There's nothing like being outdoors in the fall for a hunting opportunity. For many local children this was their first experience.

The Fish and Game provided a youth pheasant hunt experience today in the wildlife management area at Niagara Springs. The weather stayed pleasant and the trek was beautiful as you could see the springs coming out of the canyon.

Conservation Officer Richard Holman said, "Nowadays it's kind of a hassle finding a landowner willing to give permission to hunt and there's a lot of foodwork involved. This is nice because you don't need that just grab your stuff, dog, guns normally you can find a pheasant during hunting season."

Fish and Game stocked 100 pheasants overnight, and many kids went home empty–handed as only three birds were harvested. But the young hunters we spoke with enjoyed the experience.

Bellevue resident Iyana Weatherly said, "My favorite thing to do is walking, and just going through these things, seeing bugs everywhere, seeing livestock and just being out here and having fun."
"It's pretty nice and there's a lot of wildlife."
One of the children who saw some success today proudly displayed his bird.

Kimberly resident Hunter Moore said, "It took it one time to bring it down. The worst part of shooting this pheasant, is that it was right next to a creek. It landed in the water and tried to paddle away."

The limit per day is two birds at the wildlife management area.
If you missed out today and want to know about upcoming hunts call 324–4359.