Are you Smarter than a Wildlife 4Her?

If something could go wrong this morning it did...At 8am I had already been up for 3 hours trying to get last minute things together for our contest.  And I was in a panic!  I am usually pretty calm when it comes to contest day.  But this morning, I realized that I had forgotten two big things that had to happen before I could leave. 

First, I remembered that this was the contest when we need to bubble in scantrons.  These scantrons are specially made for the contest and must be ordered from a company.  Thankfully, I always buy extras.  The problem:  Where did I put them?  After a frantic search through a very large tub full of wildlife supplies, I found them...at the bottom of the tub, of course! 

Then I raced to get the boys up and out the door when it dawned on me that I needed to have the registration forms in hand at check in.  This might not seem like a problem but the forms had to be signed by our area NRCS coordinator.  I had the forms but I could not remember where I had placed them!  I began my search but to no avail and I was at the point of tears. 

Now if you are not a believer in God, you probably should not be reading my blog, because God is the only thing that gets me through situations like this.  I hollered out, "Lord, you better help me figure this out because it is beyond me!"  And wouldn't you know, I looked at a stack of papers on my desk and there lie the forms! 

I raced to the car and headed to the contest!  I prayed the entire way to the contest for the 4Hers to be humbled as I was this morning and to be filled with a superabundance of wisdom.  I thanked God for each one of them and asked God to bless them.  And I can tell you it was from my heart because I was just crying the entire time! 

And would you believe it?  We arrived at the contest early in spite of everything!  I had prayed so hard for the team before the contest, so I asked if anyone else would like to pray when we gathered together.  I thought it was so sweet that Edward said he would pray.  He simply asked God to help our teams.  This brought tears to my eyes all over again.  I was glad to get it all together and get ready for the contest.  I just emphasized how proud I was of both teams because I knew they would do their best.

Once the teams were grouped in their stations, the coordinator announced that he needed to talk to all coordinators.  That has never happened in the past, so I was a little surprised.  Then the coaches were told that most of us would have been disqualified if they had gone strictly by the rules.  We were told team members must all be wearing collared shirts, long pants, and close-toed shoes.  We were also not allowed to use wooden clipboards.  And, this would be the last contest with a compass & pacing course.

When the coordinator announced the dress code, I have to admit I was a little surprised.  We had never been told about a dress code and we this was our first year to create team shirts.  We were so proud of ourselves and liked the matched look.  Unfortunately we purchased t-shirts and we will not be able to use them again.  I thought it was ironic that this would also be the year that we would buy new compasses for all the participants as well.  We would now find out that it was an unnecessary expense. 

Then I was asked to help judge the fairness of the contest.  All I can say is it was a hard contest.  I think they must have watched us study and picked questions from the portions we had not seen.  So let's see how you would have done on the contest.  Have you heard of the popular game show "Are you Smarter than a Third Grader?"  Well we are going to play "Are you Smarter than a 4Her?"

The first two question on our contest is to identify common plants associated to wildlife in our region.  The 4Her must first identify the plant correctly in order to answer the second question referring to the wildlife animal preference to the plant.  We are asked to know 51 different plants and identify 15 of these plants for contest along with the preference to specified animal species.  The following is an example from yesterday's contest:


The plant is Smartweed which is liked by turkey and waterfowl.

Question 3 questions are based on a wide-range of knowledge associated with the key wildlife animals of the contest (deer, squirrel, quail, turkey, mourning dove, javelina, pronghorn antelope, and waterfowl).  For example:

What type of bird is a turkey?  The answer is gallinaceous birds.

If you don't know what a gallinaceous bird is, don't feel too bad...no one could tell me at the contest either.  However, looking it up when I got home, I found out it is just a fancy scientific word for "heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game birds."

The next questions (4 and 5) are about Wildlife evaluation and management practices.  The 4Hers are taken out to a piece of property and given a scenario. Then they must determine if the property is adequate or deficient for three specified animal groups.  Then they must determine accurate management practices to improve the set property.

Today, the 4Hers were taken out to the following property and asked to evaluate and manage the property for deer, squirrel and turkey.



For the management practices, the 4Hers were also given the following scenario:

"I have just purchased 1000 acres.  I would like to develop a 20 year plan to manage the area for deer, turkey, and squirrel.  Observation and spotlight data have shown that buck to doe ratios are 1:5.  I have a water well, several pipeline-fed water troughs, a creek, and ponds throughout the property, I have no intentions of grazing cattle.  I may consider harvesting some timber but only if it will help me maximize my wildlife potential.  I do not believe in removing any hardwoods because I do not feel like I have enough to do so.  I regularly see hogs and coyotes on the property."

