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The Davie County 4-H Shooting Sports Club had eight participants at the NC 4-H Hunting Skills Tournament on Feb. 1 at the Millstone 4-H Camp and the adjacent John M. Lentz Hunter Education Center in Ellerbe.
The group consisted of one Senior Team (14-18) made up of Levi Williams, Maddox Nifong, Hunter Myers and Mason Wood. Davie also fielded a Junior Team, (8-13) with Grayson DeLuca, Brenden Myers and Colton Lockard; and one Senior Individual, Riley Barnes.
Riley has competed in the 4-H Hunting Skills Tournament for the past five years and Maddox, Brenden and Colton competed last year.
The remaining members were in their first 4-H Hunting Skills Tournament.
The tournament consists of six challenges, including 3D Archery, 5-Stand Shotgun using six traps, Rifle at Smallgame Images out to 80 yards, Wildlife ID, Hunter Decision Making and a Hunting Knowledge Trail which includes scenes about types of hunting and a station for compass use and distance estimation.
There were competitors from as far west as Henderson, Franklin and Madison counties and as far east as Pitt County with 13 teams and multiple individual competitors.
The weather was perfect for Feb. 1, with temperatures in the 60s and little of no wind most of the day. There had been years with 33 degrees and pouring rain and below freezing with some tough wind.
When the shooting was over and the pencils put down, the Senior Davie Team finished in first place and the Junior Team finished fifth.
Senior member, Levi Williams, finished second overall (HOA) and Junior Colton Lockard medaled as the third place Junior. The top Junior was Isaac Wilkie and top Senior Clay Justice, both from Henderson County.
Ty Anderson from neighboring Iredell County was third in the Senior Division and Zane Kapps from Henderson was the second place Junior.
Davie’s Maddox Nifong just missed the medals finishing fourth HOA and all 5 Davie Seniors finished in the top 10.
In addition to the medals, Davie kids also had some high finishes in the individual Challenges.
Levi was the top Senior Shotgun shooter.
Mason Wood also had the third highest Shotgun and Archery score.
Maddox had the top Wildlife ID Score and second highest score on the Knowledge Trail.
Riley had the top Decision Making Score and she and Levi tied for the second highest Wildlife ID Scores.
Hunter Myers had the top Rifle score for the day and Levi was second in Rifle.
For the Juniors, Colton Lockard tied for the top Shotgunner and was top Rifle Shooter and second in Archery.
Brenden Myers was second in Hunter Decision Making.
“We are proud of all of our kids that came out and practiced and competed in this shoot,” said Nelson Cowden. “It is always very challenging and always a lot of fun. Already looking forward to next year