KANE — The Allegheny Chapter (Kane) of the Ruffed Grouse Society will finish off its training for new hunters who want to learn how to hunt upland birds with the last training session on Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. at the Rolfe Beagle Club at 1016 Long Level Road, Johnsonburg, 15845. The New Hunter Mentor Program is sponsored by the RGS.

New hunters learned about gun safety, shooting, habitat requirements of birds and how to use GPS and maps at the first session in the spring of 2019. This last training session will concentrate on the use of bird dogs, and then the highlight of the training will take place as each enrollee gets to spend a day in the grouse woods with an experienced mentor who can show the enrollees the tricks of the trade of hunting grouse, the “King of the game birds”, and woodcock.

This year’s attendees come from the communities of Ridgway, St. Marys, Brockway, Brockport, DuBois, Port Matilda, and Wattsburg.

This training is for all ages of hunters – young or old – the only requirement is to have the desire to learn to hunt upland birds. Each enrollee gets one-on-one training through this New Hunter Mentor Program of the RGS. Anyone wishing to enroll in this program for next year should contact Rich Elliott, crawld11@gmail.com, or Christine Haibach, christine_haibach@hotmail.com.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to help support this New Hunter Mentor Program should contact Christine Haibach, christine_haibach@hotmail.com.

The RGS New Hunter Mentor Program thanks the donors that have supported this program to date:

John and Bonnie Orr, clay pigeons – McKean County;

Mary Hosmer, hand traps – Elk County;

Bill and Missy Mooney, lunches for the enrollees – Clearfield County;

Inside Out Finishing, financial contribution – Erie County; and

McKean County E-Sales, financial contribution – McKean County.

“I am excited about this program,” said Christine Hailbach. “We have four new hunters lined up for next year already. We take ten new hunters so as to allow quality, hands-on mentoring to anybody interested in learning the art of grouse, woodcock, or upland bird hunting. This program is open to both adults and youth”