The thrill of the hunt

COEUR d’ALENE — A curious 5-year-old Kohen Drechsel was inspecting the hides and mounts of exotic animals Saturday at "Great Outdoors Day."

The Coeur d'Alene boy was looking at a white wolf when Shannon Brimhall, from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, picked it up and quickly moved it toward Kohen, causing him to jump back.

Brimhall enthusiastically proceeded to show each of the animals to Kohen, including a red fox, the skull of a warthog and more.

The fourth annual "Great Outdoors Day" at Lake City Community Church brought together outdoor and hunting enthusiasts, young and old. Participants enjoyed chili and cornbread while viewing the exotic animal displays and learning about the safari from featured speaker Gary Johns of Post Falls.

Johns said he has been to Africa five or six times since 2008 when he purchased a donation hunt from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. His favorite hunting trip to Africa was in 2009 when he hunted a gemsbok, a large antelope found in South Africa. But that wasn't his most favorite trip to Africa.

"My favorite trip to Africa was this last September to Rwanda, and I wasn't hunting," he said. "I was there with my church and it was the greatest experience I've ever had."

Phil Cooper, Idaho Fish and Game wildlife conservation educator, said the purpose of "Great Outdoors Day" is to give people who like to hunt and fish a chance to interact during the winter months when there is not a lot happening.

A group of gentlemen from the church started the event, and Cooper said approximately 300 people have attended in previous years.

Each year the event features a different guest speaker. The first year featured Sarah Palin's father, Chuck Heath, who spoke about hunting and trapping in Alaska.

"It's something fun to do on a Saturday morning when there is not much you can do outside," Cooper said.

Along with some of the vendors who attended, a group of youngsters from the Hayden Long Shots was present, raffling off a 12-gauge shotgun. The youths spoke about their local trapshooting team.

Tara Walkden, 13, said she has been with the team for about two years.

"Basically we go out and make sure we are safe with the guns and have a good time," Tara said. "We also go to competitions and stuff."

As she demonstrated the proper use of a shotgun, 13-year-old Megan White of Coeur d'Alene said she just recently picked up shooting as an activity. She said being a young lady and being capable of handling a gun is good for self-defense, plus it doesn't hurt the "cool factor" among her friends.

She said she shot her first turkey last year with a shotgun.

"I was so pumped full of adrenaline," she said, smiling. "It kicked and it almost knocked me flat on my back, but I didn't remember that at all. I just basically sat down next to a tree, and the turkeys, they all came in a line next to me because my dad flushed them out behind me. So I shot at the biggest one and, lucky for me, I got it."