ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS

I announced at our Spring Championship shoot that we were going to have an essay contest for the kids in two categories, one for our cubs and one for our youth members. Basically, I asked the kids to tell us in their own words why they liked the Traditional Bowhunters Of Florida shoots at Crooked Lake. I received five entries for this contest and they are all gems. It's great to hear from these kids on what they like about our events. The common theme among these young archers is that they all think it is fun. I hope nobody tells them that’s why we come out too! I really think all five of these are winners so we will award all of them with nice prizes at our Fall Rendezvous. Here are their essays for your enjoyment. 

From Blake Ehler  Age 6 

I like to shoot at Crooked Lake. They have nice, nice trophies. The moving targets are fun. 

From Trent Ehler  Age 9

I like Crooked Lake because it is fun. I like every single target and you have a good set-up. I love Crooked Lake. 

From Danielle Nichol  Age 10

Why I like our shoots at Crooked Lake is easy. 
I have five reasons why. 

The first reason is it's very fun, it has a lot of cubs there and I get a new friend almost every time I go there. 

The second reason is it has a lake, and sometimes, if it's not too cold, I can swim in it, and I think that is why they call it Crooked Lake. 

Reason number three is you get to shoot and have a competition. And everybody even if you didn't shoot gets a prize as a cub. 

The fourth reason is you get to feel what it is like in the wilderness. So you can get a feel for it when you go hunting. 

The last reason is they have a trading blanket and the raffle tickets. And now they have a trading blanket for the kids! You can get a lot of nice prizes with the raffle tickets. 

There are four reasons why I like the shoots at Crooked Lake. First, I love the people. Also, I like to look at all the things sold at the shoot. Another thing I like is the Competition and it's unique award plaques. The last thing I like is the trade blanket. 

I like the people there for many reasons. One is there are many experts who can help with many things such as shooting form. Also, there are a lot of people who donate time and always your family and friends are there. 

I love to look at all the things being sold. There are bowyers who make archery more than just a sport, along with arrowmakers and other craftsman who make archery an art. The people who sell these wares are very generous too, they donate things to the raffle that raises money for the TBOF. 

I enjoy the competition and the plaques. The competition lets you see how good you are against traditional shooters - not with compounds. I always like to vote for my favorite plaque. People spend an enormous amount of time on the plaques and I am sorry that they are discontinuing the custom. 

The final thing I really like is the trade blanket. It is a fun thing to do. It always amazes me to see all the things. From hides to bows to hand made arrows, everyone enjoys this tradition. 

There are many reasons I like the shoots at Crooked Lake. While these are a few, there are far many more reasons. I can't wait for the Fall Rendezvous to enjoy all these things again! 
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Family fun, camping outdoors and the shoots are just some of the things I look forward to when I go to TBOF. 

Family fun such as looking at the vendors and pleading to parents for money is always exciting. Walking through campsites and seeing who is back from last years shoot is something to do when I go to TBOF shoots. The trading blanket is another thing to do when I go to TBOF. Watching people trade things for stuff that will either sit on the shelf for millions of years, or somehow be useful. Sometimes you wish you had something to throw in. 

Camping outdoors is another thing that I look forward to when I go camping at TBOF. I love waking in the morning smelling the air. It's fresh and quiet. It's quiet outside. You don't hear traffic, or the old man across the street. 

My last thing are the shoots. The shoots are both exciting and challenging. Walking through the forest and watching other people shoot is always an experience. 

As you can see…. 
Camping, family and shoots are what I look forward to when I go camping at Crooked Lake.