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  • Gear Up
  • Who's In
  • Shooting Savvy
  • Calling Wild Turkeys
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  • Sweat Equity
  • Ask Dr. Tom
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  • Women in the Outdoors
    • Cook Nook
    • Family Ties
  • Wheelin' Sportsmen
    • Access Made Easy
    • Road Trip
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  • Species Spotlight
  • DIY
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• 

HANDS-ON

Flat River Chapter, Michigan
Award: Best Event — 1 to 75 JAKES
Participants not only learned about safe shooting, wildlife conservation and turkey hunting, they got a chance to practice their skills the next day at a mentored youth turkey hunt. Sixteen youth harvested birds! Providing hands-on experience is a great way to create hunters and shooters.

PARTNERSHIP

Neil "Gobbler" Cost Chapter, South Carolina
Award: Best Event — 76 to 150 JAKES
The event took place at Fujifilm's North American manufacturing headquarters' nature trail. Youths had the opportunity to shoot airguns and bows and arrows, plant food plots and try out the Department of Natural Resources' fishing simulator. Fujifilm has been a great partner for this chapter. Look for local businesses to partner with in your community.

INVOLVE

Franklin County Longbeards
Chapter, Virginia
Award: Best Event — 151 to 250 JAKES
Chapter members say one of the most rewarding outcomes of this event over the past 11 years has been watching the JAKES mature into adults who volunteer their time to the program. Involve youth when planning your events. They grow up to make great event coordinators and committee members!

COMMUNITY

Plateau Longbeards Chapter, Tennessee
Award: Best Event — More than 250 JAKES
More than 360 youths attended this event. The entire community comes together to make it happen, and the committee works hard securing sponsorships and support for the event. Don't be afraid to ask your local community to get involved. Local fire and police departments, USDA Forest Service and state wildlife agencies are good resources to help with your event.

START

Sandhills Chapter, North Carolina
Award: Best First-Time Event
Even though it was the chapter's first JAKES event, more than 200 JAKES, including youths from a local children's home, were treated to learning stations from turkey calling to a sensory safari. While most chapters can't start out with an event this large, you've got to start somewhere. Most chapters start out with 25 to 75 JAKES in attendance.

OPPORTUNITY

Arizona State Chapter
Award: Best State Event
The chapter offered exclusive hunting opportunities and worked with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Arizona Game and Fish Commission, USDA Forest Service and other organizations to make them possible. Pooling your resources with other organizations is a great way to give youth more opportunities to get outdoors.

ORGANIZE

Forbes Limbhangers Chapter, Illinois
Award: Best Xtreme JAKES Event
The key to a well-organized event is a good committee, and the Forbes Limbhangers may have one of the best. When they wrap up a JAKES event, they start planning the next one. They pay close attention to every detail and, as a result, have one of the best-organized events in the nation.

COMMITMENT

Southern Warren County Strutters, Missouri
Award: Best Special Event
Instead of hosting an annual event, this chapter held monthly events that focused on a single activity, like fishing, hunting, camping, archery or shooting. They are committed to teaching youth about the outdoors and our hunting heritage.

REACH OUT

Halifax Area Chapter, Virginia
Award: Best Cooperator Event
This chapter partnered with Halifax County Schools to bring an entire grade level hands-on conservation education. Inner-city youth were treated to classes taught by USDA scientists and Virginia Department of Forestry, and Game and Inland Fisheries professionals. JAKES events reach out to youths who may not hear the conservation or hunting message.