Youth educated on Idaho’s Outdoors at Beaver Dick Park

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI)- Beaver Dick Park near Rexburg hosted a Youth Outdoors Skills Event organized by the Idaho Fish and Game on Saturday, May 13. Kids had a chance to participate in various activities to learn how to be good stewards of the Gem State's forests and wildlife.

Idaho Fish and Game say the event was well attended. "We had close to 600 people here today, so it was awesome. Chaotic, but awesome," said James Brower the Regional Communications Manager in the Upper Snake Region for Idaho Fish and Game.

Brower says they had some activities that were expected but others to help educate them about how Idaho Fish and Game does their job. "Yeah. If it had to do with the outdoors, it was here. We had our hunter-ed trailer here, we had our bear trailer here, we had muzzle loader folks, we had the trapper folks, we had the Mule Deer Foundation came, We had some archery from Cabela's and we just had all sorts of people doing all sorts of things."

He says everyone was full of smiles as they were learning together. "It's really fun to see somebody participate in an activity that they have not participated in before and learn new skills. And they're figuring out what they like and they figure out that they're good at something. It's just that's what does it for me is when you got a kid that has a smile on their face because they're throwing in that little dart for the first time and they throw it far, they hit the animal and they just they're just beaming because they're doing something good, having fun."

Many of the kids shared they did favor some activities over others, however.

"Probably the pellet shooting," J Maddux said. When asked why that was his favorite, J said, "The fact that I got it dead center, (on the target)."

He says he also enjoyed the activity around Atlatl. Which as he describes is similar to throwing a spear, "Basically you have a stake in you have a thing. We'll put the stick on the thing,  you throw it and then you hope you get an animal."

Others enjoyed a different activity.

"The Muzzle Loading, pellet shooting, and the bow and arrow," said Wayne Gonzalez. His brother Ryan added, "I was just expecting, like, just like going fishing.  Like shooting a couple of big guns. Not.  Not shooting the muzzleloader," Ryan Gonzalez said.

Some of the kids weren't sure what to think before arriving at the day of fun and learning. "I thought it was going to be kind of fun and kind of boring at the same time," said Wayne. He added that he later learned how much fun he had.

J said that he was really excited, "Because I like being outside and when I heard that we're going to do (it)."

For J's dad Joey Maddux, the event also proved to be educational. "We found out today that he's actually eligible to hunt later because he'll turn ten by the time that hunting season rolls around for big game. So it actually is good, good afternoon."

Joey added that the event helped him with teaching his son about the great outdoors. "Give them a little bit more exposure to things that can be done out here in Idaho. And we've already been fishing so far this year. So just to add some other things to it. "

Those present also had a chance to learn how Idaho Fish and Game monitors our big game herds through special collars that have GPS capabilities and unique radio frequencies. They even helped find a collar placed in the park.