A Message from the President of the Wake County Wildlife Club

I can remember mornings so cold, I could feel the outside chill reaching in and grabbing at my nine year old bones as I lay
sleeping snug in my Coleman sleeping bag. My father would wake up first, boiling a pot of water to make hot chocolate. All
our cooking was performed on a hot plate, positioned in a make shift kitchen, at the back of a little mobile home that we had pulled up from Raleigh to a piece of property in North Hampton County we had permission to deer hunt on. The tiny pre- packaged marsh-mallows in the Swiss Miss packet always seemed to melt away, before I could get the cup of hot chocolate to my lips. The excitement of the days hunt filled me as I struggled to put on layer after layer of clothing to protect me from winter’s morning cold. Of course, my childhood dreams the night before were always filled with bigger and more abundant wildlife than my father and I encountered hunting in those woods. However, the time shared with my father on hunting trips created lasting memories that still remain with me today. The tradition of the outdoor adventure shared with me by my father is a time honored one. This time honored tradition is alive and well in the hearts and minds of our members.

Since its inception in 1966, the Wake County Wildlife Club has worked hard to make sure that this living tradition remains strong and is passed in good condition from one generation to the next. Sharing the outdoors with sons, daughters, and friends is just the beginning. The revenue (i.e. your dollars) generated from our fund raiser, the Dixie Deer Classic, allows us to support a variety of charities, conservation, and hunting education organizations throughout the State and our Nation. As one of the largest contributors to NC Hunters for the Hungry, which in turn provides thousands of meals to North Carolina’s less fortunate, we feed the hungry. We fund youth development, providing scholarships to an average of thirty kids a year to attend Fur, Fish “n” Game Rendezvous, a summer youth wildlife camp We educate youth in hunter safety, as a certified center for the State’s hunter education program, we instruct and certify over three hundred students a year, at no costs to the student or parent with 100% volunteer time from our member instructors. We provide aid and partial university scholarships to students majoring in biological and wildlife science programs. And we support both financially and with member participation, numerous conservation and hunting education non-profits, that share our goals of land conversation, hunter education and promoting public awareness of the benefits of the shared outdoors.

On behalf of the members of the Wake County Wildlife Club and its many volunteers who help make the Dixie Deer Classic
a success, WELCOME TO THE CLASSIC AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. Your patronage to the Classic, as you
bring your deer trophy for score or check out the latest and greatest hunting equipment, clothing and many opportunities
afield, is greatly appreciated as it helps keep the tradition alive and well.

I hope you enjoy the Classic.

With best regards,
Edd K. Roberts III
President, Wake County Wildlife Club