2010 Outdoor Youth Challenge at West Virginia’s Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Days Sept. 25 and 26 at Stonewall Resort State Park

            ROANOKE, W.Va. – One of the most popular attractions at West Virginia’s Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Days is the Outdoor Youth Challenge. This year’s event is scheduled for Sept. 25 and 26 at Stonewall Resort State Park in Lewis County. Last year, 466 youths registered for the two-day event.

            “The event’s planning committee has made several innovative changes over the past few years to create more hands-on opportunities for youngsters and their families to participate in hunting, fishing and other outdoor-related recreational activities,” according to Frank Jezioro, Director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.  For many, this opportunity represents the first time they have participated in such activities.”

            “I want to commend officials at CONSOL Energy Inc. who generously donated $10,000 to promote and enhance the Outdoor Youth Challenge as part of the National Hunting and Fishing Day Celebration,” Jezioro said. CONSOL is also donating a gun signed by Gen. Chuck Yeager and Gov. Joe Manchin. The gun will be auctioned off at the Governor’s One Shot Whitetail Hunt in December with the proceeds going to the Outdoor Youth Challenge. 

            For more information concerning the Outdoor Youth Challenge or the National Hunting and Fishing Day Celebration, contact your nearest DNR District Office or visit the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources’ National Hunting & Fishing Days Web page at:  www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/nathuntfish.shtm.

How the Outdoor Youth Challenge Works

            The Outdoor Youth Challenge will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. All youth 6 to 18 years old can participate in approximately 23 activities. After completing a free on-site registration, they will be given a color-coded registration card with map showing locations of the Challenge activities.

            The event is divided into a non-competitive category and a competitive category.

• The first category is for those youth between 6-18 years of age who would like to participate in the Challenge activities just for the fun and thrill of completing them.
• A second category is for those youth between 11-14 and 15-18 years of age who wish to compete in the scored activities: casting for accuracy, archery, .22 rifle, muzzleloader and shotgun-skeet shooting. A numerical score from the five scored events will be recorded on the registration card.

            Each youth must complete at least 10 events to be eligible for prize drawings. Youth participating in the competitive category also must complete at least five un-scored events in addition to the scored events to be eligible for prize drawings. Upon completion of each event, the youth’s registration card will be validated by the official overseeing that event. 

            This year, the grand prizes will include four lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, two to be given away each day. For those youths who compete in the five scored competitive events, a Junior Conservation Camp Scholarship (junior group ages 11-14) and a state Conservation Camp Scholarship (senior group ages 15-18) will be awarded each day. Many other quality prizes dealing with hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities also will be given away each day.