PBS Doug Kerr Memorial Youth Leadreship Hunt UPDATED 8/28

[Greg Szalewski]

It is now about two weeks away from the PBS Doug Kerr Memorial Youth Leadership Hunt. The purpose of this hunt is to impress on youth that show promise as leaders to get involved in their bowhunting and hunting organizations. It also helps build their leadership skills in a hunt setting. The PBS has been running this hunt on odd years since 1997. Applicants must submit applications to be screened by the PBS council.
This year the hunt is being held in Utah and run by Guy Perkins and Rich Roskeley. There will be ten youth in camp as well as their mentors and the hunt mentors that Guy and Rich recruited to serve as our guides. The youth will be hunting cow and spike bull elk.
I will be attending this years hunt as the mentor for my nephews David(Red Devil) and Vince(bowboy). They are both currently junior hunter safety instructors. Both of them just can't get enough hunting an especially traditional archery.

   
Here is a shot of me with Vince(C) and David(R).

I would like to invite everyone associated with this hunt to jump right in here and especially the hunters. Please share the highs and the lows with us as the successes can only be appreciated after experiencing the lows.This should be a great hunt.
My thanks to Guy and Rich and all that have made a contribution to this hunt.

[Whip]

Judging by the looks of that target the elk are in trouble!

Have a great time guys, and absorb everything you can.  This is a special opportunity, and I know you will make the most of it.

And good on you Greg, for being a great mentor to a couple of very fine young men!  

[Bjorn]

Here's Adam Ahlblad all cranked up and can't belive he is actually packing for this wonderful event!

 

We will be seeing y'all very soon!

[Joseph]

These hunts are a great time and a good investment in the future of hunting.  I cooked and passed along a little knowledge for the hunt that was held at Dick Robertson's.  

[VTer]

Good luck guys. I hope you have a great hunt......for elk and experience!

[Leland]

Good luck and have a safe hunt.

Leland

[Jeff D. Holchin]

My son Daniel and I are very excited to be included in this event.  Daniel is hoping for his first elk, but more importantly looks forward to share a hunting camp with fellow PBS bowhunters, young and old.  This photo was from his first elk hunt, in MT 2 years ago.....

 


That's an old Bear Grizzly recurve in his hands, but this year he'll be hunting with another old Bear bow, one with wheels   :eek:  
It was a tough choice, but one that we made together after months of increasing frustration; it will hopefully provide a clean, one-shot kill at close range on an elk and help him get a few animals under his belt, which is important at age 13.  I'm hoping that someday soon he'll be hunting again with his recurves and longbows, when the time is right.

We're hitting the road next Monday, with an expected arrival in elk camp on Friday afternoon.  You might say that we're taking the scenic route to Utah....

[Steve O]

I am not a participant YET, but I hope my son and I can take advantage of this great program in a few years.  Go get 'em guys!  

[Greg Szalewski]

Steve, I was just blown away by every thing that was done for us and our kids when Bryan and I attended the last hunt. The number of volunteers were more than I can list now. The hunt was held at the Robertson, Fisher ranch in MT. Yote and Billy Lewis ran the hunt and had stands for more than twelve hunters depending on the wind. Joseph was on duty as cook and had every thing from smoked salmon for us for appetizers to bison from his own freezer. Every one showed us a good time and also impressed on the participants the importance of getting involved in hunting and bowhunting organizations.

[Greg Szalewski]

OK' we got back early Sunday and I am first getting all my stuff in order now.
WOW what a hunt!!! I have to say Guy Prekins and Rich Roskelly did a fantastic job at pulling together this organizational nightmare. To start with you had ten youth in camp, nine mentors(parents, uncles) and then at least ten different hunt mentors(guides) for each youth at any time. We also had many guests through out the week(wardens, forest service, guest speakers ect).
Our main camp had three travel trailers, five wall tents, and a couple more canvas tents.
I just can't say enough about the hunt mentors. They not only gave up their own hunting time, but took these kids to their best spots. These guys are some of the best hunters I have ever met and with ethics and character to match. You guys are everything the PBS stands for. Thanks so much to all of you.
We had kids from NC,MI, IN, IL, WI, NV, UT, and CA.
 
We got into SLC late on the 13th and got a room. Guy and Craig came by Friday morning to pick us up and start the final leg of our journey to camp.

 

On the way to camp we made a stop at Camp Chef to swap vans, pick up Guys truck and wrap up a few loose ends. As we cut through the warehouse I felt like a kid in a candy store.

 

One more stop on the way to take in some of the great scenery the west has to offer.

 

[Greg Szalewski]

We claimed our bunks and toured the camp. Larry Fisher was the cook for the week and had our first of many outstanding meals well under way.

 

Guy gathered up the hunters to explain things, hand out licenses and some of the many donated items.

