Awards won at recent Ohio NWTF banquet

Several events sponsored by the South Hills Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation are on the calendar for this year. The South Hills Longbeards chapter is headquartered in Kitts Hill.

• Feb. 8 (Thursday): Second Annual Coyote Hunting and Trapping Seminar from 6-9 p.m. at Collins Career Technical Center, located at 11627 Collins Career Center Drive, Chesapeake. Online registration is required for the event at www.southhillslongbeards.org.

• Feb. 8-10 (Thursday-Saturday): Inaugural Coyote Hunt Competition. The competition begins at 10 p.m. Thursday and ends at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Coyotes must be checked at Collins Career Technical Center on Saturday. Only those who attend the coyote hunting and trapping seminar and sign up are eligible to compete.

• March 10 (Saturday): Hunter Education Course from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Mamre Church gymnasium, located at 2367 County Road 182, Kitts Hill. The course can hold 75 students and registration must be completed at www.odnr.gov beforehand.

• March 24 (Saturday): The chapter will be set up at the seventh annual Lawrence County Board of Developmental Disabilities Chili Fest from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Dawson-Bryant High School, located at 1 Hornet Lane, Coal Grove.

• April 19 (Thursday): 16th Annual Wheelin’ Sportsmen Fishing Day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lake Vesuvius, located on County Road 29, Ironton.

• April 20-21 (Friday-Saturday): 20th Annual (Youth) Jake’s Turkey Hunt at 5 p.m. Friday and ending at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the Mamre Church gymnasium. Online registration is required for the event at www.southhillslongbeards.org.

• May 12 (Saturday): 12th Annual (Youth) Jake’s Fishing Day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lake Vesuvius.

• July 9-14 (Monday-Saturday): The chapter will have a booth set up at the Lawrence County Fair from 5-9:30 p.m. each day. The Lawrence County Fairgrounds are located on Market St. in Proctorville.

• Aug. 25 (Saturday): 24th Annual Hunting Heritage Banquet from 4-10 p.m. at Collins Career Technical Center. RSVP is required for the event.

• Sept. 28-29 (Friday-Saturday): Fourth Annual Women in the Outdoors Event from 5 p.m. Friday until 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the K-Hill Shooting Range, located at 9905 State Route 141, Kitts Hill. Online registration is required for the event at www.southhillslongbeards.org.

• Oct. 19-20 (Friday-Saturday): 15th Annual Wheelin’ Sportsmen Fall Hunt from 11 a.m. Friday until 9 p.m. Saturday in the Mamre Church gymnasium. Online registration is required for the event at www.southhillslongbeards.org.

The chapter was also awarded numerous awards for 2017 at the Ohio NWTF Awards Banquet Jan. 13 in Waldo. Awards the chapter won include:

• Best Overall Banquet Net Dollars- highest net banquet dollars raised in the state.

• Top Regional Banquet South Net Dollars.

• Second place for Top Banquet net/ Gross Award- for achieving 52 percent net/gross in 2017.

• Second place for reciting the most adult memberships in the state- 160 members.

• Second place for reciting the most Women in the Outdoors members- 72 members.

• Grand Slam Award- for on at least four financial and membership categories for the 2017 banquet.

• Golden Gobbler Award- for obtaining at least 50 percent net to gross for the 2017 banquet.

The South Hills Longbeards chapter is always looking for new volunteers for its committee.

For more information or to get involved as a volunteer, participant, guide, or if you would like to welcome one of Jake’s or Wheelin’ Sportsmen to hunt on your and or become a donor for the banquet or one of the events, contact chapter president Larry Pernestti at 740-534-9128 or 740-646-6907, chapter vice president Jason Corey at 606-371-7890 or the chapter’s public relations officer, Chris Sammons, at 740-237-5562. The chapter can also be emailed at southhillslongbeards@gmail.com.