A Beautiful Day For Waterfowlers and Eddie Eagle's Message Of Safety

I am just back from a spectacular day at the Cardinal Center in Morrow County, Ohio, where the Waterfowlers Bootcamp (Day 1) took place. Under partly cloudy skies, Eddie Eagle swooped in to teach kids the four main lessons of this award-winning, highly effective safety program.

Below are a few photos from the event, which concludes Sunday.

While strolling the grounds, Eddie got a crash course in duck and goose calling, and watched some fantastic dog demonstrations with expert retriever trainers. I will be back out tomorrow morning with Eddie once more, handing out stickers, temporary tattoos, coloring books, and spreading the Eddie Eagle GunSafe message.

That being, if kids find a gun in an unsupervised situation, they should:

-- STOP!

-- DON'T TOUCH!

-- LEAVE THE AREA!

-- TELL AN ADULT!

Some visitors to the Waterfowl Boot Camp pose with Eddie Eagle for a photo

Eddie comes nose to nose with some beautiful mounts created by a Central Ohio taxidermist

Wow! Who knew Sarah Palin would be stopping by....

Her cardboard cutout insisted on having her photo taken with Eddie Eagle

Eddie and yours truly pose for a photo at the end of a long day teaching the Eddie Eagle GunSafe message

One last note to share.

I was also there with a number of colleagues from Peoples Rights Organization (PRO), at the request of organizers of the Waterfowl Bootcamp, to represent the National Rifle Association and man a recruiting table. Pete Stryjewski of PRO, who also volunteers with the Ohio Waterfowl Association, set it up, and both Mike Regan and Jim Prior, two great guys, spent the lion's share of their time today at the NRA recruiting station.

I have some important thoughts . . . serious issues, if you will . . . with how that all went. And of the divide and conquer strategies that anti-hunters, those who abhore self defense, and those who are virulently anti-gun, use. I am going to write on that after I have had a few days to process it all.

To the organizers of this fantastic event, thanks for inviting Eddie Eagle to take part and spread his important safety message. I have been involved with the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program for just about 10 years. It does my heart good to see kids respond in such a positive manner when they realize they are learning something important.

Today was no exception. I look forward to repeating it all tomorrow.