Meet the Alabama Youth Hunt Mentors

THANK YOU SPONSORS!
Sponsors: Duck, Duck Goose Lanyards, Delta Waterfowl, Echo Calls, Ure-a-Duck Decoys, Rig 'em Right, Drake WAterfowl, Foskey's Taxidermy and Revelation Outdoors.
Sponsors (local): Alabama Limo,Piggly Wiggly of Greenville, Connecuh Sausage, Fred's of Greenville, Polka Dots Cafe, Emily's, Camellia City Bakery

Front Row (L-R) Taite Watson, Dakota Berry, Baker Bozeman, Tanner Dunklin, Cody Parker, William Sherling, Sawyer Hennis, Bradey Peavey, Clay Thompson, Carter Boswell.

Back Row (L-R) Tyler Davis, Kirkland Kilpatrick, Chey-Anne Kilpatrick, Caleb Whigham, Dalton Hood, Hunter Craig, Jacob Till, William Luke Hendrick, Josh Strickland.

Alabama Youth Hunt: February 5th, 2011

http://www.duckjunkies.com/index.php/Next-Generation-Youth/al-youth-hunt-feb-5th-2010.html

Next Generation (Youth)

Duck Junkies has partnered with Delta Waterfowl to put on a mentored youth hunt on February 5th, 2011 in Brantley, Alabama.

The objective: Get kids excited about duck hunting and conservation and get their parents up to speed to support them.

There will be 25 youth attending this event at Conecuh River Ranch. We are going to hunt six at a time out of two blinds (three per blind). There will only be one shooter in each blind at a time. While each youth is shooting, a mentor will be right beside them guiding them step by step. While they are not, mentors will be teaching them about what is going on (the way the ducks are coming in, how to lead them, when to shoot, etc.) After the hunt, mentors will help them clean their ducks and answer any questions that they have.

When back at the lodge, mentors and aids will answer questions of the parents and youth and help teach about the heritage of Duck Hunting. There will be small group lessons about duck calling, decoy placement, scouting, cooking waterfowl and more! Parents who are not familiar with waterfowling will learn the basics of the sport and how to get involved with and support their child in their future of waterfowling.

Over thirty mentors and aids for this event include staff from Duck Junkies* and Delta Waterfowl as well as Chad Poole from Echo Calls, Clay London from Ol' Dogg Guide Service, William Dennis from Drake Waterfowl, Hassey Brooks from the Alabama Department of Ag and a few others in the waterfowl industry.

Duck, Duck Goose has volunteered to donate a lanyard for each youth. Each youth will also receive fleece Duck Junkies hats and a First Hunt package from Delta Waterfowl including a duck call. Every participant will receive a certificate of attendance.

You do not have to be an industry professional to volunteer for this event BUT if you would like to be a volunteer at this event please contact us ASAP as space is filling fast! ALL YOUTH SLOTS FOR THIS EVENT ARE FULL. Any youth that are wishing to be involved in a future hunt should contact us.

Jim Brooks is the Duck Junkies on-site coordinator for this event. This hunt is scheduled to have multiple people filming.

To learn about getting involved in Duck Junkies events, please contact us.

*Duck Junkies staff scheduled as mentors and aids:

Ryan Duck Junkie Marrinan: Founder

Jim Brooks: Alabama Pro Staff, Event Coordinator

Will Fastabend: Louisiana Youth Staff, 3rd Junior World Championship Specklebelly Goose

Shawn Foskey, Georgia Pro Staff, Taxidermist (He will be accompanied by his son Colton, a competitive duck caller.)

John Wilson, Georgia Pro Staff, Life-long committed waterfowler

Michael Scarborough, Pro Staff, Experienced traveling waterfowler

Isaac Brinkley, Field Staff, Student Majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries

Now that Alabama's season is over..

Pulling the trigger for one last time for the season brought a surprising relief to me this year... Not because I was tired of hunting, but rather the fact that I had such a life changing event occur in the middle of hunting season. Me and my wife had our first child on December 14th which was born 2.5 months premature. I will never forget the day that I got the call while I was at work... My wife had gone to the doctor because she was beginning to swell extremely bad in her hands and feet. During the visit, my wife calls me balling her eyes out screaming they are going to take the baby..... TODAY!!!! My heart hit the floor, not knowing what to think or what to do... I hadn't prepared for this at all! I rush to the hospital. Once I get there, she was in an ambulance headed to another local hospital which specializes in Neonatal care... At this point I knew there was more to it that her just delivering early.. I get to the other hospital and get in the room where she is at... 6 doctors surround my wife's bed and the words that were coming out of their mouths horrified me... One doctor looked at me and said your wife is dying! They said your wife has an extreme case of preeclampsia and HELLP disorder. Basically the nutrients that were going to the baby were becoming toxic to her and the baby, which in return was causing my wife's vital organs to shut down. The doctors rushed and prepped her for surgery so that they could deliver the baby immediately... My emotions became evident... I was speechless... All I could think about was the fact that everything dear to me could be gone within a seconds notice. After an agonizing hour of waiting they wheeled my new born baby girl out into the hall way weighing in at 2# 1 oz... The doctor said our baby was doing great but my wife on the other hand wasn't in the clear... She ended up spending 2 weeks in the hospital and went through several blood and platelet transfusions. She ended up coming home on Christmas day, which was the best present ever! We just got to bring our girl, Ashlynn Kate home last Friday and my life hasn't been the same ever since!!

I guess the thing I want to throw out there, and I know I have been guilty of this before, is that you never know when the good Lord is going to take away someone that is close to you. I know duck hunting makes you do some crazy things and causes you to neglect people you love just so that you can go hunting fill your addiction. But please, take some time during the season (and especially the off season)to show that you appreciate your love ones, because you never know when it could be the last time.

Thanks,

Hunter Maples

Post Season

Well the Alabama duck season has been over for ten days now and already im looking forward to next season. Had a decent season numbers wise but nothing to write home about; i did however learn more this season than i have in any past. Killed a good number of Woodies in the timber with the occasional mallard and got some bluebills and gadwalls on the river. I probably could've killed more had i chosen to hunt with other certian people but i wouldnt trade the time i spent with my good friends for anything. So now i guess there's nothing left to do but pull out the bass fishing gear and the fly rods for trout. Oh and i can't forget about my first ever snow goose hunt that i'll be going on here soon if everything goes to plan. So until November or whenever everyones season starts, Happy offseason and may the skies be black with fowl next season.
Isaac Brinkley