I have underlined some key clues to help us determine the management practices for this property (The 4Hers were not given this advantage.)  The answer is:

Deer                                                 Turkey                                    Squirrel

Animal damage                                Animal damage                      Food plots

Population management                   Prescribed burning            Retain hardwoods                  

Prescribed burning                            Streamside management       Prescribed burning

Streamside management                   Construct access/firebreaks

Construct access/firebreaks   

The hardest part of this portion of the contest is knowing what the clues mean.  The first point is that this is a long term plan.  When initially looking at the property it has obviously had a prescribed burn recently (2-3 years); however, because it is a 20-year plan and they do not intend to thin timber or remove hardwoods (obviously retain hardwoods because it was requested by landowner, but only needed for squirrels in this scenario), there will be a need for prescribed burns in the future.  The fact that there is already existing water is a clue to have streamside management.  Also, we are told that there are animals that might harm the livelihood of targeted species so there needs to be animal control; however, squirrel are not effected by animals mentioned.  The deer population needs to be reduced to even out the ratio.  Also, due to the lack of diversity, a squirrel population would be maximized by food plots during stress periods.  It is always a good practice to have access roads or firebreaks on a large piece of property, however, it would not affect the squirrel population.

I know this is a long explanation.  However, you can see that the 4Hers must really think thorough this portion of the contest.  They are actually counted off if they choose a management practice that is not correct and can end up with a negative score!  I also think this is the most subjective portion of the contest, with every wildlife biologist deciding a different plan.  It is also one of the most helpful of all the parts of the contest (You just need to know the other parts to understand this one.) for anyone who wants to own property.

Question 6 was about game laws.  For instance: 
Harassment of hunters, trappers, and fishermen is punishable by what fine? 

The answer:  $200-$2000 and/or up to 180 days in jail.

Question 7 is about "Outdoor Safety," which is a very broad definition including hunter, ATV, boating, fishing, and more. 

Yesterday the 4Hers were given a set up from a boating trip.  They were also given a scenario (I won't give those details today.)  and asked several questions, including:
The group of three men were running low on bait while night fishing.  Jack and Fred get out on a nearby island to continue fishing.  John takes the boat back to the marina to buy more bait.  Is this considered safe or unsafe? 

The answer is unsafe.  It seemed like a good enough question to me when I was helping to judge the fairness of the contest.  However, the coaches spent a lot of time discussing why it should be considered unsafe before judging the rest of the contest.  I must say, I learned a lot about judging contest today!

The 4Hers would then go to the technique portion of the contest.  This is what I call the curve ball of the contest because you never know what you are going to get.  One example of a technique question is:

Yeah...I know it's upside down!...but sometimes that's how the 4Hers see the questions also!  LOL! 

Did you guess "coyote?"  WRONG!!!  That is a fox!  It is too small to be a coyote and a possum has a few smaller teeth in front before the sharp teeth seen in this picture (Sorry I don't have technical names for these teeth.  More to learn for next year!).

The 4Hers ended the contest with a compass & pacing course and then were able to enjoy a BBQ lunch while we waited (and waited) for the results.  In fact, we waited so late into the afternoon that most of the teams left for home.  However, we stuck it out, and I think it was worth the wait.  I got to talk to several coaches one on one, making good contacts for the future.  And, we found out firsthand that after all of our studying (and some powerful logical thinking on the part of our participants!) we were awarded 2nd and 4th place in the contest!  We will also be allowed to take one team and an alternate to the State contest in April. 

I am glad we have a head start in our studies because the contest will be in the Panhandle this year.  The plants are quite different and we will need the practice.  Also, my family will be making a trip that direction (more on that later) so can hopefully pick up some plant specimens.

I am so proud of all the participants (The picture is only of the ones who were able to stay until the end.  I will try to have a group shot in a later post).  They really did a great job and stayed positive throughout the day!  We also had the extra bonus of having the high point individual from our club.  Great job, David!

It was another great 4H day!

Wildlife Trivial Pursuit

First, I want to say that I am very excited that I have over 1,000 hits on my blog!  I am not sure who is reading all my ramblings (You can comment any time!  I would love to hear from you.), but I hope you enjoy what you read.



Today we had our final prep before the Regional Wildlife contest.  Somehow I got this great idea to create a Wildlife Trivial Pursuit (hope I am not infringing on too many copyrights there).  I thought it was pretty awesome that we had just the right amount of categories to make it work.  I stayed up late last night (even falling asleep at the computer) and then woke up early this morning finishing the game right before we had to leave the house. 

It was well worth the effort!  I think the 4Hers really enjoyed the fun way of reviewing the different questions for the test.  Hopefully we learned something along the way also. 

So, I will fill you in on the details of the contest tomorrow.  I can't wait to see how we do after all the hard work. 

County Food Show...Surprise!

