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ADWA and Texas Youth Pig Out

With all the recent talk of pork bill spending in Washington, nearly two dozen young boys and girls with their fathers enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and the taste of pork without deficit spending. The American Deer & Wildlife Alliance recently hosted its 1st Annual Pigapalooza Youth Hog Hunt at DB Hunting Ranch in Bertram, Texas, and sponsored hog hunting opportunities for 20 children, ages eight to 15.

The two-day event provided a fun and affordable hunting opportunity as well as a seemingly endless supply of pork sandwiches and educational activities by volunteers from the Kids Outdoor Zone and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

“Hunting affordability and accessibility are important issues for today’s sportsmen, and we were excited to bring this fun, youth event to the Texas Hill Country,” says John Meng, president of the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance. “Children are the future of our industry and for land and wildlife conservation. For most of the kids attending the Pigapalooza, this was their first time to sit in a blind and watch the sun come up; their first time to see a large red deer up close and to watch a bunch feral hogs feed. I know each and every one these kids will remember this experience.”

Also at the Pigapalooza event, volunteers from the Kids Outdoor Zone (www.kidsoutdoorzone.com) conducted an educational game trail hike and instructed the children on gun safety issues. A new member of ADWA, KOZ is a youth hunting, fishing and outdoor adventure ministry designed to teach boys Christian-based values through cutting edge outdoor programs.

“We are so pleased to be working with ADWA,“ says T. J. Greaney of Kids Outdoor Zone. “It is important to teach the heritage and spiritual value of the outdoors in today’s electronic environment. Kids are bombarded from when they get up to when they go to bed with tv, video games, cell phone and texting. They need a chance to sit quietly and watch a bird or an ole red ant. Teaching them outdoor adventure skills, hunting and fishing gives them a different outlook on life. We are proud to be members of ADWA, their mission and message is dead on.”

“We also want to give special thanks to the DB Hunting Ranch for co-sponsoring the event,” adds Meng. “Owners Danny and Kelly Barry were great to work with, and the kids saw a lot of animals. We really appreciate their support.”

The American Deer & Wildlife Alliance works through the American Deer & Wildlife Foundation  (ADWF), a 501(3)c non-profit organization, to increase the accessibility and affordability of hunting for youth and to educate children on wildlife and conservation issues. As part of its mission, ADWF also produces a quarterly youth publication, SPIKES Magazine, which is distributed to summer camps across the country.

For more information on supporting the next ADWA youth event, please call 877.331.8607 or visit www.deerwildlifealliance.org.