Learn and You Will Be Feed for Life

Owen County Kentucky is known for many things, but most know it for its excellent hunting opportunities. Owen County is conveniently located in the “Golden triangle of KY”, between the three major cities in this area (Louisville, Cincinnati, and Lexington). Owen County is in the top 10 counties for total deer harvested in KY and attracts people from all over the county to hunt the woodlands. The Owen County Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent, Kendal Bowman identified that the Natural Resource audience is neglected in a lot of programing in the region. Bowman set a goal to create an opportunity to reach a new, non-traditional, limited resource audience and empower them with the skills needed to harvest their own food safely and successfully. “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime”

 As a result of partnering with many local and state agencies a two-day Hunting Expo and Convention was formed. At the event participants learned how to process a deer, how to cook deer, tree stand safety, and many more topics. The Conference attracted participants from all around the region and some drove three hours to attend. You could hear a pin drop as a local hunting advocate shared how he almost died falling from his tree stand. A mother from Louisville brought her two sons because she wanted to teach them how to safely participate in the art of hunting to keep the skills alive in her family traditions. “The program was excellent! Timely topics, I can not wait to bring my boys back next year!”

 At the conclusion of the program participants were; Empowered with skills to safety process deer. Developed food preservation skills. Improved their cooking ability of healthy nutritious foods from locally harvested meat. Mastered the skills needed to effectively lure and attract deer. Obtained knowledge on Chronic Wasting Disease epidemic that is affecting KY. Understood the values and mission of Extension and University of Kentucky. You will mot want to miss this program next year!