EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Hunting heritage and outdoor recreation is at the core of the Maine lifestyle. Creating opportunities for the next generation to be a part of that is critical, which is why Maine’s newest chapter, the Northern Pine Limbhangers, is doing its part to get youth involved by partnering with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine to host an inaugural JAKES Day in Augusta, Maine.
Close to 80 youth from across the Pine Tree State traveled to participate in a wide variety of outdoor actives like archery, trout fishing, wild turkey hunting and calling, and more. All attendees were given free NWTF JAKES memberships.
Six NWTF volunteers were at the event to help run the stations, including Kevin Antonivich, NWTF chapter treasurer, who was set up at the fishing pond. There, he showed young participants how to tie a knot on their fishing line, including a young boy who had never fished before.
“I walked back and forth about three times to get a worm for him,” Antonivich said. “So, I told him he’d have to go and get the next worm for his hook, and he ended up catching a fish. I don’t know who was happier, me or him. Moments like that make the whole day worth it.”
Antonivich said it is important for volunteers to teach and mentor newcomers because it gives them the opportunity to fall in love with the outdoors and keep coming back.
“I grew up with this in my life, but there’s a lot of people out there who didn’t,” he said. “And if we can change the tide with them, it’s going to help us in the future by growing the support for outdoor sports. We were excited to host this event because we wanted to give back to our community. These young kids are our future, and we need to pass our hunting heritage on to them.”
Every youth was given a punch card in the morning to mark off which stations they attended. Anyone who went to all the stations was entered into a raffle where various prizes were given away at the end of the afternoon.
Antonivich and the chapter are already gearing up for their next event in September, which he hopes will be an outreach event that will get young adults ready for fall hunting season. He said he wants to continue growing his chapter to help revive the NWTF in Maine. The state once had nine chapters and now has only two.
Antonivich is a passionate turkey hunter, and now that he’s retired, he wants to spread the NWTF’s vision, uniting a nation through the life-changing power of the outdoors.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 25 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. Since 2022, the NWTF has also invested over $2.3 million in critical wild turkey research that, when leveraged with partner contributions, has resulted in more than $22 million to guide the management of the wild turkey and to ensure sustainable populations. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale to create healthy forests and wildlife habitats, clean and abundant water, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF is committed to creating a nation united by the life-changing power of the outdoors.
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