Youth Program
"Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the forest and the fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person." --Fred Bear
The Kansas One Shot Turkey Hunt believes in passing on to them the hunting heritage. This program has been created to do that. Five Kansas youth from all state regions are selected from over eighty applicants to join the event as hunters.
This youth program draws a National Calling Contest participant through the National Wild Turkey Federation to come to Kansas and participate.
Each youth will receive a TriStar gun provided by local sponsors and full camo gear by TrueTimber Camo.
Tyler Batson – YOUTH: Tyler is 16, from Leon Kansas. He has only been hunting a few times and never turkey hunting, so he is excited to gain experience. In the few times he has been hunting, he had a blast. Tyler recently went on a duck hunt with his school’s trap team, which made him want to hunt even more. He believes hunting is an important way to reconnect with nature and escape technology. It also helps keep populations from overgrowing.
Makynlee Kott – YOUTH: - Makynlee is 12 from Garden City, Kansas. Her dad learned how to hunt with his dad, and her dad learned to love the outdoors and to hunt. He started to take Makynlee’s brother out hunting, and she really wanted to try, so he let her come with him once when he was whitetail hunting, and she loved it. To be a hunter means to feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. Yes, she thinks hunting is important because it teaches many lifelong skills and is also a way to provide healthy food.
Augustine Kroupa – YOUTH: From Kechi, Kansas, Augustine is 13. He has had hunter's ed for 2 years, but since no one in his immediate family hunts, he hasn’t had an opportunity to learn. He is in the Boy Scouts and loves camping and doing anything outdoors and wildlife. Augustine wants to learn how to stalk a turkey, lure it in, and prepare himself for the hunt so that it is successful. Learning how to field dress a turkey would also be helpful because he would love to try cooking the meat he hunted.
Rory Hawk – YOUTH: From Kansas City, Kansas, Rory is 17. She started hunting with her father at age six. Those first years were focused on learning, and she never harvested an animal successfully until she went turkey hunting for the first time. The first hunt was unsuccessful, but the next time she went out, she was blessed with harvesting a wild turkey. Since that hunt, she has participated in other turkey hunts, deer hunts, and upland bird hunts, many of which were through Outdoor Mentors. Rory found a love for the outdoors through hunting, which led her to pursue a degree in wildlife biology and ecology next fall. Through her hunting experiences, she has found more joy in preserving habitats and meeting other hunters than in having harvested an animal. Hunting is more about the knowledge and appreciation for wildlife than it is about the harvest. Seeing others in her community find joy in this sport that she loves is truly amazing. Hunting is vital to conservation so that future generations can enjoy the outdoors as much as she has.
Barrett Pianalto—YOUTH: Barrett is 13 and from Hays, Kansas. Before he could walk, his dad took him hunting, and some of his first memories are of spending time with his family hunting. Hunting means family, good times, and conservation. Without conservation, hunting has no future. Barrett’s grandpa used to say that hunters were the first true conservationists, as hunters know they must conserve nature to enjoy it. He hopes to continue this hunting heritage.
NWTF National Youth Calling Contest
Jackson Kirker— Jackson was drawn to participate in the Kansas One Shot Turkey Hunt at the NWTF Convention in February. He placed 3rd Runner-up in the Grand National Calling Contest Intermediate Division Championship. He comes to Kansas from Searcy, Arkansas.
Sponsors for the Youth Program
