Lake Okeechobee Airboat Association 2023 Youth Hunting Program Off to Great Start

The Lake Okeechobee (Florida) Airboat Association hosted two Florida Youth Hunting Program hunts in January 2023. There is another scheduled for March.

- Velva Mellette

January’s hunt was at Trail Ridge. Five youths participated. All five harvested a deer. It was a very cold day but the hunt was successful. We had a great group of guides. One, Hunter Wright, has been involved in the Florida Youth Hunting Program as a participant since he was young. He is now giving back and guiding. We truly love seeing this.

The second January hunt was on Lamb Island. We had three youths participate in the hunt. There was one nice nine-point buck harvested by a young girl. This was her very first buck. Phillip Wright, Hunter Wright’s twin brother, also was a guide. He has also been very involved in the hunts as a youth.

The Youth Hunting Program is designed to introduce young people to hunting and conservation by providing safe, educational, mentored youth hunts. We love this program and love meeting new people, obtaining new guides and volunteers, hopefully impacting a youngster’s life in a long-lasting and positive way.

To learn more about the Florida Youth Hunting Program and how you can get involved visit https://myfwc.com/education/ programs/youth-hunting-program/.

We also had a fun day at a clay shoot. The club is planning a fun event once a month.

Follow LOAA on Facebook for information on their future events and meetings.