 

Travis and Jason explain shot placement.

 

Everyone put their new Bison Gear packs on. Larry promised he would have them fitting better by the end of the week.

 

[Greg Szalewski]

One of the local wardens and the game biologist came out to talk to us.

 

The first morning out my nephew Vince(formerly bobow) hunted with Jason.

 

Then mid day Dave Doran taught map and compass.

 

Larry and Guy tending the smoked pork loins for lunch.

 

Tim Roberts gave each hunter materials for their own arm guard and instructed in their completion.

 

[IndianaBowman]

Ahhhh! Don't stop now!

[Greg Szalewski]

Sunday evening my two nephews were scheduled to  hunt the spike camp with the Basset's. They had a big comfortable camp as well.

 

David(Red Devil) would hunt with Steve and Vince( soon to be "Iron Butt") would hunt with Chuck. They would be hunting water holes from trees. They had two stands in a tree at each location so there wouldn't be room for me. This is part of the view I had to put up with. Fortunately there was deer, elk and moose to glass to help pass the time. 8^)

 

Red Devil readys for the evening hunt complete with his new armguard.

 

As luck would have it the armguard must have been the charm and he arrows not only his first elk, but his first big game animal. Double lung. Heard it drop 30 to 40 yards away. No blood trailing needed.
After a quite interesting trip quite a distance in the dark(I don't know how Steve ever got us back there) we make it to the water hole. Red Devil first steps in to dispatch a bat before leading us to his prize.

 

Red Devil and Steve. The bow was finished only weeks before. He designed the riser, I made the limbs and got the riser to the point of finish sanding and he did the rest. What a happy day!!

 

[Shinken]

That is AWESOME!

What a terrific success story for the young man!

If you are willing to share, I would be interested in learning more about the bow, broadhead, and arrow that resulted in this harvest.

Congratulations and may it be the beginning of a lifetime of adventure!

Shoot straight, Shinken

[Greg Szalewski]

He used an Eclipse broadhead( Blake Fisher also donated a pack to all the hunters) on an autum orange XX75. The bow is zebrawood and paduak. The limb design is Binghams.

Here is a shot of myself, David and his brother Vince.

 

Oops got things out of order. Too many cameras. This fella provided a bit of entertainment for the evening.

 

[Greg Szalewski]

The boys got to experience some meat packing. Steve and Chuck were quite gracious and wouldn't allow the old guy to have any part of it. No doubt they would have been embarrassed if an old flatlander wasn't huffing and puffing as much as them.   :rolleyes:
With the meat at the local processor we headed back to main camp and took in the local tourist attraction.

 

Ephraim was a legendary grizzly that had gotten free of traps, lost a toe and was finally caught. Legend has it the trapper attached the trap to 12 inch diameter log 8 feet long. Old Ephraim drug that log a good mile through the hills before the trapper caught up to him.

 

 

Midday Tuesday was leadership program. Guy and Travis invited their mentor for us to meet. He and Travis  spoke of the importance of being a mentor to someone. You sure could tell having Joey for a mentor had a special place in both of their hearts. Sorry Joey I don't remember your last name. Between Guy, Travis, and his kids he didn't think he killed anything for 15 years. He can't wait to take his grand kids out.
Thanks Joey, this whole thing would not have happened without you. Dang,I think that pollen is getting kind of thick again.

 

Next Jeff Holchin read off the young leaders assignment of planning their own leadership hunt. They were split into three groups and assigned different regions of the country.

 

That' it for now. Please bear with me. I want to do Guy and all the others justice to make this complete so it will take a few more days.

[Greg Szalewski]

"Iron Butt" story

I have to back up just a bit here. When we got the packs of meat on to head back to camp it was 11:45. So by the time we got the meat hung, cleaned up and ate the spaghetti that Chad had made for us it was after 2:00. Chuck told Vince that he would be willing to get up and hunt with him and perhaps even hunt all day long. He thought the elk might be coming in during the day. So being pumped up after his brother getting his elk Vince said sure. Well as we left to take care of the meat the next morning at 8:00 they headed to the stands and stayed there until dark. Boy was Chuck howling about a sore butt when he got back to camp........not a word from Vince, just a little smile. Although they didn't see any elk they had a couple moose and mule deer come in, so not too bad.

[Jack Denbow]

Wow this is really cool, keep it coming.
Jack

[Bjorn]

The PBS hunt was waay better than Adam and I could ever have imagined. My hat's off to the organizers; Guy and Rich.
The guides and food were amazing! The line up of guests and speakers underscored the importance of our behaviour as hunters whether someone is watching or not. There was no lecturing-people put forward their own views.
What non hunters think of us is important and may one day play a crucial role in continuing access and securing our future privileges.
Here's Adam in Logan UT the day before the hunt began: