Reno, Nevada – Safari Club International is pleased to announce the 2008 winners of the prestigious Young Hunter Award. The award was conferred upon Keagen Christenson, Justin D. Fox, and Austin McMahon.
The SCI Young Hunter Award, sponsored by Cabela’s, is based on five criteria. Applicants must submit a 500 word essay on “How to be a Role Model for Hunting,” and are judged on Community and Conservation Activities, Hunting, Fishing & Outdoor Experiences, and recommendation from an SCI Chapter. The selection committee gives points based on on the hunter’s ability to demonstrate they are a positive role model for the hunting community. Bonus points are awarded to the applicants if they have attended either the Apprentice Hunter Camp or the Student Week at the American Wilderness Leadership School (AWLS).
Keagan Christensen is a seventeen-year-old living in Grandview, Washington. Keagan comes from a family of hunters. He has four older brothers and a father who take pleasure in hunting and fishing. He has been tagging along with them from the time he was old enough to say, “Can I go?” To Keagan, hunting and fishing are more than hobbies, they are his passions. He loves learning about the outdoors and teaching others so they too may discover this passion. He attended AWLS for that very purpose. Most of his hunting is self-guided. He has hunted and/or fished in Alaska, New Zealand, Namibia, South Africa, New Mexico, Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho and his home state of Washington. Most of the meat from his hunting is donated to the needy, SCI fundraising events and Sportsman’s Against Hunger.
Justin Fox first started hunting pheasants at age 14. His most memorable hunt was his first bow hunt this past August, which taught him a lot about patience and paid off with a Pope and Young Black Tail Deer. Justin traveled to Namibia this summer, and hunted plains game. Justin discovered a passion for wing-shooting on a trip to Argentina for dove and duck, noting that he and his dad both had sore shoulders for about a month after that trip. Justin enjoys working at Youth Safari Days, teaching kids how to shoot a shotgun. He is also a 4-time All American First Team and is currently Captain of the National Sporting Clay Association Sub Junior Team.
Austin McMahon is a native of Washington State. The family ranch is where his interest in conservation began. At the age of 7 he began hunting quail and took his first mule deer. In the same year he started a long term project of developing and maintaining habitat for mule deer, chukar, quail and turkey. Since then, he has assisted several disabled youth, and first time hunters harvest those animals on the ranch. During the past two years, Austin has helped with the SCI Foundation Youth Camps. He has hunted successfully with rifle, muzzleloader and bow. Hunting has led Austin throughout the United States (including Alaska), Mexico, Canada, South Africa, Namibia and New Zealand.
The award was conferred during SCI’s 36th Annual Hunters Convention, in Reno, Nevada. “All of us in SCI leadership offer our congratulations to the accomplished Young Hunters on their prestigious accomplishment,” said SCI President Dennis Anderson.
