The Northwest Pennsylvania chapter of Pheasants Forever has scheduled two mentored youth pheasant hunts: Oct. 8 at the Miller Farm Habitat Project outside of Union City, and Oct. 15 starting at Sugar Grove AMVETS in Warren County
The hunts are open to children ages 12-16 who have a valid hunter/trapper education card. Participants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and will be led by experienced hunters with trained dogs. Lunch is provided, and each young hunter will receive a one-year youth membership to Pheasants Forever. There is no charge to participate, but preregistration by Sept. 8 is required. For information and registration materials, e-mail heath@nwpapf.org.
The Oct. 8 hunt is at the site is one of the local chapter’s first habitat restoration success stories. Five years ago, the land was little more than 60 acres of mud. Today, it thrives with native warm season grasses mixed with wildflowers. This excellent upland habitat benefits deer, turkeys, songbirds, and pheasants. Wildlife artist Bill Czarnecki used the site for his painting Just the Beginning, which depicts a father and son on a pheasant hunt. One participant in this hunt will win an autographed print of the painting, courtesy of the artist. To see the painting, visit the chapter’s website www.nwpapf.org. This event is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
The Oct. 15 event will include trap-shooting at the club’s range before heading afield. The hunt is co-sponsored by the AMVETS and the Forever Shooting Sports program.
Chapter 728′s first mentored youth hunt, in October 2007, drew 11 hunters. In October 2010 two hunts drew a combined 48 hunters.
