Keeping the North American hunting tradition alive, the National Wild Turkey Federation has a fun way to get our youth excited about the outdoor sports and conservation with the JAKES program. JAKES stands for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship, not to mention a lot of fun. In JAKES, children ages 17 and younger learn the basic outdoor skills necessary to become successful stewards of our natural resources. They also learn to be responsible outdoorsmen and women through fishing, camping and hunting seminars taught by legends in the field. They learn to identify plants and animals, as well as how to effectively call in those elusive toms. With more than 175,000 JAKES members across the country, the NWTF has a great opportunity to teach children the value of our natural resources and the importance of conservation. These children will grow up knowing hunting plays a key role in wildlife management, and the dollars they spend to hunt go right back into state and federal conservation efforts. Hundreds of JAKES events are held across the nation each year and reach thousands of kids. The national event is held annually at the Wild Turkey Center, home to the NWTF. Children from most states, plus several essay contest winners, earn the trip to South Carolina to meet some of the biggest names in the turkey hunting industry, who share their experience and wisdom with the children. These events are an important aspect of the NWTF's outreach programs. But, most importantly, they provide an opportunity to help build tight family bonds and memories that will last a lifetime. For more information about the NWTF's JAKES program, call (800) THE-NWTF.

RENTON, WA - The Lake Washington Chapter successfully hosted its 2nd Annual JAKES Field Days event on July 24th at the Renton Fish & Game Club.

 

Despite unusually hot weather, the event was a big success.  Approximately 45 kids and their friends and parents were treated to an afternoon of fun outdoors activites.  This year's event included firearms safety, turkey calling, trap shooting, target shooting, and the chapter's newest and most popular event, trout pond fishing. 

 

The event was free and also included a free t-shirt for the kids and a free hot dog barbeque lunch for everyone who attended.  Finally, the day ended with a lucky raffle winner taking home her own BB gun starter kit and some adults won a free dinner at Applebee's.