Hunting For A Cure Raises $75,340

In its Mission Statement, the Savannah, Tenn.-based Hunting for a Cure Youth Turkey Hunt stresses the “joys of wildlife hunting and the outdoors” and the raising of funds to “contribute to the fight against childhood diseases.”

Consider both accomplished in 2008.

The fourth annual HFC event raised $75,340 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and saw 15 of its participants kill turkeys, including one each by brothers Clayton and Hunter Webb of Bossier City, La. To add to the story, the Webb brothers’ dad, who observed the hunt, is set to be deployed to Iraq in May.

“They (the Webb brothers) both received money to get their birds mounted by someone that sponsored them,” said Lisa Hudson, a member of the Hunting for a Cure Committee. Clayton’s bird weighed 18 pounds and sported 1 1/18-inch spurs and a 10-inch beard. He was guided by Parrish Elliott; Jason Jetton was Hunter’s guide.

Five of the successful hunters were from Savannah – Ben Hopper 11; Kevin Ripple, 14; Zion Franks, 9; Emily Gray, 12, and Bailey Butler, 9. Their guides and landowner hosts were John Adams/Chris Beckham (Hooper), Keith Hickman/Beth Bates (Ripple), Cliff Butler (Franks), Joe Shults/Dean Weatherford (Gray) and Steve Scoggins/Clark Rose (Butler).

Other successful hunters (with their guide and landowner in parenthesis): Kyle Green, 8, of Lake Kiowa, Texas (Doug Max); Samantha Rowe, 12, of Sullivan, Ill. (Rickey Doyle/Keith Hamm); Kyle Reeves, 11, of Jacksonville, Ala. (Bubba McPhearson/Allen Wood); John Tanner, 11, of Carrolton, Ga. (Steve Turpin/Wade Gean); Nathan McCain, 15, of Shiloh, Tenn. (Chris Eck/John M. Neill); Dylan Pecora, 12, of Cordova, Tenn. (Bobby Dale/Wesley Durbin) and Veazey Powell, 16, of Hernando, Miss. (Terry Franks).

Barney Davison and his son, Mike, owners of Indian Creek Outfitters in Savannah, Tenn., came up with the idea in the spring of 2004 to host a youth turkey hunt that served as a benefit for St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis. Fifteen hunters participated in the first hunt (one day) in 2005 and raised $3,400. Since then, the event has raised more than $250,000.

St. Jude Hunting for a Cure is open to all youth, ages 10 through 16, who are capable of handling a shotgun and have completed a TWRA certified hunter education course. The bag limit is one male turkey during the two-day event. Each participant hunts with a guide, under a stipulation that an adult family member or guardian accompany the youth and guide. Headquarters for the 2008 event was the Hardin County Fairgrounds.

Sportsman’s Warehouse served as the 2008 event’s title sponsor.

Wolf River QU Hosts Open Meeting May 13 At Bass Pro

The Wolf River Chapter #605 of Quail Unlimited will host an open meeting on May 13, 2008 beginning at 6:30 pm at Bass Pro Shop 6140 Macon Road in Memphis.

Quail Unlimited is a national conservation organization founded in 1981 to combat the problem of dwindling quail populations as a result of declining habitat. In just the last five years, Quail Unlimited chapters have been responsible for almost 20 million dollars in habitat expenditures.

This meeting will feature guest speaker Larry Rea of Outdoors with Larry Rea, broadcast on Country Legends WMC 79 at 6:30 on Saturday mornings. John Campbell, sporting clays chairman, plans to kick off the chapter’s fundraising efforts, and will cover the big sporting clays shoot to be held at The Willows Sporting Clays and Hunting Center in Tunica. As well, members will be on hand to answer questions about area hunting opportunities and habitat restoration.

The Wolf River Chapter of Quail Unlimited uses proceeds from its fundraising to support local habitat projects benefiting quail and other grassland species. The chapter is also involved in information and education, working with local landowners and area youth. In 2007, the chapter hosted its second youth hunt, introducing a number of young hunters to the tradition of hunting quail over pointing dogs.

For more information on the meeting, please contact Johnny McFarland at (901) 545-5974 or email: president@wolfriverqu.org; or visit the website www.wolfriverqu.org.

DeSoto Friends Of NRA Dinner/Auction May 16 In Southaven, MS

The DeSoto Friends of NRA Dinner and Auction will be held May 16 at The Club at North Creek, Southaven, Miss., 8770 North Creek Blvd.

There will be over $8,000 in auction items and prizes.
This is the third year for the event that raises money for the shooting sports.

Tickets for the event are $30 for adults and $10 for children. Visit www.desotofnra.midsouthwebsolutions.com  or call Mike Crum at (901) 581-5858 for more information.

Rising Fuel Costs Fail to Dampen Anglers’ Enthusiasm for Fishing Away from Home

Despite gasoline costs expected to approach $4 per gallon this spring and summer, nearly 6 out of 10 U.S. anglers are planning an out-of-state fishing trip in the next 12 months, according to a recent survey.

In a March 2008 poll of almost 2,000 anglers by AnglerSurvey.com, respondents were asked if they are planning a fishing trip outside their home state within the next year. A clear majority (59.4%) answered in the affirmative. Another 806 anglers surveyed (40.6%) said they are not planning to fish outside their home state.
Clearly, many anglers remain willing to pay the increased cost of traveling out of state to wet a line. Many people plan to go on vacation and fish during that time, but knowing that many well-intentioned plans never happen, we hope that a majority still get to fish out-of-state, given the recent increases in travel costs.

Source: AnglerSurvey.com is a monthly national online survey of sportsmen and women providing industry and policymakers with information on fishing trends and activity. For more information, contact Rob Southwick at Rob@southwickassociates.com.

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