JAKES Day Inspires Love of Outdoors

The name of the event is perfect for the organization, as not only is a “jake” the name of a young male turkey, but JAKES is also an acronym for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship. 

According to local event coordinator Ted Wick, the Fall River Chapter received its first national Best Special JAKES Event award for the 2000 JAKES Day and received award again in 2008.

“The big goal is to get kids involved in the outdoors in some form or manner. To learn, to treasure and cherish and then they become the new conservationists and carry it on,” said NWTF Senior Regional Director Randy Gaskins, who does a hands-on turkey demonstrations at the local JAKES Day event each year, where students not only learn about turkeys but also get to try out turkey calls.

One of the most unique aspects of the annual Jakes Day held at Cold Brook is the fact that it is performed with the cooperation of the county’s three school districts, who bus all of their fifth grade students to the all-day event where they participate in several hands-on activities and also enjoy a free lunch provided by the Fall River County Chapter of the NWTF.

Gaskins said he is not aware of any other Jakes Day event in the region which has the full support of the local schools. Activities include driving electric boats, water safety demonstrations, furs and trapping, learning about wild turkeys, birds of prey and elk demonstrations.

Another unique aspect of the event is the level of cooperation from all of the local outdoors agencies who help put on the activities, including the S.D. Game, Fish & Parks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Black Hills Raptor Rescue and Wind Cave National Park.

“I really believe it’s something the kids will remember for the rest of their lives,” Gaskins said.

Gaskins said that with most all other similar outdoors events – either through the NWTF or other conservation groups – the people who attend are already involved in the outdoors and hunt, hike, camp or fish.

But with the Hot Springs Jakes Day event, the Fall River County Chapter reaches every single fifth grader in Hot Springs, Edgemont and Oelrichs whose parents may not have ever gotten them involved in outdoors activities. 

“To me that is what’s great about this event as we’re reaching every fifth grade student in Hot Springs and Edgemont,” Gaskins said. “How many kids have we reached over years? Sooner or later you touch almost every family, whose parents may not be involved in the outdoors. But we may have just planted a seed with these kids.”

For Tehlia Lucey in Mrs. Koreen Hammel’s fifth grade class in Hot Springs, she said, “My favorite thing about Jake’s Day was the boats. I loved driving the boats because that was the first time I had driven a boat that small. We also learned about the safety with the boats like you need a life jacket that fits and if you are a kid you need adult supervision at all times.”

Classmate Gunner Parisien said his favorite aspect was also the boats, but mentioned a few others as well.

“We got to watch how animal traps work,” he said. “It was very cool. I also liked the Raptor Birds from the Raptor Center.”

The electric boats were enjoyed by many Hot Springs students in Jake Sylte’s class as well, according to classmates Cooper Norton and Savannah Red Owl who each said it was their favorite part of the day. Savannah said she had never previously ever been on a boat before.

“It was so much fun because when I drove; I knew exactly what to do,” said Amelia Decker. “I was partnered up with my best friend, Juniper. I loved it so much! I’m glad that I got to go boating!”

(Story shared from https://frcheraldstar.com/ with permission.)