National Hunting and Fishing Day Recap



The National Hunting and Fishing Day Celebration at the Rockville Chapter of the Izaak Walton League in Maryland had a great turnout and offered a lot of fun activities for families.

Everything turned out to be perfect last week for the 2011 National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration at the Rockville, MD Chapter of the Izaak Walton League.  Prior to the event, the weather threatened to dump buckets of rain and localized flooding, but as it turned out the rain didn't amount to a whole lot in our area, Seneca Creek didn't flood, and it didn't rain at all during the event despite the gloomy prediction. 

The bluegills in the IWL lake kept kids and parents alike
busy as they were quite active last Saturday.  Nightcrawlers
under a float were the ticket for many entertained anglers.

The event was divided into two main sections on the property.  The IWL Chapter House is located off of Waring Station Road, was the site of many of the hunting related activities staged at the event, including an archery station, trap shooting, blackpowder and other shooting demonstrations, free food sporting all types of wild game along with the typical cookout foods, and many other fun things.  The turkey shoot was the finale as in previous years, where prizes were given out for each round.  The other events were held down by the IWL's private lake, including fishing, kayaking and canoeing, fly tying, ice cream making, conservation booths by IWL members and the Maryland DNR, amongst other fun activities for all family members, and the IWL also had free hot dogs and burgers, and drinks for all.  I also had some of my fossil collection on display, and a station set up for anyone who wanted to search through gravel obtained from the Aurora, NC spoil material for micro shark teeth and other fossils.  I have to report that several whale shark teeth were found by the kids searching the material, and I think that most of them had fun.  Even some of the parents got into the act!  Anyway, the event was a success and turnout was very good.  The dedicated and wonderful members of the Rockville Chapter of the IWL and invited guests who donated their time and expertise to share with the community really put on a fantastic event, coordinated by Theresa Daly, for the families of members and visitors that attended.

Here are some more pictures that I took that I'll share with you.  Unfortunately, I spent the entire time down by the lake, so I didn't get any shots of the Chapter House activities.





I set up two tables to display my fossil collection, and a third table so that folks could experience looking for micro shark teeth sorting through pre-sifted material from the Aurora PCS Phosphate Mine spoil material.  Several
whale shark teeth were amongst the hundreds of fossils and shark teeth found  last Saturday.

These youngsters found a lot of cool micro fossils while sorting through the highly fossiliferous gravel that I brought back from North Carolina.

Under the pavillion, youngsters sort through fossiliferous gravel looking for shark teeth.



These IWL members worked hard to feed the visitors, members, and volunteers, cooking burgers and hot dogs all afternoon.



The Maryland Department of Natural Resources had a nice booth for the IWL Visitors last Sunday.  That bobcat mount was really cool!

Two of the IWL volunteers at their exhibits last Sunday exchange outdoors stories.  I thought the fly tying station was a really neat idea. 

The local Boy Scouts ran an ice cream making station that was quite popular. Too bad I was on a diet or I might have joined in the ice cream making fun.

The fishing booth set up anglers with fishing rods, bait and tackle so that they could try and catch the IWL lake's bluegills.  These guys were really busy last Sunday!



This young angler intently watches her bobber as IWL visitors enjoy the canoeing and kayaking activity in the background at the IWL lake during National Hunting and Fishing Day.

National Hunting and Fishing Day 9/24/11

You can celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day on
9/24/11 by going fishing or hunting, or pay a visit to one
of the many organizations holding celebrations across the
county.  I'll be celebrating with the Izaak Walton League
Rockville Chapter in Germantown, Maryland.

Saturday, September 24th, 2011 is National Hunting and Fishing Day.  Make sure that you get out and enjoy this day by hunting, fishing, or visiting an organization that celebrates this day.  You can bring your family or friends and really have a good time as many organizations have all kinds of activities going on.  To find an organization near you that celebrates this day, please visit the National Hunting and Fishing Day website at http://www.nhfday.org/

For Marylanders and folks local to the Washington D.C. Metro area, celebrate this annual event by paying a visit to the Rockville Chapter of the Izaak Walton League in Germantown, Maryland.  They are holding an open house type of event that is free to the public, with lots of fun activities for family, including kids, and friends. 

I'll be there too with a booth displaying some of my fossil collection along with a station for kids and adults to sort through some material that I brought back from North Carolina to look for micro shark teeth and other micro fossils.  I'll be giving away a small sample of shark teeth to the kids that visit my booth too.  So, please come and have a good time! 

Below is the press release for our event:

Izaak Walton League of America-Rockville Chapter

NATIONAL HUNTING & FISHING DAY CELEBRATION

Germantown, MD -- The members of the Izaak Walton League of America-Rockville Chapter will be sponsoring a Celebration of National Hunting & Fishing Day, Saturday, September 24, 2011. Open to the public, this FREE event will run from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at the IWLA-Rockville Chapter located at 18301 Waring Station Road, Germantown, MD 20874.

“Join us in celebrating the original outdoor challenge -- National Hunting and Fishing Day. It will be a family-oriented event, with free, fun and educational hands-on activities that everyone will enjoy. This is a great way to introduce youth and newcomers to outdoor sports while teaching them about the important role that hunting and fishing play in Maryland’s wildlife conservation programs.  It’s a perfect opportunity to create a better public understanding of hunting and fishing and to create a better public awareness of the important role that hunters and anglers have played in conservation and improving our natural resources,” said Theresa Daly, spokesperson for the Izaak Walton League-Rockville Chapter.

A few of the fun and challenging hands on activities you can try will be archery, trap shooting, fly-fishing, canoeing and kayaking.  There will also be opportunities to learn about many conservation efforts such as wood duck nest boxes, Save Our Streams monitoring, deer management, hunter safety and recycling at home and in the community.  Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland National Park and Planning Commission, Montgomery County Government Department of Solid Waste, Maryland Deer Management Association, Trout Unlimited and other sportsman’s and conservation groups will also have exhibits. There will be displays of hunting and fishing equipment and demonstrations of outdoor skills. Kids, don’t forget to check out the junior archery, fishing derby, BB and black powder demonstrations.

For more information about the event planned for Germantown, contact Theresa Daly, NH&F Day Coordinator, 301-972-1645.

As the official home to National Hunting and Fishing Day, Wonders of Wildlife is the only hunting and fishing-focused facility that’s both affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

National Hunting and Fishing Day, formalized by Congress in 1971, was created by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to celebrate conservation successes of hunters and anglers. From shopping center exhibits to statewide expos, millions of citizens have learned to appreciate America’s sportsman-based system of conservation funding. That system now generates more than $1.7 billion per year, benefiting all who appreciate wildlife and wild places.

National Hunting and Fishing Day is observed on the fourth Saturday of every September.