaches in her

business attire. She likes to show women in the class

that, “you can be a female, go to work, have a job, and

still put on your hunting boots and camo and have a

good time.” Reba shared, “The public classes are multi-

generational and have such a diverse age and gender

group. I enjoy seeing the women who show up just to

get their concealed carry and when they come up after

class to talk I see it has sparked an interest. The class

introduces concepts of safety, ethics, and all other

aspects that are tied into shooting.”

(continued on Page 6)

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In Our Sights (continued from Page 5)

Reba also teaches HE every fall to 7th-graders in the public

schools. The kids take the information home and discuss it

with their parents. Kids and parents alike learn that the

importance of firearms safety not only applies to hunting –

it carries over into the home. When asked what her

favorite part of teaching is, she replied, “Watching the light

bulbs go off. I enjoy getting the young children to

participate. That's what drives me. Seeing the kids ‘get it’

is what encourages me to continue. “

Young or old, Reba likes her female students to be able to

see a woman as a role model; she especially enjoys

encouraging self-confidence in young women and feels that

one of the greatest rewards of teaching is seeing young

women a year or two after class displaying that confidence.

Reba is the youngest of 3 children with a sister and brother

older than her by 21 and 18 years, respectively. The age

difference makes her nieces and nephews close to her own

age. She grew up on family property in Alleghany County

where she now enjoys hunting activities with her family.

Having no children of her own, she takes pleasure in seeing

the younger generations get started in hunting. Her

grandnephew, age 13, is a "hunter's hunter" and is skilled

in archery, shotgun and rifle. Reba has had the privilege of

signing off on her grand niece's and all but one of her grand

nephews’ (the ones who live in VA) Hunter Ed certificates.

Reba was exposed to hunting as a child, but recalls that

girls weren't supposed to be interested in it. “It was a guy

thing. Boys were able to take HE in school and girls had

separate classes and weren't given the option. Guns were

around but you didn't touch them.” Her father passed

away before she ever got involved in HE and Reba wishes it

had been offered to her when she was young so she could

have shared more activities with her Dad. She admits she

had a "Bambi complex" growing up and never hunted - her

Dad would hunt and she wouldn't eat it. The older she got

she realized it was the cycle of life. Now she prefers to

hunt small game, squirrels, rabbits and such just like her

Dad enjoyed the hunt of small game. She usually uses a .22

for hunting.

As a young woman Reba earned a BS in Business

Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from

Radford University. She returned to her childhood home

in Alleghany County. Over the years, she has worked for

most of the major employers in the area. In 2002 she

took a job at the Greenbrier Hotel in the HR Department,

moved to Accounting, and concluded her work there as

the Accounting Manager after 7 years. After that came a

job in Nashvillle, TN, with Loews Hotels. In December

2011 she returned to the City of Covington to be near her

sister who recently passed away.

In April of 1999 Reba attended a Hunter Ed class to meet

the requirements for a concealed carry permit. The

enthusiasm and commitment of the instructors impressed

her. She realized hunting was more than pulling the

trigger on a gun and gained an appreciation for the

history behind hunting. She feels it is very important that

we as a society don't lose our connection to the outdoors.

“If I didn't hunt and share it with others, a whole

generation of young people wouldn’t be able to

experience the joys of hunting.” After talking to the

instructors she became interested in the idea of teaching.

Her venture into hunting started after becoming an

instructor because she felt she needed to be able to

practice what she preached.

Reba joined VHEA because she thought it would be a good

organization to “fill the gaps and provide an opportunity

to get grants and fill the hole for things VDGIF could not

do.” She would like to see more of the Wounded Warrior-

type events and to continue the Youth Shoots. She also

feels it is important to see all areas of the state receive

equal focus and have a say in future education efforts and

events.

In her spare time Reba enjoys target shooting. A past

member of the Alleghany Gun Club, she has shot pistol

and .22 LR rifle for fun. She admits she’s not a shotgun

fan – “she likes to have a shoulder when she's done.” She

also hopes to develop her marksmanship skills in order to

hunt with her crossbow. Reba likes to cook but doesn't

get to very often, and also enjoys less-than one-day hikes.

A future goal of hers is to get involved with the Humane

Society and work with abandoned animals.

Holiday Lake events are a favorite part of her HE

experience and she shares, “The friends you make at

Holiday Lake will be lifelong friends. I have a lot of

respect for my fellow instructors. They have taken me in

and made me feel welcome and they are very willing to

share their knowledge.”

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Virginia Hunter Skills Weekend May 3-5, 2013

Want to learn new hunting skills or hone the ones you have?

Looking for expert instruction?

Then this is the workshop for you! Ages 11-90+

children under 18 must attend with parent

(Hunter Education class is a plus but is not required)

Class Selections:

Bow Hunting Basics

Bow Tuning Muzzleloading Basics Rifle, Basic & Advanced Shotgun Basics Pistol Basics Skeet Trap GPS in the Great Outdoors Recovery of Wounded Game Wilderness Survival Bow Fishing Basics

Wild Game Cooking Small Game Hunting Skills Turkey Hunting Skills Treestand Safety

Cost: Early Bird: $110.00 (Registration and payment must be received by April 12, 2013)

Regular Price: $120.00 (Registration and payment received after April 12, 2013) Covers meals Friday Dinner-Sunday Lunch, lodging and all instruction Please register by: April 19, 2013

Refund Policy: Full Refund by April 19, 2013

1/2 before April 26, 2013 Nonrefundable after April 26, 2013

Location: Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, Appomattox, VA 24522 Rustic but comfortable bunk style lodging. Please bring your own linens, pillow and toiletries.

A health form, a list of items to bring, and other information will be sent as

soon as your registration form has been received.

www.dgif.va.gov www.vahea.org

HOLIDAY LAKE 4-H CENTER

www.holidaylake4h.com Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex,

religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status.