Put That Gun Down And Pick Up Your Camera

     I always encourage our youth to engage themselves in constructive writing and artwork contests that the great outdoor organizations provide them.  Traditionally we see the Youth Duck Stamp Contest and also here in Michigan youth are offered the chance to try their hand at creating a Michigan Duck Stamp.  The NRA also offers two opportunities for youth to express themselves by competing in the annual 2nd amendment essay contest and the North American Wildlife artwork contest.

     Well, now the youth contest arena has gone high tech.  Daisy and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation have partnered together to offer our youth the opportunity to produce a short video for what they are calling a Video Essay Contest.  Contestants must be between the ages of 10 – 18 and they must submit their videos before January 1st, 2009.

     Students are asked to produce a video explaining how safe and ethical hunting and shooting, spending time in the outdoors, or conserving and appreciating wildlife and nature has had a positive effect or influence on their lives.  These videos must be between 60 – 90 seconds.  There will be one Grand Prize and 4 additional category prizes.  The four additional categories are as follows:  Best Use of Graphics, Best Audio, Most Awesome Scenery, and Best Use of Animation.  The Grand Prize Winner will receive a trip to the annual Elk Foundation’s Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing, and Outdoor Expo next year along with a parent, as well as a Daisy Red Ryder and a $500 gift certificate from Cabela’s.  The four other category winners will receive a Daisy Red Ryder and a $200 gift certificate from Cabela’s.  For further details and instructions go to www.daisy.com and enter your video for a chance to win.

     I hope that our youth take advantage of this opportunity to show the rest of the world just how important and safe our outdoor hunting and shooting sports are for the youth of our great nation.  This is an opportunity for our kids to let all the skeptics know just how important these activities are to them.  The world often shows our children that they don’t have a say in how things are done, they are not given the opportunity to voice their opinions on issues that effect them.  Now they do, they can create a video to show everyone via the internet what they are thinking and just how they feel.  Give your kids the opportunity to voice their opinions, give them your camera and let their creativity run wild.  You might be surprised at what they might come up with.  My kids continually surprise me all the time. 

     If you have a young person that creates a video for this contest, email me the link michaeladams@upnorthjournal.com and I will embed it on my youth essay forum on my other blog site www.upnorthjournalhunting.blogspot.com