Elkford Rod and Gun Club annual awards

The Elkford Rod and Gun Club celebrated 35 years with their annual awards night last Saturday at the United Steel Workers Union Hall in Elkford.  The doors opened at 5 p.m. for members and guests to socialize while entering in the draw prizes, take their best guess or two at the scores of elk and deer racks, and to survey some of the top animals taken by club members from the past year.

Family, friendships and fun were standout themes for the evening. Attendees swapped their hiking, hunting and fishing stories of luck (both good and bad), while enjoying their dinner and cold beverages.

As the evening progressed, the kids in attendance participated in a "wild game" bean bag toss for some great prizes.  The crowd was then entertained with slide shows from junior members Justice Sword and Donavon Gostick. Sword recounted his tough three day local mountain goat hunt, and Gostick brought the crowd along on a Dall sheep hunt that him and his father drove to the Northwest Territories for.

The highlight of the night was the large display of antlers, horns and skulls harvested or found by members during the 2015 season.  With a large number of animals entered this year, the display board was full, and the stage was lined with entries for the "pick up" category.  Members and their harvested animals were honoured  in several categories, with a great mix of men, women and youth award winners.  As part of a long standing tradition, all winners were encouraged to give a rousing rendition of their hunt to the audience.

Overall the evening was a great success, combining old and new generations of outdoor men and women in celebrating their love of the outdoors and the passion they have for hunting and fishing.