Young waterfowlers training program scheduled

Young waterfowlers training program scheduled

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), in partnership with the Lake Plains Waterfowl Association (LPWA), will host its 34th Annual Young Waterfowlers Training Program. The program includes a full day of waterfowl hunting information and orientation on Saturday, October 13 to improve the skills of young waterfowlers before the refuge youth-only hunt day scheduled for Sunday, October 28. The program will be held at the Refuge headquarters, 1101 Casey Road, and is open free of charge to junior hunters between 12-17 years of age.

The morning session consists of a New York State sanctioned Waterfowl Identification Certification class from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Registration is from 8 to 8:30 a.m. This session is optional if you have a Waterfowl Identification Certification from another class. Registration for the afternoon session will be from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Lunch will be provided from 12-12:30 p.m. The afternoon session, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., will cover decoys and calls, ballistics, clothing and equipment, hunter ethics and safety, an overview of the refuge waterfowl hunt program, as well as a retriever demo and a trap shoot. This session is mandatory unless you have been through the program at least twice. There will also be an optional trip to view one of the hunt stands at the end of the day.

Participants cannot have reached their 18th birthday by the day of hunt to be eligible. Those who have been through the program at least twice must still pre-register and will be notified after the deadline date of September 28 if they have been selected. Pre-registration does not guarantee participation. Those selected will be notified by mail.

Before the day of the hunt, participants will be paired up with non-hunting guides who will coach as well as help call and retrieve the birds. Parents/guardians may make arrangements with the instructors ahead of time whether they want to guide their own child, if they want one assigned by the instructors. To be considered as a non-hunting guide the parent/guardian must have a valid NY hunting license, a valid duck stamp and a Waterfowl Identification Certificate.

Prior to the waterfowl identification class it is recommend that participants obtain and study a copy of the publication "Ducks at a Distance." Download at http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckdist/index.htm or contact the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) office in Avon at 585-226-2466 to obtain a copy by mail.

To pre-register, send a post card or letter to: Youth Waterfowl Hunt, Iroquois NWR, 1101 Casey Road, Basom, NY 14013-9730 or email at: fw5rw_irqnwr@fws.gov. Include name, address, telephone number, date of birth, and how many times you have participated before. To register by phone, call (585) 948-5445 Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The deadline is close of business September 28.

For information on registering to vote in New York state, call the county board of elections or 1-800-FOR-VOTE.