Youth Leadership Council

The Youth Leadership Council (YLC) was formed in 2006 and is comprised of youth from around the country who were picked for their leadership abilities and their interest in conservation, habitat and hunting. They serve as spokespeople for their age group on issues of importance to Pheasants Forever and Ringnecks.

Meet the first installment of the Youth Leadership Council!

Tyler Baer

Portage, OH
Nominated by Wood-Lucas #298 PF Chapter
Tyler is an 8th grade honor roll student at Elmwood Middle School where he is active in football, basketball and baseball. He is also active in his Pheasants Forever chapter helping plant habitat and food plots, participating in youth mentor hunts and helping with the PF banquet. In his free time, he likes to play sports, hunt, fish, ride a four-wheeler and go boating. His 7th and 8th grade basketball team went undefeated and was SLL champs. He is also a master angler. Tyler has a younger brother Michael, a younger sister Jacqueline and a Labrador named Maverick.

Ashley Bishop

Litchfield, IL
Nominated by Montgomery County #596 PF Chapter
Ashley is a 9th grade honor student at Litchfield H.S. where she is active in all the bands; plays softball, soccer and golf; is a member of the Interact Club, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Student Council. When she was in 3rd and 8th grades, she was awarded the Illinois Principal’s Award after being nominated by her teachers. In her free time she enjoys going to the batting cages, watching movies with friends and helping plant or harvest crops with her dad. She has a younger sister Kelley and a dog named Chrissy.

Heather Eaton

Cherokee, IA
Nominated by Cherokee County #103 PF Chapter
Heather is a freshman at Cherokee Washington High School and is active in softball, volleyball, the drill team, marching and concert band, cheerleading and tennis. She volunteers for her PF chapter and has won two youth shooting trophies. In her free time, Heather likes to hang out with friends at the movies, listen to music and go shopping. She has a brother Hunter and says her mom is one of her best friends. Heather is already planning for college and wants to major in marine biology and help save endangered species.

Sam Dokkebakken

Big Lake, MN
Nominated by Sherburne County #454 PF Chapter
Sam is a 4th grade student at Big Lake Independence School. He plays piano, basketball, baseball, soccer and golf and is a member of the Continental Math League and the Junior Great Books Club. He likes to watch movies, play sports and video games, farm, ride his four-wheeler and hunt. He lives on a farm where he helps plant trees and bushes to help wildlife. Sam has three brothers Matt, Dan and Derek, and a sister Karen. He also has a dog named Kirby.

Travis Hill

Akron, CO
Nominated by Washington County #436 PF Chapter
Travis is a 6th grade honor roll student at Akron Elementary School. He is a member of the Get Real Anti-Tobacco group and the AJ youth council. He was also nominated for the People to People program. In his free time, he enjoys baseball, football and wrestling and he also likes to go hunting, fishing and golfing with his parents. Travis shot his first pheasant at a youth hunt and also harvested his first deer this past year. He has one brother.

Nate Long

Billings, MT
Nominated by Yellowstone Valley #434 PF Chapter
Nate is a 6th grade student at Arrowhead Elementary School where he plays competitive soccer on a U-12 team and is on the Friendship Force. Nate is also quite musically talented, having played violin and now he is first chair viola in the Billings Honor Orchestra. He also likes to ski with his family and run. He loves to hunt and got his first deer and four pheasants this year. In his free time he hangs out or plays outside. Nate says he has a very supportive family, which includes a sister Amber and two dogs named Reggie and Rufus.

Nate Iversen

Chamberlain, SD
Nominated by Missouri River #661 PF Chapter
Nate is a 7th grade honor roll student at Chamberlain Middle School where he plays trumpet in the band, is in chorus and a member of Young Authors and Illustrators (he was the 7th grade winner). He is proud of his 1plus rating in band solo competition. Nate enjoys being outside, playing catch and shooting bow and arrows or pellet guns. He also likes to play paint ball and is an avid video game enthusiast. He says he comes from a very caring and supportive family.

Ashley Lopez

Selma, IN
Nominated by East Central Indiana #781 PF Chapter
Ashley is a 10th grade student at Wapahani High School where she is first in her class with a straight A average. She has won top academic achievement awards in math, Spanish, biology and English; is a Student Council representative; has competed in Academic Team competitions and the Purdue University Academic Super Bowl; and has a Perfect Attendance Award for three years. She is also active in her church, Girl Scouts, 4-H, RADD (Raiders Against Destructive Activities), and makes presentations to church and school groups. Ashley has a brother Seth, two dogs, a cat, a hamster and a fish.

Andrew O'Connor

Greeley, NE
Nominated by Cedar River Ringnecks #732 PF Chapter
Andrew is a 7th grade student at Greeley/Wolbach Public School where he is on the honor roll and involved in baseball, football, basketball, wrestling, track and trap shooting. He is proud of the two baseball championships he has won. He is also active in Boy Scouts and volunteers for his church, Pheasants Forever and the Heartland Public Shooting Park. In his free time, Andrew enjoys sports, playing guitar, hanging out with friends, reloading and hunting almost everything. He lives on a farm, where he’s helped establish habitat, and has two older brothers Jamie and Michael and a younger brother Bryan.

