Wild game awards recognizes area hunters

Adelle Ellis
Times Reporter

 

The Wheatland Conservation and Wildlife Association (WCWA) held their 23rd annual wild game supper and auction on March 4, with 300 association members and guests in attendance.
Formed in 1994, the WCWA assists with wildlife habitat, and species management and conservation through education and community involvement, and is a chapter of the Alberta Fish and Game Association.
“[We] promote the ‘get outdoors’ initiative,” said Carl Carlson, WCWA president. “The number of members and hunters have been steadily increasing in the past five years, especially as more women get into the events and promote a family atmosphere. We want to make sure that continues and grows.
“It’s not just a man’s world,” he added. “The hunting, fishing and being outdoors is a family event, we really want to promote that.”
The buffet-style meal included dishes such as Morocca-braised goose tagine with almonds, crispy fried cougar with soy, honey and sesame glaze, and spicy elk chili with tomatillo, chipotle and 5 bean medley among other rich dishes. All the meat was donated by hunter members of the WCWA, and the dishes were prepared and cooked by BubbaQ Smokehouse and Catering.
A silent auction ran throughout the evening, with several guns, paintings, western jewelry and hand-drawn sketches up for grabs.
The dinner is the club’s sole fundraiser during the year, apart from a casino the WCWA works every three years. The proceeds from the event go back into conservation programs such as releasing hen pheasants in the county, planting trees, making bird nests, and creating duck tunnels and nests so birds may repopulate.
“A lot of it goes into our youth programs and our youth shooting program. We also pay for our youth to go to camps in the summer to learn survival skills and hunting skills, and to get their license,” said Carlson.
“It’s important because we do all our work within the county of Wheatland. Our youth programs help keep youth in hunting, fishing and outdoor events, as well as the conservation side of it, so that it all balances out and they can understand why the hunting takes place and why we also need to conserve,” said Carlson.
WCWA awards were handed out for the 2016 hunting season, including: wildlife photography, Cheryl Koltusky; scenery photography, Cheryl Koltusky; typical mule deer, Justyn Koltusky, a club youth member, with a score of 124 0/8; typical white-tailed deer, Wayne Graham with a score of 166 2/8; moose, Ryan Greir with a score of 130 2/8; ladies typical white-tailed deer, Natasha Mulligan with a score of 108 7/8.
MLA Derek Fildebrandt, an avid hunter and conservationist, attended the event.
“As hunters and gun owners, we’ve had some very big victories in the past few years. We can’t say where the federal government is going to go on this stuff, but I give you my word that if Trudeau Jr. tries to bring back a long gun registry of any kind, he can pry them from my cold dead hands,” said Fildebrandt.
The WCWA recently moved locations and are working to finish their trap shooting range. They are considering building a playground at their clubhouse so their youngest members have somewhere safe to play. They have a fishing pond and are also looking at getting into riparian areas as well.
“I think this is a heritage that we need to hand down to our children and get them outside. And it shows them where their food comes from; that knowledge is super important,” said Tina Carlson, WCWA hunting chairman. “If you think about the environment and conservation, are the [children] going to learn as much in a classroom as they will when you actually take them out? And what better ways for family time than to go out and do a project together? It’s a multigenerational experience that these kids are going to remember, whether they choose to hunt or not.”