Youth upland bird hunt sharpens skills, plans made for an annual event

DeKalb County Conservation Agent Mark McNeely and staff from the Missouri Department of Conservation hosted the 2018 DeKalb County Upland Game Bird Youth Hunt Oct. 13. The event was held on a game bird hunting preserve near Cameron.
This event was completely free and open to area youth who showed an interest in hunting and conservation practices. Youth ages 11-15 who recently completed their hunter education certification attended the event.
The young hunters had an opportunity to sharpen their shooting skills during a trap shooting session prior to going on a pheasant hunt. The youth also learned about habitat management and how to manage lands in order to promote pheasant populations.
At the end of the event, the hunters were allowed to take their field dressed birds home with them.
“I plan to host this event on an annual basis and look forward to providing more area youth the opportunity to learn about safe firearm handling, habitat management and pheasant hunting in the future,” said Agent McNeely. “Not only is this a great event that promotes safe firearm handling, it instills an appreciation and respect for Missouri’s wonderful resources.”