Eight students in the UTK Wildlife and Fisheries Society used their new knowledge about firearm safety and shooting during a dove hunt on Sept. 13 near Blaine, Tenn.

The students paired up with event volunteers to help with dove identification, selecting safe shots, and cleaning harvested game. The East Tennessee Delta Waterfowl Chapter provided a meal after the hunt, and all the students went home with freshly harvested doves.

Volunteers with the Tennessee Wildlife Federation Hunting and Fishing Academy collaborated with shooting coaches from the Scholastic Clay Target Program, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency wildlife officer Caleb Hardwick, and SNR lecturer Lindsey Phillips for the dove hunt. East Tennessee Delta Waterfowl Director of Events Scott Marcin, Sitka of Knoxville, and UTK WFS student volunteers also helped set it up.

Before the hunt, the Hunting and Fishing Academy held a workshop at Smoky Mountain Sports Club in Louisville on Sept. 6. Each student hit and busted several clay targets by the end of the workshop.