After a 4-year hiatus, Pheasants Forever Calgary and Lethbridge Polytechnic have successfully executed another First Pheasant Mentor Hunt. Thanks in large part to landowner and Director Glen Rumpel for letting us use Rump’s River Ranch, just downstream and across from McKinnon Flats on the world-famous Bow River. I do not know where you could host this event in a more beautiful setting than here.
12 students enrolled in the Renewable Resource program joined Kerry Edwards, long time mentor leader at Lethbridge Polytechnic, for a full day of education. These folks represent the future leadership in conservation and wildlife enforcement in Alberta. To this end, we are highly motivated to educate these future leaders on all aspects of upland bird hunting.
Dog handlers, Randy Blanchard, Kimbereley Meyer and Steven Weir handled the dogs and taught the mentees the proper technique for planting a pheasant, a skill they will possibly find useful in their future careers. The birds were very sporting and the dogs were exceptional. All students were able to harvest their first rooster and most got their limit of two. A big thanks to Alberta Conservation Association for their contribution of the pheasants.
Mentees broke into pairs for their hunt, each hunting with a mentor, dog and handler. While a number of crews hunted, the others attended a session on shooting, conservation, history, hunting and biology of uplands birds in Southern Alberta. Thanks to Kade McCormick, Gustavo Mesen-Jarquin and Bryn Horne for mentoring and thanks to Brian Ness for his leadership at the shooting seminar.
The weather was as perfect as the rest of the day, which ended in a cleaning and cooking seminar where all mentees cleaned their birds to take home and cook.
Thank you, Glen for the use of your property for this important event.
Thanks also to Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society for their support in our mentor programs.