We thought we had missed it!  I had it on my schedule for last weekend and we were supposed to take pictures and generally help out throughout the event.  However, Thursday evening I was talking to one of the other parents and found out it was today.  I decided that we should go even though we were not entering any food dishes to follow through with our commitments. (Very important 4H skill sis to take responsibility to "make the best better.")

We gathered everyone and headed out the door and arrived early (only because we got the time wrong!) and found a lot of help was needed.  All of a sudden Sean became the official greeter showing everyone to their designated set up location.  Henry started taking pictures.  I was volunteered to judge categories.  Thank goodness I thought to bring an activity for the younger boys to do so they would not need direct attention.

Judging was fun...I had never judged a food contest.  I was impressed with the intermediate group.  They know more about food than many adults.  I especially enjoyed seeing the young girl coming to her first show, Jasmyne, who thought she was supposed to cook her recipe at the show.  She quickly went into the kitchen and had her recipe (Stuffed Bell Peppers) made in time to show! 

After judging, I suggested that we review the My Plate information because the 4Hers were not fully presenting the nutrition guidelines.  So...like many things in life...if you make suggestions be ready to follow through...I was asked to give out information after the contest results were announced.  It was a good opportunity for Sean to present what he knows about My Plate.  So we were happy to do it.

Then they realized no one had judged the displays, so I judged the displays for all age groups.  I was once again impressed with the displays.  They did a great job with themed presentations.  However the one I enjoyed the most was perfect way to center her theme around her dish.  Rozalinn had prepared Andouille (Shrimp Cream Soup) for her main dish category.  She got really clever with her display by creating a lighthouse scene.  The lighthouse was made from a ship steering wheel and a tall candy dish with peaked top.  This held the main soup.  Then she had a boat shaped bowl to hold a serving of her soup.  She also added a large shell to hold her napkin and spoon.  Just add water!  Very creative!

Then after all the announcements of category winners were made, we were told there were extra categories available to go to District Food Show in February.  Since there were no others Senior 4Hers interested in advancing, Sean was asked to represent our county in the Fruit&Vegetable category!  He was so excited!!  Thank goodness we have time to work out the details! 

Here are some of our first place winners:

 

Being a Good Citizen!

The boys and I enjoyed a day but little to do with 4H for a change.  After all, every day can't be about 4H...I like to make sure the boys are well rounded.  Which brings me to the subject of my post today.

Good Citizenship

What does that mean exactly?

In 4H we do a lot of community service...that sounds like a good citizen...helping to take care of neighbors.

In 4H, we also learn about careers related to our projects...that sounds like being a good citizen also...looking to the future so we can be productive citizens.

But, today we chose to learn about how the election process works!  Mom (that's me!) took her sons (YES! all four of them) into the voting polls today!

I arrived at the early voting polls to find no one else racing in the doors to vote, so I asked if the boys could see the process.  The election judges were glad to have the excitement.   So we went through the steps, explaining as we went along.  Then I voted on the Texas Constitution amendments.  This meant explaining the words used on the ballot and how to use the computer generated ballot.  The boys loved getting to help push the buttons, especially the one that cast my vote! 

I think all parents should take their children along to cast their vote.  Every one's opinion counts.To be a good citizen, you need to be involved in your community.  You need to know what's happening in your community. If you're a good citizen, the community will be a better place to live.  A good citizen must stay informed and take pride in casting their vote.  I want my boys to take responsibility when they are old enough to vote.  The more they see us doing this, the more likely they will do the same when they are old enough.

So today the boys learned a new step to being a good citizen.  Even thought they know I vote, they were able to see the process.  It just makes it a little more real to them.  In fact, one of the boys is still trying to decide how he would have voted and he wants me to read over the amendments again!



A Full Day of Fun!

We had an exciting day today ending with a community watch party with Dustin on Top Shot finale...but I am getting ahead of myself.

We started out with a review day for Wildlife contest.  With our contest coming up quickly NEXT week, we needed the review.  However, I know it has been a long week for most of us so I decided to have a little fun with the group.  We played Jeopardy!  Thanks to a nifty program I found on the Internet a few years ago, I collected enough questions for three rounds.  We split up into groups about a little bit of everything.

The first round categories were:

• Tails and Ears
• Cry Baby
• Colorful Wings
• Food for the Holidays
• Nut Hogs 

Then in the second round we had all the plant ID and preferences:

• Vines/Shrubs
• Flowers/Annuals
• Miscellaneous
• Trees
• Grasses

Our final round included:

• Wildlife Management
• Hunter Safety
• Habitat Evaluation
• Techniques
• Game Laws 

We had a lot of excitement and found we had some very competitive groups.  However, in the end it taught us what we know and what we need to know.  Don't forget to check out the hunter safety course.  Also go back to earlier post that has other sites for review each Tuesday.

