Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A 17-year-old disabled youth from Warren had a dream come true in Clearfield County. Matt Bunk was hit by a truck at only 18 months of age leaving him partially paralyzed and only the use of his left arm. Matt has always wanted to go hunting but never thought he would get the chance to do so. In late September, thanks to the North Central PA Pheasants Forever Chapter 630’s Youth Foundation Hunt program, Matt was able to spend several days afield at Fork Ridge Ranch which is a new outdoor adventure and hunting complex near Frenchville. Pheasants Forever members provided Matt with ammunition, bird dogs and handlers, plus an ATV equipped with a special seat in front of the machine with an adjustable shooting rest. After some practice rounds and adjustments, Matt started his wing shooting adventure. Soon the dogs were pointing birds hiding in the dense cover. With some help from his brother Will, Matt was able to take aim and harvest several flushing pheasants and chukar part...

by Jasmine Carlson Ridgway High School '15 On September 13-15, 2013, Pheasants Forever Chapter 630 had its 3rd Annual Youth Outdoor Hunt. This hunt is for kids with disabilities and life threatening illness. I’ve been involved every year and I’ve learned something new from each youth. This year the chapter took two wonderful boys and their families. Reece Scolari, 10, is in remission for kidney cancer and Ryan Tucker, 17, who has cerebral palsy and is paralyzed from the chest down. Both boys are from St. Marys. The boys were ecstatic when they arrived at the Queenstown Hunt Club where there is a lodge owned by Rosebud Mining of Kittanning. The first day at the lodge consisted of a greeting dinner, gifts and trap shooting. During the meet and greet I meet both families they all were amazed at the beauty of Rosebud’s lodge. Both families were then gathered around the fire place. Reece and Ryan were given hunting equipment, hunting vests and field chaps. Th...

Many hands make for light work. Last spring, many sportsmen and some scouts showed up for the work day on new state game lands building habitat for all animals on lands that everyone can enjoy. Brush piles are necessary habitat, food and nesting sites for many small animals in the wild, including rabbits and pheasants. They are easily built and will be immediately available for animals. Pheasants need this habitat work. This year we will meet at 8:00 AM on Saturday, March 27, 2010. Groups will form and work 9AM-noon and 1PM until 4PM or until the work is done. We will park at the dedication sign going into the Shawmut tract of PA State Game Lands #44. Signs will be placed along route 219 south of Ridgway. We will need as many people as possible to bring chain saws, chaps, helmets, pruning poles and other safety gear and brush cutting tools. Pheasants Forever will once again provide a lunch for the volunteers. We will be working outdoors cutting brush and building habitat so dress for t...

Pheasants Forever Chapter 630 is happy to announce that our Seventh Annual 2008 Youth Hunt, held on October 11, 2008, was another huge success. This year we included drawings for 2 shotguns donated by our club. The luck winners for the Remington 870 20 gauge shot guns were Joe McLaughlin and Tommy Shields. This event gets bigger and better each year due to help and donations from our partners, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Fox Township Sportsmen, Sheetz (Ridgway and St. Marys), Country Fair of St. Marys, Cenni Beverage of Ridgway, Johnsonburg Beverage, Wal-Mart of St. Marys, and Al and Bonnie Dempsy. Hilltop Seed Company of Ridgway and Shippenville, PA donated all of the chukar birds. For years, the Buhler family has kindly permitted the hunt on their property in Challenge, PA Each of these 37 youth participated in the Fox Township safety day as well as the hunting experience, harvesting a total of 38 pheasants and 6 chukars; Troy Caskey, Shaun Chiesa, Tyler Cribbs, Quinn Cunni...