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Aaron Kecham, 13, from Klamath Falls, Ore., gets set
for sporting clays to fly at the Pheasants Forever
Turkey Shoot. He shot 74 clays out of 100 with his
Browning Silver Hunter 12-gauge, outshooting most of
the adults. He said he's been shooting since he could
walk. |
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A pheasant struts along an irrigation canal on the
Lower Klamath wildlife refuge. |
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Birds
are the targets; people are the goal
Pheasants Forever chapter aims to give everyone a shot
•
Video of the Tulelake turkey shoot.
by Jacqui
Krizo for the Capital Press
11/23/2007
TULELAKE,
Calif. - Michael Sylvester can't walk, but he can hunt. The
Tulelake Chapter of Pheasants Forever sponsored a pheasant
hunt for the 16-year-old at Diamond W Hunt Club east of
Tulelake. They set out some birds, got him on a four-wheeler
and took him hunting.
Sylvester, who was born with spina bifida, had everything good
to say about the Tulelake group: "The fact that they were so
generous to donate their time and efforts to me so I could go
out and feel like I don't have to worry about being in a
wheelchair, I could go out and hunt like a regular person. It
means a lot to me what they did."
And as Pheasants Forever gave to him two years ago, Sylvester
gives hope to hundreds of young people through his support of
Children's Miracle Network. As Oregon's CMN ambassador, he has
traveled throughout the United States speaking and helping
others who are disabled.
Pheasants Forever in Tulelake isn't just about birds and
habitat; it's about people.
They held their annual Turkey Shoot at their sporting
clay-shooting range north of Tulelake in mid-November - 88
men, women and children came out for the shoot, lunch, awards
and prizes; 20 turkeys, 40 bags of potatoes, ammo, gloves and
many more prizes were given away; and the organizers made sure
every child won something.
Other special shoots are the Ham Shoot in the spring and the
summer Appreciation Shoot, all with clays, lunch and prizes.
President Mike Webb said when the Tulelake chapter formed 14
years ago it had one tower. Now the 10-acre course has 13
stations and 26 remote-control machines.
He said the organization put 42 youth and adults through
hunter safety this summer in Tulelake, complete with lunches,
at no cost to the participants.
Their lively annual banquet in February is the primary
fund-raising event for habitat projects, featuring a dinner
with raffles and auctions for guns, art, gifts and clothing.
Proceeds provide grain seed for farmers to plant hundreds of
acres for wildlife habitat in the Klamath Basin in cooperation
with Fish and Wildlife and Cal Ore Wetlands.
Pheasants Forever is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
protecting and enhancing pheasant and other wildlife
populations in North America through habitat improvement, land
management, public awareness and education. Pheasants Forever
says it is the only national wildlife conservation
organization that leaves all of the fund-raising dollars where
they were raised for local habitat projects. It has more than
100,000 members in over 600 local chapters across the United
States and Canada.
The Tulelake Chapter has nearly 300 members.
Every Sunday at 10 a.m., Tulelakers Dar Carol, Tony Tate and
Terry Alcorn have the course set up, the woodstove burning,
the coffee perking and the clays ready. To get there, when you
come to a bump in the road on Stateline, west of Westside
Grocery, turn north at the quonset hut at the Pheasants
Forever sign. Keep driving down the dirt road until you see a
bunch of gals and guys with shotguns.
Bring money, guns and ammo. |
