Youth Education Event:

Our SCI Chapter sponsored several kids to attend. We also give a modest sponsorship to Wiks World to help get that hunter message out to today’s Next Generation of hunters. This our second year participating with Brandon.

Hunting Camp For Kids

by Brandon Wikman

Nature has blessed me with a potent spell that has embraced my ability to motivate, educate and lead the country’s next generation into the  wonders of wildlife. It’s an unexplainable mystique only revealed in the great outdoors. It is the sacred nurturing process of becoming an outdoors person.

A cure to help grow more hunters, fisherman, and outdoor enthusiasts across the United States is the introduction of Wik’s World Outdoors Camp on weekends in July near the famous Wisconsin Dells, WI area.

My relentless pursuit to boost our youth’s involvement in the outdoors has spurred an interactive hunting camp for kids aged seven to twenty-one. Wik’s World Outdoors Camp supersedes the normal boundaries of teaching participants about deer, turkey, bear, and other Wisconsin game species. We integrate the key values of ethics, morals and respect, which is so critical to adolescents.

During the daily sessions, we educate campers about how to find shed antlers, grow big buck food plots, scout for trophy deer, and improve archery, .22, and shotgun shooting performance skills along with so much more. It is an entire days worth of experiencing some of the most essential topics in the world of hunting.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to meet some great partners that share the same feelings and values towards educating youth. Safari Club International’s Badgerland Chapter has teamed with my camp to provide a genuine opportunity for kids to experience Wik’s World Camp all across the Midwest. SCI Badgerland Chapter has undertook the rewarding task of sending an assortment of individuals to participate in the once in a lifetime event. Youth between the ages of seven to twenty-one were provided sponsorship to attend the camp. Many of the individuals came from underprivileged, low income, and non-hunting households. The SCI Badgerland Chapter has helped me change the face of today’s hunter through cultivating their soul with workmanship, trust, and goal-oriented objectives.

The SCI Badgerland Chapter has also furnished Wik’s World Camp with the Chapter’s Sensory Safari trailer. It makes for an incredible spectacle at the camp grounds. The Sensory Safari is a trailer chocked full of exotic game species from across the globe. From amazing full-body mounts to interesting skin furs, participants are able to get an up close and personal look at game animals from different regions of the earth. Not only do they get to see visually, but also touch and feel.

I handed out a survey to all participants who attended camp in the summer 2009. My goal was to discover how many children were lucky enough to have a parent or friend take them hunting or hunting with them in the last two years. Sadly… the numbers communicated an entirely new problem. The majority of male and female participants responded that their parent, guardian, or friends have hunted… but never took, taught, or gave them the time of day. Digging into the minds of today’s youth, I understand the necessary steps involved to attach the future’s hunters of today with the outdoors.

Through endless efforts of renewing and recycling future hunters, I have federations, associations, and organizations to sincerely thank for their assistance. If it weren’t for sponsoring organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation, Whitetails Unlimited, and SCI Badgerland, I wouldn’t be able to accomplish my dreams.

I try to tie in every exhilarating aspect of the outdoors and cater it to an ever so  changing demographics. The up and coming hunters of today share different interests and see things on a totally different perspective than their parents or grandparents. Wik’s World Camp specializes in bridging to people who are cultured in today’s extreme society back into the outdoors in a revolutionary way.

I firmly believe that dedicating and committing yourself to something your passionate about is one of the greatest feelings you’ll ever experience in life. With the good fortune of co-hosting an aspiring youth television show, The Next Generation, which airs on the Outdoor channel, I take with me a humbling attitude and a will to make a difference in a kid’s full-fledged outdoor experience. My camp assistants are professional cameramen and field producers for some of the largest outdoor and sporting networks in the country.  I believe we make a great team effort in educating others about what the outdoors has to offer.

World Outdoors Camp (www.WiksWorld.com/Camp) is just my way to set an example and role model for our future. It is a feeling that rids by soul, a nagging tug to really pour my efforts into something that has potential to enrich the soul of a newcomer to our beloved sport.

For more information about SCI Badgerland member, Brandon Wikman or registering for his interactive outdoors and hunting camp, check out his website at www.WiksWorld.com or call (608) 547-4019.

Brandon Wikman is the host of The Next Generation Television Show, which airs on the Outdoor Channel weekly. He’s also the owner of Wik’s World Outdoor Camp, an interactive and educational hunting camp for teenagers during July! To learn more about Wikman and his youth hunting camp, visit www.WiksWorld.com.

SCI Badgerland, once again, was a primary cash sponsor for the “8th Don Heding Memorial Youth Shoot” July 18th, 2009 in Fall River, Wisconsin.

41 Kids participated in the days event that featured trap shooting, also, had a B-B gun range for the younger kids without Hunter Safety training.

The event was a great success with many volunteers providing a safe shooting event for kids.

Humanitarian Event: Vision Accomplished. Thanks to all participants.

Our SCI Badgerland Chapter  sponsored five HUNTERS to hunt at this November 7th, 2009, Mary & Rich Karow and Art & Colleen Stender donated fees for two more HUNTERS. That makes 7 that the Chapter sent. Two were Veterans. One Wounded Warrior took 4 pheasants with 5 shots. Better than I could do.

In addition, we had many volunteers come to help. Some bringing their bird dogs to assist. Our Chapter was excited to be part of this Youth Education opportunity.

Smith’s Pheasant Crest Hunting Preserve.

N2675 County Road A
Oxford, WI 53952-8828

LINK:           www.smithspheasantcrest.com

The hunt is now over and what a pleasing success. The 6th year and the hunt had 27 Disabled Hunter partake in the chase of Pheasants. So many wonderful volunteers… helping in every aspect. Dogs and handlers, gals dishing out food, the kids that helped with everything was not unnoticed nor unappreciated.

Wayne & Robin Smith Family, John Martinson, plus SCI Badgerland and many non-affliated wonderful helpers can be very proud of their efforts.

Once I get all the copy we will post the event photos on the “Badgerland Event Photo Page”. From that page you can download pictures through GALLERY.

Our Sensory Safari Trailer was on hand and Dan Jackson told all the details about the contents to the many inquisitive visitors. All hunters, but some just had never seen a Vietnam Mouse-Deer, also known as the Silver-backed chevrotain. It is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Tragulidae family. As of 2004 it was unclear if any Vietnam Mouse-deer are surviving. That is not from over sport hunting as the environment has not been hunting friendly often. Likely is habitat loss as is also the situation with the Particolored Flying Squirrel from Nam we also have on display.

Our gimpy Pres Dave showed up to take a lot of Pics and help drive the quads. I think in a few more years Dave and I will be passengers.

Since a photo is worth a thousand words… I will invite you to the EVENTS PHOTO PAGE which will update this event and others will be added.

Alan Heth

Bigger story will be in Hunter Magazine when we get all the pics.

Alan