Kid’s “Quacking” Up Part II

By Rob Somerville

In part one of this two part series, I informed you on how a live auction at last year’s annual TOWA {Tennessee Outdoor Writer’s Association} conference, birthed a duck hunting trip of a lifetime for twenty kids. Most of these kids, which reside in Middle Tennessee, may have never experienced an opportunity such as was put together By Jeff Martin and his crew at Twin Rivers Guide Service, and the high bidder at the auction, outdoor writer and teacher – Marty Allison, from Dickson, Tennessee.
You also learned of the generous sponsors of this event who donated time, products and meals for these kids. I introduced you to an emotional story as you met the mother of Mackenzie Curvin, whose step-dad tragically died last September, and found out what her family faced and what she hoped would come from this hunt. In part two of this feature, I will interview some key people who put forth huge efforts to introduce kids safely and ethically into the outdoor lifestyle. Then we will join the boys and girls on this magical day’s hunt.

Buck Gardner – World Champion in Duck Calling and with Kids in the Outdoors

Buck Gardner has accomplished everything there is to accomplish in the competitive duck calling world. He also owns a multi-million dollar business, which manufactures and sells waterfowl calls and videos, and just recently, has branched off into the deer hunting market. His business involves his entire family and the loving bond they share is evident in all they do.
But, the most impressive thing to me about my friend Buck, is his huge heart. He loves people, especially kids, and gives generously of his time and money anytime he sees a need and it involves kids. Buck joined us on this hunt, brought each kid a duck call and assorted goodies and entertained us all with his humor and genuine personality. For example, when he asked the kids what the most important item to bring on a duck hunt was, he got various answers. Shouts of “your gun, your dog, shells, waders and your duck calls" filled the air.
Buck smiled, and congratulated each answer with a nod, but said there is one item that none of you mentioned, and it is the most important thing of all to remember.
What is it?” squealed the excited kids.
Buck simply reached into his blind bag and pulled out a roll of toilet paper to the delighted laughter of all. This set the stage as he injected humor with serious talks of safety, friendship and conservation. He had the undivided attention of all of us kids – both young and old.
As the kids and their chaperones sat done to a country style breakfast of eggs, sausage, biscuits and hot chocolate, I sat down with Buck for a talk. I simply asked one question, “Buck, with your busy schedule, why are you here today?”
He smiled and said, “Rob, it is my privilege to be here. It is like a gift to me to spend time with these kids. It is such a small thing to give something back of the outdoors, when being around these kids allows me to be a kid again too. I am excited. It is also gratifying to see that some of these kids are young ladies. We need to do a better job of getting women and girls involved in hunting”
The shine in his eyes and the smile on his face proved his emotions to be true.
Continuing, he said, “All my kids are grown now. We are very close. But, I miss the look in a youngster’s eyes when they see that first group of mallards working a decoy spread. God has blessed me. What a way to make a living!”
I asked him how he wanted to be remembered after he passed; his legacy. He answered with a laugh, “Well, don’t rush me off the earth just yet, but during a TV interview once, Rob Shearer asked me what I would want on my gravestone. He guessed it would be Champion of Champions. I said no, I would prefer it to simply say BUCK GARDNER – I TOOK MORE KIDS DUCK HUNTING THAN ANYONE.”

Jeff Martin – walking the walk

Martin works full time as Manager of President’s Island for the TWRA. He is also the owner of Twin Rivers Guide Service in Halls, Tennessee. But his strongest accolade is in how he unselfishly donates his blind, time and money in working with kids in the outdoors. I took a few minutes to ask him some questions as to why he decided to put this massive effort together.
He told me, “It is a combination of three things. They are my concern for today’s youth, my passion for waterfowling and the growing need to teach parents to spend quality time with their kids. {Jeff and his crew take over 100 kids duck hunting each year – FREE OF CHARGE!}
Martin continued, “It is not just about killing ducks. It is about enjoying the glorious outdoors that God has blessed us with; sharing the beauty of a sunrise, a good working lab and the camaraderie of the blind.”

Lance Rider and the TWRA – stepping up

Rider is the Wildlife Education and Outreach Officer – TWRA – Region One. When I queried him as to why the TWRA is involved in this hunt he answered, “We need to get more of our youth involved in the outdoors. They are our future. The outdoors lifestyle is not short term. It offers a special side-by-side bond for parents and their kids, unlike team sports, where the child is on the field and the parents in the bleachers. And there are no tryouts or cuts – everyone makes the team.”
He also listed other programs recently instituted to get more kids involved in the outdoors such as SCTP – Scholastic Clay Shooting Program, Youth Hunts {including deer, turkey and waterfowl}, Youth Fishing Rodeos, The West Tennessee Youth Outdoor Jamboree, Project Echo {in Carroll and Henry Counties}, 4H Shooting Sports, and working at educational booths in schools and at outdoor shows.
For more information on any of these programs, you can contact Lance Rider at his Jackson, Tennessee office. {1-731-423-5725}.

