Nebraskaland

March 2025 • Nebraskaland 47 him on his fi rst pheasant hunt. "That was enough to set the hook in me, I guess," Baumert said. The other was Krause. "The few days I spent with Cory made me realize what I wanted to do when I grew up: I wanted to be a game warden," said Baumert, who in 2023 did just that when he became a wildlife conservation offi cer with South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Krause helped him decide which classes to take and which internships would serve him best. They still talk regularly, except instead of asking Krause for advice on an upcoming hunt, Baumert asks about cases he's working. And now, Baumert has become the mentor, guiding youths on waterfowl hunts. "It's fun to be able to plant the seed," he said. "You can see the kids who are interested when we do the mentored hunts. You can tell some probably won't be game wardens, but they defi nitely seek out nature-related jobs in our department." Baumert may not be the only participant to become a game warden. Batenhorst has also set that as her career goal. That seed had been planted before she took part in the deer hunt at Ponca State Park, but her time in the blind with Abke really got it growing. "I like being out in nature a lot, and I would like to be part of protecting it," she said. Should that happen, Krause said, it will be another success story from the many hunts the offi cers have hosted, where success isn't measured in birds harvested or game wardens created. "It goes back to making memories and, hopefully, a little drive, and they want to keep doing it," Krause said. N Conservation Offi cer Mentored Hunts Mentored hunts organized by Game and Parks conservation officers give youths who have an interest in hunting, but not necessarily a place to go or someone to take them, a chance to go. Donors provide hunting equipment the kids get to take home and food, and landowners open their property to the youths. Parks and Wildlife division staff assist in the hunts. Southeastern Nebraska Deer Hunt: Six first-time hunters camp at Indian Cave State Park and hunt on private land nearby during the River Antlerless Season in October. Leg work and networking by Game and Parks staff help identify young hunters to participate in the program. Ash Hollow Youth Waterfowl Hunt: Twenty-five youths ages 11 to 15 spend a morning learning about blind and boat safety, waterfowl identification, duck calling and decoy setup and placement, and shoot clay targets before spending the afternoon hunting ducks and geese from blinds at Clear Creek Wildlife Management Area. The event is on the second day of the youth waterfowl season in late October. Registration opens after Labor Day, with preference given to those with no hunting experience. Contact Ash Hollow State Historical Park for more information. Tom turkeys strut just of out range for Sovereign.

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