For me, May has always been a special month, and it has little to do with the fact that my birthday falls in that month. In May, the weather is pleasant enough to have a barbecue outside or go fishing without having to wear several layers of clothing. The spring hunting season for bears and turkeys also goes into May, although this year, I have to give that one a miss due to other commitments and work schedules.

This year, I am particularly excited about May because of two great events coming up. The first event is the bowhunting course held from May 5 to 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Merritt Civic Centre. The course is suitable for beginner to advanced bowhunters and covers topics such as equipment choices, bowhunting safety, shooting a bow under hunting conditions versus archery, scouting and hunting tactics, using calls and scent to attract game, plus much more.

The course can be attended by anybody interested in hunting or archery, as there are several topics that are equally beneficial to all hunters to become more successful in pursuing game. The minimum age to attend is 16 years and you do not have to bring your own bow to the course.

I am extremely proud to provide this course for the second time after the success we had in the previous one. For me, passing our knowledge on to others is a big part of our hunting heritage and with that continues our hunting and conservation traditions into the next generation.

The second event is also something that I very much look forward to.

On May 24, the Nicola Valley Fish and Game Club is holding a big fundraising spaghetti and rib dinner event at the Merritt Desert Inn. Tickets are available at Ponderosa Sporting Goods or at Nicola Valley Outdoors. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m. and for adults, a Bone Beer will also be available. Bone Beer is brewed in Kelowna by the only brewery in Canada owned by hunters, and they provide a good portion of the money from the sale of beer to wildlife conservation programs.

This is going to be a real hunter and angler event. Organizers ask that you bring your mounted trophies, be they game or fish, and display them at the event for everybody to see.

The event also includes a special raffle for a brand new .30-06 Ruger American Hunter rifle. All in all, the Nicola Valley Fish and Game Club wants this to be an event to celebrate Nicola Valley outdoor heritage and raise money for their legal fund. So come on out, bring your family and friends to have a good time, share stories and meet great people. For more information call (250) 378-1909.

With all that said, May is a great month with many things to be happy about, new things to learn about, and to celebrate. I hope to see many of you at both these events.