After this meeting, we hurried over to the Godtel to drop off all the canned goods we had collected last week.  They were very appreciative and asked when we would come again.  Hopefully we can make that trip to the center soon.

The group shaking out their stress
so they could perform well.

Then we were off to the park to meet for our first Share the Fun project meeting.  This is a great project for those who like to perform.  This year our senior group is going to perform the poem, Ragged Old Flag, written by Johnny Cash.  I will tell you more about this as we get the details pinned down.  Hopefully soon as we are to perform the skit for Veteran's Day.

Henry trying out his
Top Shot stance

Sean watching Caleb trying
his hand at the bow

Dustin answering questions during commercial breaks

Then the excitement of the evening.  We all went to the season finale party for Top Shot.  Dustin did an awesome job once again.  I think he surprised us all with all of his amazing shots.  Once again he proved he remains a humble servant of the Lord. 


We got to meet his entire family and just loved to see how he showed he is still the same down to earth guy who can now officially be called the Top Shot!  He told the crowd that of everything that happened he was glad to be a witness to others.  He also said it goes to show you how awesome God can be...He took a love of shooting and turned into a way to witness to the WORLD!!! how awesome it is to be a Christian! 



His parting words to the crowd were, “God can use you to do big, good things. Listen to God and obey him.”  And while he said he didn’t know God would use shooting to help him spread the message of Christianity, “He’s a cool and big God, and he can do that.”

Thank you once again Dustin for your great example to us all!

Dustin and his family after the big win on Top Shot

In Memory

There are some types of community service that no one really enjoys.  However, these are the opportunities that should come from the heart. Today we went to offer comfort to one of our 4H families as they grieved the loss of a family member.  We provided a meal for the family and attended the visitation and funeral services. 

What makes this particularly hard was that he was a young man just starting out in his adult life.  Furtehrmore, our outreach to the community hit a little closer to home this time. Even though we knew him only through his wife and her family, we often heard about how he was a loving husband and great dad to his two boys (2yo and 6mo) and how much he loved the Lord. 

Last night we were at the visitation and we saw how much he was loved by so many people.  Many attended from family, church, friends and work.  We also saw how much his boys favor him in appearance, especially his oldest, when we saw a picture where they could have been twins!

Today at the funeral services, the pastor spoke about Aaron as a young man who persevered in hard times and stayed strong.  He loved the Lord and his family, his church and his work.  He loved 4H  and FFA, showing rabbits and cows and he also loved horses and roping. 

Recently, they built a new church building and he would often stay so long they had to turn him away.  Toward the end of the construction, each man was asked to write their favorite verse on the wall.  Aaron chose to write, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."--Revelation 21:4

The pastor ended by saying, "Last Tuesday we were not ready for Aaron to go, but Aaron was ready to go to Heaven." 

At the graveside service the pastor comforted the family by saying, "God is too kind to be cruel.  God is too wise to make mistakes.  God is too deep for us to understand."  He then quoted, "The Lord giveth and he taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."--Job 1:21.

May God's loving arms be wrapped around Aaron.  May God's outpouring of love surround Aaron's family and friends.  May we all understand God's wisdom in this time of sorrow.

Aaron truly showed the world how "to make the best better."  He will be missed by many.

Not a good picture but I will try to get one later.

Last Night's Club Meeting

So...I was so quick to talk about how great Dustin was that I forgot to mention that we did have a club meeting last night also. 

It was a nice short meeting so we could prepare for the crowd that joined us to meet Dustin.  It made me think that we should have a celebrity come speak at all of our meetings!  LOL!  No really, we were able to finish all of our normal business in about half the time!  We even had time for a quick refreshment before Dustin arrived.

The members did a great job of staying focused but covering all the business for the month.  We talked about all of our projects, our raffle fundraiser, and upcoming events.  We even had time to review the proposed changes in our bylaws and vote to accept the changes.  Not bad for thirty minutes! 

Henry did a great job leading our Texas pledge.  Then after the minutes were read, Henry made a motion to accept the minutes with Sean's quick second to the motion.  Sean later seconded a motion to accept the treasure's report.

Henry also gave the photography project report.  He is getting better...we could actually hear him tonight!  Sean gave the computer science report.  He was excited to be able to tell the group that his Dad would lead the project.  He also gave a report on the Gold Star banquet. 

I want to brag on one of our members...somehow I missed her participation in a clothing & textile contest at the Texas State Fair.  Brianna entered two garments (I will need to ask her what she made!) and won third place.  Congratulations!

I also would like to say that our president Caleb did a great job of opening our meeting with an inspirational verse from Nahum 1:7, "The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him."

Henry then ended the meeting by giving out a door prize and announcing the snack for the evening.  All that just in time for the crowd to show up!  Truly amazing!  Now what famous person can we get to come to our next meeting?  LOL!