Brian Olsen

Eleva, WI
Nominated by Chippewa Valley WI #544 PF Chapter
Brian is an 8th grade student at Eleva-Strum School where he plays trumpet in the school band. He also plays football, basketball and golf and is active in 4-H where he shows dairy cattle and has won many ribbons. He likes to hunt, mostly deer and pheasant, shoot trap and archery and golf in the summer with his family. He is skilled in bow and air rifle and won the triple crown for his bow shooting. He’s also proud of shooting a seven-point buck with a gun during his first deer season and two deer with a bow last year. Brian has an older brother Eric and a black lab named Maggy.

Clare Perry

Leoti, KS
Nominated by Ringneck Renegades KS #647 PF Chapter
Clare is a 10th grade student at Wichita County High School where she runs track and is active in FFA. She has been in 4-H for seven years. Her family has vizsla hunting dogs and one German shorthair. She enjoys hunting big game, upland birds and waterfowl. In her free time she enjoys shooting trap and high-powered rifles, managing a small herd of goats, riding horses, playing paint ball, going mudding and working on projects. Her father started their local PF chapter and she is a junior representative for the chapter. Clare has won awards for FFA, showing 4-H animals and trap shooting.

Sara Polge

Syracuse, NY
Nominated by Central New York #531 PF Chapter
Sara is an 8th grade student at West Genesee Middle School. She is on the high honor roll and won first place in the science fair. She’s also a good softball player, having made the All Stars team, and she came in second in the state championship. She is active in school in Respect and Responsibility, the leadership program, the ski club and she works with the technical crew for school plays. In her free time she likes to hunt, camp, snowmobile, ice fish, go boating and tubing and water skiing. Sara has three sisters Melissa, Meaghan and Shannon and a yellow lab named Boomer.

Jacob Robinson

Hastings, MN
Nominated by Mississippi Longtails #385 PF Chapter
Jacob is a 4th grade student at John F. Kennedy Elementary School. He is active in the Cub Scouts, soccer, religion classes and both Pheasants Forever Ringnecks and National Wild Turkey Federation Jakes programs. For the last four years, he has been one of the top 10 winners of the Pinewood Derby races. In his free time, Jacob likes to play outdoors, go hunting and fishing and ride bikes and ATVs. He has two older sisters Laura and Molly and two Labradors named Maggie and Cinder.

Trevor Schuster

Idaho Falls, ID
Nominated by Upper Snake River #131 PF Chapter
Trevor is a 7th grade student at Rocky Mountain Middle School. He is involved in Boy Scouts and has earned a star rank, is active in 4-H and is a quorum president in his church. In his free time he likes to ride four-wheelers, play basketball and go fishing and hunting. Two years ago he helped his father and grandfather build their home. Trevor has three sisters and a four-year-old brother and he is the second oldest in his family.

Amelia Tykoski

Fowlerville, MI
Nominated by Livingston County #465 PF Chaper
Amelia is a 5th grade student at Voyager Elementary School where she sings in the school choir. She also graduated from the D.A.R.E. program this year and received an award for outstanding citizenship. She is active in her church helping cook breakfast and volunteers for her local PF chapter. In her free time, Amelia likes to ride her bike and hang out with friends and neighbors. She is also learning to play the piano. She has an older brother and sister and they all love the outdoors.

Matt Vavroch

Montezuma, IA
Nominated by Poweshiek County #194 PF Chapter
Matt is a 9th grade honor roll student at Montezuma Community School where he is active in band, FFA, speech and drama, cross country, track, basketball, baseball and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He was a member of the freshman chorale reading group that received honorable mention all state. In his free time, he likes to play with his PlayStation 2, but his favorite thing is to go fishing. He has caught and released a 22” largemouth bass and a 32” northern pike. He also enjoys hunting with his dad. Matt has a younger brother and his whole family participates in and watches sports together.

Brooks VanDerBeek

Oskaloosa, IA
Nominated by Mahaska County #245 PF Chapter
Brooks is a 6th grade honor roll student at Oskaloosa Middle School where he is active in Student Council and intramurals and acts in plays in his community. He has an older brother A.J. and enjoys watching his favorite television shows, going trapping with his dad and hanging out with friends. Brooks wants to be an officer with the DNR or work for a conservation group like Pheasants Forever. He thinks being recommended to serve on the youth council is a great honor.

Jay Wilsey

Montrose, IA
Nominated by Lee County #171 PF Chapter
Jay is a 7th grade student at Central Lee Middle School where he plays baseball, football, basketball and runs track. He is especially active in science fair and has won numerous awards at the Iowa State Engineering and Technology Fair. He says he likes to change other kids’ attitudes about science. He’s also won awards in baseball and wrestling and for being "Best Dressed Cowboy" when he was younger. He enjoys playing sports and hunting and fishing in his free time. He lives with his Mom and her boyfriend and his dad lives not too far away.

Rylee Young

Atkinson, NE
Nominated by Niobrara Valley #289 PF Chapter
Rylee is a 7th grade honor roll student at Atkinson Junior High where she is involved in Quiz Bowl, track, choir, band, yearbook, basketball, cross-country, softball, Living Stones youth group and Irish Dancers. In her free time, she likes to read, participate in sports, dance and sometimes she visits nursing homes to play games and help the residents. She is proud of having won an award for an i-movie she helped produce. Rylee has an older sister Danika and a younger sister McKenna.