Two Landis Elementary School students bagged their first deer this past hunting season.
Preston Miller Tadlock, 9, killed his first deer in Rowan County on Nov. 29. It was an 8-pointer. He is in Crystal Gault’s fourth-grade class at Landis Elementary.
He loves the outdoors and has probably began a “lifelong hobby,” according to his parents, Laura and Carl Tadlock.
Kendall Dabbs killed his first deer, a 5-pointer, on Nov. 15. He is a fifth-grader at Landis Elementary and the son of Gray and Melinda Dabbs of China Grove.
Ducks Unlimited membership banquet
The Rowan County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold its annual membership banquet on Saturday, March 7, at the Salisbury Civic Center, 315 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
A social starts at 5 p.m., followed by a steak and chicken dinner at 6:30 p.m. A live auction featuring numerous wildlife-related art and other merchandise will begin at 8 p.m. Featured artists include Terry Redlin, David Maass and North Carolinians Bob Timberlake and Mike Helsabeck. A silent auction and several raffles, including a free one for all children under 17, will be part of the banquet.
Ducks Unlimited is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving waterfowl habitat. The Web site is www.ducks.org.
Banquet tickets in advance cost $40 for individuals, $60 for couples and $15 for “Greenwings,” or children 17 and younger. Tickets will be available at the door for an additional $10. For more information, contact Kenny Roberts, chairman of Rowan County Chapter Ducks Unlimited, at 704-857-4815 or Brad Taylor at 704-232-0272.
Museum expands photo exhibit
RALEIGH ó The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has expanded its exhibit of photography from Wildlife in North Carolina magazine.
Through April 19, the exhibition of the magazine’s annual wildlife and nature photo contest will now include images from past competitions. Free to the public, the gallery provides the 32 winning images from the 2008 competition as well as a selection of images from the previous three years.
The museum is on Bicentennial Plaza between the Capitol and the Legislature Building, at the corner of Jones and Salisbury streets. Children 13 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.
Wildlife in North Carolina magazine, published by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, held the annual contest in conjunction with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, with support of Great Outdoor Provision Co. and JW Photo Labs of Raleigh.
In the competition’s fourth year, 1,160 photographers submitted 6,368 photographs of nature, wildlife and the outdoors, including 156 young nature photographers with entries in two youth categories.
Paddlefest 2009 plans taking shape
Paddlefest 2009 at Camp Walter Johnson is scheduled for May 16-17.
Neal Conner of the HRL Paddlefest Planning Committee said a canoe/kayak fishing tournament will be sponsored by High Rock Outfitters this year. A “prebuilt” cardboard boat race will be held in addition to the race where you build your own cardboard boat in 90 minutes.
The town of Denton will be host of several evening activities, which includes bluegrass music and movies in the park. The town will provide a free camping spot for those who wish to spend the night.
Kayakers will have the opportunity to display their boats during a “music in the park” event. A Saturday morning 5k race will help launch the event. Sunday activities will start with a sunrise paddle on Flat Swamp Creek. Sunday worship service will be at 9 a.m., next to the water.
Boat demonstrations and instructional classes will start at 10 a.m .
Sunday’s event will end with a cardboard boat race and a drawing for a new kayak (you must be present to win).
To pre-register, visit http://hrlpaddlefest.com.
Finney wins goose calling title
Joe Finney, sports director at the East Rowan YMCA, won the 2009 North Carolina Goose Calling Championship Feb. 7 in Washington, N.C.
A long time outdoorsman, Finney has been waterfowl hunting for 14 years and has been active in goose calling for 12 years.
Lexington fisherman wins tourney
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ó David Fritts of Lexington caught a final-round total of eight bass weighing 38 pounds, 1 ounce to win $200,000 in the $1.1 million Walmart FLW Tour Chevy Open on Lake Guntersville.
Fritts topped his closest rival, Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla., by 1 pound, 1 ounce to earn the win and 200 points toward qualifying for the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup.0
“I just got in a zone today,” said Fritts, who notched his fifth FLW Tour victory on Lake Guntersville. “I was fishing and feeling good and I just caught a ton of fish. It was one of those things where I knew what I was going to have to do and I really kept my concentration and nothing interfered with me.”
Fritts said he caught every fish he weighed in on Sunday on Rapala DT-10 crankbaits in Hot Mustard and Shad colors with VMC Sure Set hooks.
Fritts said he caught about 20 keepers on the final day. He claimed $200,000 for first place.
Gary Walker gets biggest buck
John Drew presented Gary Walker with the Flatwoods Hunting Club trophy of the year for getting a 10-point buck during hunting season.
Walker’s wife, Rhonda, said her husband has been in the club five years, but this was the first time the Salisbury resident won the trophy from the Gold Hill club.
Drew is president of the club.
Rhonda said the big deer surfaced the last day of the season, 15 minutes before dark. Members of the club get together in January for a barbecue with the meat they’ve harvested.