The Hunt – Friends, Firearms, Feathers and Fans for Life!

Now that you have met all of the participants and sponsors, let’s go to the Taj Mahal blind at Twin Rivers Guide Service in Halls, Tennessee and see how our youthful crew’s hunt went.
We met at the Best Western Motel in Dyersburg, and formed a caravan of vehicles for the half hour drive to the blind. As we exited our parked our vehicles, Buck’s dog - Cruz, showed some love to the kids as excited chatter and giggles filled the air. For most of these kids, it was their first hunt of any kind.
Jeff’s young helper, Gizmo, shuttered us right up to the blind’s door in two groups on the infamous huge and comfortable “duck buggy.”
The smell of a home-made, deluxe breakfast filled the air, prepared by master chefs - .
Excitement and adrenaline filled the air … oh yea, the kids were excited too. Safety reminders were addressed. Shooters were assigned holes. Adult supervisors watched attentively. Anxious eyes glanced from wristwatches to the lightening skies and back again.
Suddenly, whistling wings were heard and the excitement level jumped up a notch higher. Buck and Jeff began a series of hail calls, while the kids were told to be ready and to keep their heads down. Jeff, the acting pit boss, suddenly said, “Get ready kids – Take those ducks!”
Shotguns fired and two of the three mallards hit the water. Buck’s dog, Cruz, expertly retrieved the birds and high-fives and laughter filled the air. This set the tone for the day as the final tally of ducks reached in the high twenties – and this harvest was made by a group of young kids who had never even duck hunted!

Summary

This hunt was a successful trip. The ducks, which were harvested, were only a small part of the success. The real value was in taking a group of kids, who might not ever have an opportunity like this in their lifetime, and teaching them the positive aspects of the outdoor lifestyle. They learned discipline, teamwork, respect and the values of camaraderie. The adult participants were also blessed as we renewed the excitement of a first hunt. Matt Powers, who accompanied Mackenzie Curvin on the hunt, may have stated it best when he told me, “This was the greatest thing I have ever been involved with.”
As a sidebar, I would like to mention that Buck Gardner, upon meeting Mackenzie Curvin’s mom and hearing their story, invited them to come and hunt and stay with his family on their personal land in Arkansas. His mom, Christine, said it all when she looked around and said God Bless each and every one of you.
The men who put this hunt together are my friends and I am proud to call them that. They put back more than they take out of the great outdoors. They epitomize the closing of my every outdoor column, which says – “Our kids truly are our most precious natural resource. They are our future.”
I hope this encourages all of our areas hunters and fishermen to mentor some kids by introducing them into the great outdoors.
See ya,
Rob.
For more information on hunting at Twin Rivers Guide Service, you can contact Jeff Martin at 1-731-635-7223 or 1-731-693-8750.

Kids “Quacking” Up Part I

By Rob Somerville
Anyone who believes that outdoorsmen in the Volunteer State are a bunch of uncaring ‘Bubbas’, need to read this article. It all began on a whim, but turned out to be one of the most gratifying experiences this old grizzled hunter ever had the pleasure of being involved in.

The Beginning



















It all began last March. I was in charge of the annual TOWA {Tennessee Outdoor Writer’s Association} convention. We held it at the beautiful Buchanan Resort on Kentucky Lake. The owners were generous hosts. The convention broke all attendance records with over 120 members of Tennessee’s outdoor media there for the weekend. Our folks went on guided turkey hunts and fishing trips for crappie, bluegill and bream. We had seminars on digital photography, a visit from Governor Bredesen and were treated to the expert skeet team of the Scholastic Clay Target Program. TWRA officials gave us reports on their new fish and game programs and we sampled awesome food from the staff at Buchanan’s.

The Awards Banquet

Part of my job was to acquire a quality speaker for the big awards banquet. This supper is where the individual members of the media were recognized by their peers for excellence in craft. I was fortunate to get not just one such speaker, but two of the most renowned outdoor icons in our state to speak. Kelley Powers is the most decorated goose caller in the world and Buck Gardner has won the Champion of Champions in duck calling competition. Then, master predator hunter, George Brint, came to the podium and orated a moving version of the poem, “The Touch of the Master’s Hand.”
The messages these men spoke on touched the hearts of all that were present. There was many a misty eye as all told of the importance of keeping today’s youth involved in the positive lifestyle of the great outdoors. I mention all of this because these emotions carried over into a live auction, in which several outfitters donated hunts and fishing trips. One of these hunts was donated by Jeff Martin, owner and operator of Twin Rivers Guide Service, in Halls Tennessee. The hunt was to be a one day hunt for two adults. John Sloan was the auctioneer and the bid started out at $100.00.
Gradually, the bid was bumped up in ten dollar increments. Then Jeff Martin stood up. For those of you who don’t know Jeff, he is one of the greatest proponents of kids in the outdoors. Every year, he takes over 100 kids duck hunting, many from our West Tennessee Youth Outdoor Jamboree. Jeff said, “Tell you what I will do. Instead of a two person, adult hunt, I will change it to accommodate twelve kids and their chaperones.

