Youth pheasant hunt taking place Sept. 19-20 at JBLM

Young hunters will have the chance to hunt pheasant this weekend at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The Western Washington Pheasant Releasers and members of Pheasants Forever Chapter 257 will hold the the annual Youth Pheasant Hunt Sept. 19-20 at the Fort Lewis and Scatter Creek release sites.

“This is a great opportunity for young people to learn about hunting safety, and good sportsmanship,” said Ken Welsh, one of the organizers. “We hope to interest as many young people as possible in the sport of pheasant hunting.”

The hunt is open to all registered hunters, 15 and younger, and will take place at 8 a.m. on areas 21 East and 21 West, just south of the town of Rainier, and Scatter Creek, which are also used as pheasant release sites during the regular season.

Volunteers will be on hand to make sure hunters practice proper safety and sportsmanship. Volunteers from both groups also will provide trained hunting dogs to hunt with participants, if needed.

Lunch for all participants and family members will be provided both days through donations provided by Pheasants Forever Chapter 257.

All hunters will need a valid Washington state hunting license and upland game permit.

In addition, all hunters must be registered with the base’s hunter-registration program run by the Northwest Adventure Center. Information on registration requirements is available by calling Bill Ostrander at 253-847-3979 or JBLM Northwest Adventure Center at 253-967-8260.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 7:55 PM with the headline "Youth pheasant hunt taking place Sept. 19-20 at JBLM."