The spring is a hustle-bustle time of consumer tradeshows, product launches, and introducing new items for shelf space. Throughout the past four-month grind of racing to cities across the Midwest, assembling booths, meeting great people, and promoting the sport of hunting to the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts has left an incredible impression on my life. I love partaking in events that provide instructive education for our youth. Last month I attended a unique event that showcased an entirely new dimension of visitors; Kid’s Day.
Adams County, Wis. hosts an annual event that is targeted toward area youth. Adams is a small country community that is located in the south central region of Wisconsin. The vast farmland and area lakes make this a dynamic place for avid hunters and fishermen. It is a place where I was raised and began my journey into the outdoors. Many people find refuge in the area for its rich traditions of conservation and land management.
The small community of fewer than 2,000 assembles a yearly get-together during April. Vendors from across the county exhibit interesting booths, engaging games, and free seminars about everything from origami paper construction to hula hooping. One thousand area kids join together during this special day to enjoy the assortment of activities.
My friend Jenn Geissler and I attended the event and showcased the fine art of turkey calling. I brought an assortment of friction calls for kids to try and a relentless attitude to teach. Jenn and I provided insight on how to run yelps, clucks, and purrs, which are the basic fundamentals to calling turkeys in shooting range. Kids from the ages of 5-to-15 enjoyed the screeching aluminum, glass, and slate surfaces.
Throughout the duration of the day, kids scratched, cranked, and scraped turkey tunes in the gymnasium from my booth. The yelps and cackles brought in curious kids looking to master the art of turkey vocalization. Many newbie’s were able to bust out a pretty good yelp within the first few minutes, while others stuck around for several minutes before playing a melody. Jenn and I gladly provided lessons for a few hours for both youth and adults alike. It was great to see the smiles and fascinating looks bystanders had.
We enjoyed a fine day promoting turkey calls and turkey hunting to kids. Jenn and I found great joy in growing youth’s knowledge with wild game tips, tactics, and techniques. Several kids left the booth asking where they could purchase a turkey call. It was a proud moment to realize the little work that we did last Saturday rippled across the entire county’s youth base.
Providing education and leadership to youth is what Jenn and I both find dear to our hearts. It’s a chance to inspire kids with something new, exciting, and positive. I firmly believe that making a positive impression on today’s youth is critical and nearly the most important aspect of their life. Adults and peers must act as role models to establish a strong presence within the child’s psyche. Please remember that children carefully watch everything we do. Be that person to resonate the positive aspects of tomorrow’s future.
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