Local Youth Learn From Experience at Annual Hunt

COLUMBUS - An annual hunt gives local youth the chance to work with those who are a little more experienced. Jeff Uhl says six local kids participated in this year's hunt, which is sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation. Each kid had a mentor and was accompanied by a parent or guardian during the hunt. "The number of hunters now-a-days has been dwindling so we like to try and encourage kids to take up the sport of hunting, and the best way to do that is to get them out there and show them what it's like, and give them a positive experience out in the woods," says Uhl. It was a brisk morning for the hunters, and they were unable to shoot a turkey, but Ava Mueller came very close, just missing her turkey by a close margin, said Uhl. "It was pretty close, so the pattern wasn't very big but it was fun," says Mueller. "I'm going to try to get my siblings out here. You get a lot of stuff and they  encourage you to keep hunting when you get older." Keaton Barns also participated in the hunt, and says he hopes more kids his age participate  in the years to come. "You should definitely do it if you have the chance. They give you a lot of stuff and it's very fun," says Barns. The youth hunt was held on Saturday and Sunday at Camp Pawnee.