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Banquet Schedule Women in
Outdoors Wheelin'
Sportsman
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2010 VOLUNTEERS APPRECIATION NIGHT Recap by Kim Passeretti, State Secretary
Volunteers all across Kentucky came together to celebrate a successful organization and the accomplishments of local chapters and individuals at the 13th Annual "Volunteers Appreciation Night", held at St. Aloysius Church in Shepherdsville, KY, on Saturday - January 9 2010.
James assists, works with, and has formed a relationship with other Law Enforcement agencies in the area: Kentucky State Police, Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement, Western Kentucky University, Warren Sheriff's Office and Bowling Green Police Department. His family life consists of his wife, Linda, and has 2 little boys - ages 4 and 7. Congratulations to Sergeant James Heady as the 2009 Conservation Officer of the Year!
Kentucky Turkey Hunters "Hall of Fame" Award was presented to Alex Lea and David Gibson, 2009 inductees.
Attitude! This is one attribute that distinguishes a great guide and teacher from just a good turkey Hunter! And this describes inductee Alex Lea! He has always stressed respect for wildlife. In the woods, his understanding of the ecosystem and how we interact with it has brought him untold personal success. Alex has made conservation and wildlife education a lifelong goal and has been an NWTF member since 1984. His turkey hunting skills and intuition have been developed over the years, but Alex prefers to employ them for others. He has guided hunts for WITO's Wheelin' Sportsmen, JAKES, and dozens of first-time adult and youth hunters. It is not uncommon for him to guide all season and not hunt for himself once. If you ask him why, he'll tell you how important it is that we get people in the woods, enjoying the resource that we never had before. His interest in the future of the Wild Turkey has been his sole motivation for extensive involvement in the NWTF. Alex has served numerous terms on the Kentucky State Chapter's Board of Directors, two of which he served as State President. Every year, he attends and helps with as many banquets as he can manage. Alex's accomplishments are numerous and has been honored nationally by the NWTF with the Rodger Latham Sportsmen's Service Award in 1999, statewide by the Kentucky State Chapter's Shelley Nickell Memorial Award in 2005, statewide by The League of Kentucky Sportsmen as "Conservationist of the Year" twice (2000 & 2003), nationally by "The National Rifle Association" with the "Friends of NRA Award" in 2001, and statewide by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources as "Wildlife Steward" in 2001. For his decades of effort for the preservation of both habitat and interest in the Wild Turkey, congratulations to Alex Lea as the Kentucky Turkey Hunters 2009 "Hall of Fame" inductee!
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES BY CHAPTERS
Kentucky/NWTF District Directors were also recognized: Ben Baker, Larry Butler, Ken Dozer, Jay Graham, Ricky Hardin, Kent Hopkins, Perry Johnston, Sonny McClanahan, Dennis Pierceall, Pat Ritchie, Chris Rowley, Bobby Spencer, TJ Trent and Jim Williams. Thank you for all you do for KY/NWTF!
The winner of the 2009 Core Package Raffle was Allen Gray (Western Kentucky Gobblers member). The Handy's Bend Chapter won the Visiting Chapter Members gun.
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The
2009 Conservation Officer of the Year Award
was bestowed upon
Sergeant James Heady , an avid
outdoorsman and hunter since the early age of ten. With 28 years of
experience in hunting and 10 years of fish and wildlife law enforcement
under his belt. James' main focus in life was to become a conservation
officer and, after achieving this, he has been dedicated to protecting the
resource and teaching others about the outdoors. Sergeant Heady
demonstrates his dedication by participating yearly with his local JAKES Day
event in Warren County, where he assists youths with trap shooting and other
outdoor educational activities, and has taken youth deer and turkey hunting
throughout the years. In an official capacity, he teaches Hunter
Education & Boating Safety Courses to hundreds of youth, yearly, for the
Department of Fishing & Wildlife Resources. His love for trapping has
also brought him to be involved with his local Boy Scout Troop, where he
instructs scouts on how to trap and the history behind this centuries old
sport. Along with working with the youths of Warren County, James
keeps up public relations with other civic groups in his community. He
works with church groups and has an information booth at the yearly Safety &
Career Day in Bowling Green. From a conservation end, this officer has
his own property enrolled in the federal CREP (Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program), which turns his own personal ground into habitat
improvement for all types of wildlife. In 2009, Sergeant Heady had
been extremely instrumental and successful in apprehending wild turkey
resource violators. He investigated and cited for 11 wild turkey
cases, resulting in 26 charges and 2 courtesy notices, involving 3 counties.
Along with the wild turkey cases, his activity (January through October
2009) shows 877 license checks, 64 citations, 37 courtesy notices, 14
arrests, 196 boat inspections, and 1,531 group contacts (school, civic, and
sportsmen/women). 
The 2009 recipient of the
Shelley Nickell Memorial Award
was presented to Eddie Joiner.
Eddie has been a member of the NWTF since 1991, having branched out to
another chapter that he helped form in 1999. He has served as
president, vice president, and JAKES Coordinator of his local chapter.
He is a member of Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, the Conservation Board
of his county, and the Kentucky Nature Conservancy. Eddie's extensive
work with and for the state, and local biologist, has garnered him a vast
knowledge of how to better enhance the wildlife and its habitat. He
keeps up-to-date on farm bills, which enables him to relay to landowners
good conservation practices so they can implement sound wildlife management.
He frequently contacts U.S. Congressional and State Legislative delegations
in support of bills which are beneficial to the wild turkey as well as other
wildlife. Eddie has done extensive waterfowl and other wetland habitat
development on his property and leased land. He annually takes youth
to tour the waterfowl nesting boxes and supervises the cleaning and
replacement of boxes as needed. He was one of the lead people in
procuring land for WMAs in his county which are open for "Youth Only" spring
turkey hunting. He as assisted the KDFWR in trap site selection,
baiting, trapping and banding mourning doves as part of a nationwide study.
He has done extensive work on his upland farms and leases, which includes
controlled burnings and planting of warm season grasses. He annually
assists other landowners in these habitat practices, and participates in and
is up-to-date on the turkey brood studies, as well as other wildlife.
He currently is working on the purchase of additional land for another WMA
in his county. Eddie annually hosts and provides guides and places for
the youth who have no mentors or a place to hunt. He was the lead
person in hosting the first "Celebrity Youth Hunt" in his area, personally
signs up 10 to 15 JAKES each year for the local chapter's banquet. He
teaches good wildlife management, hunting ethics, sportsmanship, and safe
hunting to all youth, as well as adults.
Continually promotes and supports
the turkey hunting tradition and the turkey hunting industry, is the way
volunteers describe our second Turkey Hunters 2009 "Hall of Fame" recipient,
David Gibson. A senior sponsor member, David has been an
NWTF member since 1996l. Described as having a calm demeanor and a
great attitude, this volunteer is always willing to help chapters with JAKES
events in the spring, and WITO hunts in the fall. When learning about
an event, David will call to volunteer without being asked - whether it is
loaning equipment, setting up blinds, taking down equipment or teaching a
class. David shares the enjoyment of turkey hunting with others,
especially loves teaching a new generation of hunters, whether they be
youths, men or women. He has volunteered to serve as a guide on JAKES
and WITO hunts numerous times. He as served as an officer for the
Heartland Chapter, and currently serves as a board member for the Kentucky
State Chapter. A great supporter in the conservation of the Wild
Turkey, congrats goes out to David Gibson as our 2009 inductee into
Kentucky's Turkey Hunters "Hall of Fame".
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