You might be an Xtreme JAKE if:

You take a friend hunting.

If your idea of hunting down Thanksgiving dinner is in the woods, not at the supermarket.

If you prefer deer jerky over nerds or jelly worms.

You choose turkey hunting as your school research project or speech topic.

Your most exciting moment in your life occurred in the outdoors. The thrill of your hunt was more exciting than a roller coaster ride.

You’ve watched the sun rise from a deer stand.

You own your own camo.

You’d rather bag a turkey in the woods than on your video game.

You’d rather be participating in outdoor adventures than watching them on TV.

You’d rather be out in the woods on a Saturday morning than in bed.

Always display good sportsmanship!

You Missed It!

The 4th anual Jake - Extreme Jake event was fun for all!

It was held January 25th Through 27th, 2008 and Hosted by the
Chain-O-Lakes Gobblers
Leesburg Chapter Of the NWTF and
The Circle-C-Hunt Club in Groveland Florida.
Classes were offered for the following groups.

Jake's (12 and under)

Outdoor Cooking

First Aid

Skeet Shooting (Balloons for little ones)

22 Rifle

Extreme Jake's (13 to 17)

5 Stand Trap Shoot

Mock Turkey Hunt

GPS Orienteering

Handgun

(The alternate for both was wilderness Survival)

Everyone had a good time. If you would like to see the photos, click here
Be sure to register early for next years event. Tickets are going to go fast!

Welcome aboard!

The Leesburg Ship 12 of the BSA offers you an open invitation to come on board.

What is sea scouting?

Sea Scouting is an exciting program with plenty of opportunities for young adults aged 14 to 21 who want to have fun and to experience the rich opportunities and traditions of the sea. Opportunities include Fun on the water, Cruising, Fellowship, Leadership, Advancement and Service.

You can learn to sail, to row, and to keep a boat in shape; you can cruise local waters or go sailing on long cruises far from home. You can learn to Scuba dive and take care of boats. You'll be active in camping, social events, tours, regattas, excursions, and seamanship contests. You'll also have a chance to develop maritime skills that can lead to careers later on.

Sea Scouts are very similar to any other Scout; they have the same aim but place a special emphasis on water and maritime training within their activities to achieve that aim. Water activities can provide the adventure that youngsters are looking for where skills and age do not necessarily correlate and provide an ideal opportunity for Scouts to teach each other.

Sea Scouting is organized to promote better citizenship and to improve members' boating skills and knowledge through instruction and practice in water safety, boating skills, outdoor, social, and service experiences, and knowledge of our maritime heritage.

Visit their web site sailship12.home and take a look at what they do and visit seascouts.org and get the whole story. If your are interested contact for information.

Express your love for the outdoors! If you've got a creative talent, send us your work. Each month we'll highlight poems, short stories, artwork or photographs by Xtreme JAKES. All accepted entries will receive a Jakes ball cap and have their work posted on our Xtreme Jakes page and receive recognition at our annual Hunting Heritage Banquet.

Guidelines:

Send your work as an attachment to
Include your first and last name, age, city and state and title of your work.
By submitting your work you are granting the Chain-O-Lakes Gobblers the right to use, edit, reproduce, transmit, store and display these materials for use by the Chain-O-Lakes Gobblers.
No items containing profanity will be considered for publishing on the web.

Tips:

Be creative!
Be original! Use only your work, please do not submit anyone else's.
Remember all subject matter must be age-appropriate (13-17 years) and related to the outdoors.

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About NWTF scholarships
At the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Chain-O-Lakes Gobblers, there are more benefits going out to youth than just the pride of conserving the American wild turkey. Scholarship money is also available.

Students can now compete at the local level for college scholarships sponsored by the NWTF. But it doesn't stop there.

All students receiving local scholarships for $500 will have the opportunity to compete for a state/provincial chapter funded $1,000 state/provincial scholarship. State/provincial chapter winners will compete for a $10,000 national scholarship. Eligibility information for recipients and deadlines for each phase of the process are included with the scholarship application packets. Information packets will be sent to interested chapters each year.

These scholarships are set up to ensure the NWTF has the dedicated conservationists needed for the future and is a part of the NWTF's Five-Star program. Applicants for the scholarship are judged on their scholastic achievements, leadership abilities, community involvement and commitment to conservation.

The deadline for application is January 1st. For more information on the scholarship program, contact JAKES Program Manager Mandy Harling at the Wild Turkey Center by calling 1-800-THE-NWTF or e-mail her at .
Download information regarding student scholarship eligibility and scholarship application
from the Download Section.

Spring Turkey Hunting Safety Tactics
Courtesy of the National Wild Turkey Federation

By February, most turkey hunters have started to run a slight “spring fever.” They begin patterning their guns, practicing their calling and buying new gear they’ve seen experts use. While these preparations are important, they’re not the most important. “Safety first” should always be on the mind of a hunter. Below are the National Wild Turkey Federation’s tips for having a safe hunt that you should consider even before heading out for a wild turkey adventure.

Before the hunt preparation tips

Check with your doctor if you have any medical concerns.

Hunt within your physical limitations.

Let your hunting partners know if you have physical limitations.

Let someone know where you are hunting and when you expect to return.

Work to have a basic understanding of first aid.

Carry, and know how to use, a map and compass.

Pack a bottle of water and something light to eat.

During the hunt defensive hunting tactics

When you sit down to call or if you’re setting up on a gobbler, select a large stump, blow-down, tree trunk, or rock to lean up against that covers the width of your shoulders and is higher than your head.

Do not wear white, red, black and blue when turkey hunting; this includes handkerchiefs, socks, long underwear and even items like candy wrappers. These are the same colors of a male wild turkey. When calling, select a spot that is in open timber rather than thick brush: eliminating movement is more critical to success than hiding in heavy cover. Be discreet and careful when imitating the sound of a gobbling turkey.

Always be alert. A good woodsman can always detect movement in the forest by watching other game or listening for the alarm cries of bluejays, crows, squirrels, or woodpeckers. Always be aware that other hunters could be moving in on the bird you’re calling.

When another hunter is in your presence, never move, wave or make turkey sounds to alert the other hunter. Remain still and call to them in a loud, clear voice to get his/her attention. These tactics are safer than quick movements. Use common sense.

If you are calling over decoys and elect to move to a new location, before leaving your set up, check carefully to ensure no one is stalking your decoys. Should you see someone in the area, the rule above applies. Hunting the wild turkey is one of the safest sports there is—safer in fact than riding your bike or playing basketball with your friends.

“Turkey hunting has definitely become one of the safest sports,” said Dr. James Earl Kennamer, NWTF Senior Vice President for Conservation Programs. “Hunter education instructors, wildlife agencies, the NWTF and many others have made a commitment to making hunter safety a top priority.”

In 1991, the NWTF initiated the National Turkey Hunting Safety Task Force to complement the hunter safety efforts of state agencies, the International Hunters Education Association, the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The Task Force is composed of hunter safety instructors, wildlife biologists, legal experts, conservation officers, state agency administrators and representatives from IHEA, the NWTF and other outdoor products industry.

For more information on turkey hunting safety or wild turkey information, contact the NWTF by going online at www.nwtf.org or call1-800-THE-NWTF.

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