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Story Contest Winners
Congratulations to the Your Lands, Your Wildlife Story Contest Winners!
Thanks to everyone who submitted stories recounting memorable encounters with fish and wildlife on public lands. Your stories illustrate exactly why it is so important our public land management agencies make wildlife a priority.
Grand Prize Winner
Ian Havlick, a college student who is also a fly-fisherman reeled in the grand prize of $1,000 in REI gift cards for his inspirational tale of brotherly bonding over the “baddest” trout in Upper Copper River of Idaho’s Salmon-Challis National Forest.
Read the grand prize winning story.
Backcountry Adventure Winner
After leading his first challenging crack climb in Utah’s redrock country, Josh Ewing couldn’t imagine feeling more psyched – that is until he scoped out a herd of desert bighorn sheep. Josh won a Garmin GPS for the tale.
Birding Winner
Zoology student Stephen Kolbe knows a thing or two about birds, and his story of an unusual encounter with sandhill cranes landed him a prize in the contest. Kolbe will receive a pair of Bushnell binoculars for winning the birding category of the contest. But Kolbe hopes that his words will show people the importance of protecting public lands for wildlife.
Fishing Winner
According to his winning tale, Brendan Cushen, a University of Oregon student, planned to spend the day casting line and trying to hook a rainbow trout on the McKenzie River in the Willamette National Forest, Ore. When he waded into the green waters, he had no idea that he’d end up in the middle of a brawl between a bald eagle and an osprey over fishing rights for a section of the river.
Hunting Winner
Aaron Bialke, a small business owner and sportsman from Virginia, Minn. recalled his first hunting experience with his father. Bialke shared how the hunting trip taught him a valuable life lesson – hard work and determination often lead to success. Bialke’s story won the hunting category of the contest, bringing home a $100 gift card to Cabela’s, an outdoor store.
Wildlife Watching and Photography Winner
An Illinois preschool teaching assistant, Jill Bartelt, can now show her students that reading and writing really do pay off. Recalling her once-in-a-lifetime encounter with wild river otters in Montana, Bartelt explained how the natural world helped shape her life. She won a Nikon Coolpix digital camera.