Virginia Hunter Education Challenge Recognizes Champions

The Annual Virginia Hunter Education Challenge was conducted at Holiday Lake 4-H Center in Appomattox May 4-6, 2007. One hundred and eleven youth on 22 teams from across the Commonwealth competed in shotgun, rifle, archery, a skills trail incorporating "shoot/don't shoot" scenarios, and a comprehensive test encompassing knowledge of wildlife behavior and wildlife identification. The participants were divided into two groups. The Junior Division consisted of participants up to age 14. Seniors were 15 to 19 years old. The following individuals and teams finished at the top:

Overall Individual
Junior 3rd Place Overall
Culpeper
Zach Beaver
Junior 2nd Place Overall
Nottoway
Will Outlaw
Junior 1st Place Overall
Nottoway
Quincy Elder
Senior 3rd Place Overall
Powhatan
Connor Mulherin
Senior 2nd Place Overall
Culpeper
Brett Woodward
Senior 1st Place Overall
Powhatan
Travis Wagner

Overall Champions
Junior Team Champions
3rd Place
Culpeper
Junior Team Champions
2nd Place
Powhatan
Junior Team Champions
1st Place
Nottoway
Senior Team Champions
3rd Place
Shenandoah
Senior Team Champions
2nd Place
Powhatan
Senior Team Champions
1st Place
Nottoway

Sgt. David Dodson, Hunter Education Coordinator, expressed appreciation for the outstanding efforts by the participants, team coaches, Hunter Education Volunteer Instructors and VDGIF staff for their tireless efforts in making this annual event one of the most successful and efficiently operated events of its kind conducted in the past 20 years.

Capt. Bobby Mawyer, Hunter Education Program Manager, commented that the volunteer hunter education instructors provide thousands of hours of invaluable service to sportsmen and sportswomen in numerous events in addition to their classes. The ten-hour Hunter Education Class is mandatory in Virginia for new hunters age 12 and over to obtain a hunting license. Last year, 320 classes were conducted for over 14,000 students by more than 750 certified volunteer instructors.