Career in critters

COHS Ag Instructor and FFA Sponsor Beldon Rudloff and 11 Coldspring FFA members traveled to the Big Thicket National Preserve near Kountze to compete in the District FFA Wildlife Career Development Event Contest on Wednesday, Oct. 11.  Pictured are (from left) Tripp Strickland, Wade Currie, Mason McGlaun, Colton Bailey, Cinco Bailes, Zachary Hamilton, Ethan Hamilton, Ethan Manuel, Colby Durdin, Branden Oehrlein, and Corbin Atkinson. Photo by Beldon Rudloff

Special to the News-Times

KOUNTZE — Coldspring-Oakhurst High School Agricultural Science Instructor and FFA Sponsor Beldon Rudloff and 11 Coldspring FFA members traveled to the Big Thicket National Preserve near Kountze to compete in the District FFA Wildlife Career Development Event Contest on Wednesday.  

The eight-part competition requires students to identify plants and animals that are native to Texas, determine the proper management of property to improve wildlife habitat, and take tests on Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Laws and hunter/boater safety. 

“The team of Colton Bailey, Mason McGlaun, Cinco Bailes, and Zachary Hamilton placed third in District and fifth overall for the contest,” Rudloff said. “There were 16 teams in our district and 40 teams in the overall contest from 1A-6A schools. 

“All of the students did really well in the contest and learned a lot about Wildlife Management and Conservation,” he said.