Do I hear $400.00?

This got the crowd buzzing. Bids were raised. Buck Gardner stood up and said, “And I will supply a duck call for every kid on the hunt and personally join them.”
Not to be outdone, I chimed in, “And I will see to it that every kid gets a hat, face mask, fleece mask, hunting videos and more calls.”
TWRA staff jumped in and promised to supply shotgun shells and vests. Eyes lit up at the generosity and the bids were raised even higher. Finally, the bids were closed and Marty Allison, who writes a column in the Dickson Herald, in Middle Tennessee, won the hunt.

Teaching Extends Outside the Classroom

Besides being an outdoor writer, Allison is also a teacher at the Charlotte Middle School in Charlotte, Tennessee. As one of our many caring educators, he saw a need for helping and interesting many of the children he taught in things outside of the regular school curriculum. Due to this, he started a turkey calling contest at his school. A core of this group developed a deep interest in the outdoors, and many of these kids did not have the means to explore these interests. From this group, Allison selected a dozen kids, whom he felt needed this exposure.
He told me, “Not only were the kids excited, their parents were also. They told me that it was all the kids could talk about and that there was no way they could ever match this level of excitement with Christmas presents. I was barraged with questions from late March until we left.”

Coming to Bat for the Kids

Word quickly spread about what we were doing and several leading outdoor companies came to our aid. Bass Pro Shops, Buck Gardner Game Calls, Knight & Hale, Drake Waterfowl, the TWRA, Sun-Rise Beverages and West Tennessee Outdoors Magazine all sent products or donations. Each kid was to receive a goody bag full of outdoor treasures.
West Tennessee Restaurant owner, Neil Henry, of Neil’s BBQ in Dyersburg, invited us to have a banquet for these kids and donated the cost of dozens of delicious BBQ plate suppers on the night before the hunt. The number of kids soon grew to twenty!
At the banquet, we got to meet all of the kids and the parents that cared enough to make the overnight trip. I spoke to the kids about the wonders of the great outdoors, continuing their education, negative peer pressure and then recognized the sponsors. Jeff than got up and gave a talk on safety and the world of duck hunting.

Lightening the Load

A few weeks prior to the hunt, I received a phone call from a friend of mine named Matt Powers. He told me about a 13-year old young man by the name of Mackenzie Curvin, from Clarksville, Arkansas.
This young man had been devastated by the tragic death of his step-dad and mentor in the outdoors three months previously. It seems that the only thing that elicited any interest at all to him was duck hunting. When I heard this heart rending story, I told Matt that whatever it would take, we would get Mackenzie on some hunts. A quick call, soon followed to Jeff Martin, who told me bring him on, which sealed the deal.

Motherly Love

I sat down with Mackenzie’s mom, Christine, who also has a seventeen year-old daughter, named Kelsey. She told me that since her husband Jim’s death, on September 13th, it has been extremely tough on the three of them.
She also knew in her heart, that for her son to keep on a constant level, his participation in the outdoor lifestyle was critical. She told me, “When Mackenzie was ten years-old, he and Jim were featured on a hunting TV Show. He and Jim also attended many Ducks Unlimited Banquets, with Jim being a committee member.”
When I asked her what she hoped would come out of this trip, she replied, “I hope it helps him regain some equilibrium and balance in his life. He has kind of been drifting lately. He loves the outdoors and I bought him a 4-wheeler for Christmas. Times have been tough, but God has blessed us with meeting all of you and with this trip. I want him to have solace and peace. He needs closure with what happened, yet I want him to remember the good times with Jim, like trout fishing on The White River in Arkansas and crappie fishing on Lake Fork in Texas.”
With tear-filled eyes she continued, “I told him with an analogy, that he is like a started Lab puppy and that Jim began his training to live life to its fullest by surrounding yourself with good friends, family and the outdoors. Then, when he reaches his finished stage in life he will have quality standards of Christian ethics, fellowship and conservation of our outdoor heritage. His championship stage will be when he is able to mentor others by example.”
His mother beamed with love and concern over her young son and I ask you, our readers, to keep them in your continuous prayers, as I will.

Summary

In part two of this series, we will take you on the actual duck hunt and bring you along for some “in your face action” with our youthful “quacker smackers.”
We will also hear from Jeff Martin of Twin Rivers Guide Service, Lance Rider of the TWRA, and World Champion Duck Caller - Buck Gardner on why they take the time from their busy schedules to participate on hunts such as this one.
Until next time, be safe in the outdoors and always remember that our kids truly are our most precious natural resource. They are our future.
See ya,
Rob.

Winside Scouts

Here is the group photo of the Winside Bear, Cub and Tiger (scouts). They all had a great time learning how to blow a Fowl Mouth II and can't wait till they are old enough to start doing some hunting.



Back row left to right
Neil, Dalton, Jon, Isiah, Zac, Ethan, Garrett, Brock.
Front row left to right
MJ, Marcos, Chris, Jadyn, Hunter