Youth
Hunter Education Class
Chapter 182 sponsored and coordinated a Youth Hunter Education class on September 12 and 13th. The class was held at St. Joe Conservation Club and was conducted by Bryan Beneke of the Indiana DNR, assisted by Conservation Officers Doug Chapman and Steve Cole. There were a total of 14 young men and women in attendance and they were instructed in the fundamentals of gun safety, wildlife identification and other related topics. Phyllis and Jim Keckler were responsible for organizing and conducting the session, and we extend our appreciation to them for their continuing efforts in the field of youth education. Also, thank you to the representatives of the Indiana DNR for their support of the educational session and the St. Joe Conservation Club for, yet again providing us with the use of their excellent facility.
Anyone born after December 31, 1986 is required to be certified in Hunter Education in order to purchase an Indiana hunting license. There is no minimum age requirement to attend. however any child under age 11 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the sessions. Registration is required.
Northeast Indiana Chapter 182 Youth Activities
A major priority for Chapter 182 is to introduce Youth to Conservation and Hunting, and more importantly, safe Hunting. Each Spring and Fall we conduct a 2 day Hunter Education Class in cooperation with the Indiana DNR. There are typically 10 to 12 participants in each class, and to date there have been forty two (42) Hunter Education sessions involving nearly 650 youth participants.
Also, from 2009 thru 2022 the Chapter conducted a Youth Dove Hunt at Pigeon River Fish & Wildlife area near Mongo, IN. To provide adequate supervision and assure everyone's safety, this hunt is limited to 14-16 young hunters each year.
For the past twenty (20) years, the Chapter has sponsored a Youth Pheasant Hunt, and this has involved over 700 young men and women. This is normally held on the first Saturday in December. There is one group of hunters in the morning and one group in the afternoon with the Chapter providing lunch for all participants. The session begins with a Safety meeting, then the young hunters go to the trap line for further instruction and practice. The final step is to actually go out in the field, and, with the assistance of advisors and dog handlers, they get to hunt real pheasants. Many thanks to the Officers and Members of the St Joe Valley Trap and Skeet Club for making their outstanding facility available for this event.
Chapter 182 has sponsored 11 Field Days in recent years, in cooperation with the DNR, Division of Fish and Wildlife. These Field Days are focused on habitat creation and management, and various conservation practices.
We have also sponsored several individuals at Leupold Education Workshops in recent years and consider this an important Conservation Forum.
These are just some examples of what Chapter 182 is doing to promote youth awareness and education in the areas of hunting and habitat conversation. This will continue to be an important priority for our Chapter.
Youth Pheasant Hunt
2023 Youth Pheasant Hunt
The annual Youth Pheasant Hunt was held on Saturday, December 2nd at St. Joe Trap and Skeet with approximately 30 youth attending. As usual it consisted of some instruction and practice at the trap range, before venturing into the field for some live bird action. Following their experience in the field, all those attending were treated to a lunch of hot dogs and homemade venison chili.
Most of those in attendance got at least one bird and we had a lot of positive comments from both the youth participants and the adults who accompanied them. Thanks to all the volunteers who make this event possible, especially Jim and Phyllis Keckler and Thom Maher who organize and manage the event. We extend a special Thank You to the members of St. Joe Trap and Skeet who have generously shared their outstanding facilities with us for many years. We are also very appreciative of the support from the Indiana DNR. We believe this is a valuable experience for the young hunters and will continue our sponsorship in future years.
Fall Hunter Education Class - 2025
Fall Hunter Education Class - The 2025 Hunter Education class was held September 13th at the St. Joe Trap and Skeet Club. It was attended by 7 Youth Hunters, with several parents also in attendance. Thanks to Phyllis and Jim Keckler for organizing and overseeing this important event. Thanks also to Gannery Htoo, Steve Cole, and Doug Chapman from the Indiana DNR, who provided the instruction and overall support, and St. Joe Trap and Skeet for allowing us to use their excellent facility.
