Haley Habana, daughter of Roxanne and Bud Habana, was the recipient of a buck hunting knife in recognition of her first deer hunt success &045; a four point buck &045; this past fall.

Jack Adams, president of the Southern Gateway Chapter of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, made the award at their booth at the Freeborn County Fair.

The knife donated by Larry Tonder, a board director, was given to recognize Haley&8217;s success and to show that a young lady can enjoy the thrill of the hunt showing that deer hunting is a equal opportunity sport for both female and male participants. It is encouraging that more and more women are becoming active hunters and the organization MDHA encourages their participation.

One of the major goals of the MDHA and the chapter is to provide educational opportunities for young people both girls and boys by sponsoring Forkhom Camps. These camps give opportunities to learn various outdoor skills, ethical hunting, compass orientation, survival skills, firearm training (leading to certification if not previously attained) all by qualified instructors.

Different levels are available: Forkhorn I ages 11 to 14, Forkhom II ages 12 to 16 and Forkhorn III ages 14 to 17. Must take Forkhorn III before III.

Each Level provides new and different learning experiences with the II and III being more advanced. The MDHA makes it affordable for young people to attend. The state and local chapters provide funding for campers who choose to participate.

The following guidelines are followed: campers sponsor (parent, grandparent, or other person) needs to be a member of the MDHA ($25 a year membership) pay the initial registration fee ($ 75 to $100 depending on which camp is selected) and provide transportation to and from the select camp. The balance will be covered by the chapter. This can range from $225 to $300 per camper. Making it very affordable for a tremendous experience.

This past summer there were seven sponsored campers. Three of the camps are located at Lansburo, Eagle Bluff Enviorment Center, Hackensack, Deep Portage Environment Center, Britt, Laurentian, ENVC and there are two other camps available.

If interested for next summer camps contact Jack Adams at 373-4153 or 383-1653, Tom or Sandy Norby at 373-4544 or 383-0894 or Clark Hammer 256-7609. When next summer schedules are available we will mail them to interested individuals. Also we are seeking groups that would like to sponsor or help sponsor youth to these camps. Our source of funding is acquired through our Fall Habitat Banquet to take place Sept. 9 at the American Legion with a portion of the Grass Lake Raffle proceeds, and Hides For Habitat program.