What is Wildlife Judging?

Wildlife Judging is a 4-H contest that challenges youth in grades 4-12 to learn about Georgia wildlife species and habitat management practices for conservation success. Youth participating in the Georgia 4-H Wildlife Judging contest will be able to identify and describe characteristics of common wildlife species of Georgia and select best management practices for given scenarios and sites. Georgia is one of the most biologically rich states in the nation, ranking 2nd in amphibian species, 3rd in freshwater fish species, and 7th in reptile species.

Overview of a Wildlife Judging Contest

The contest is divided into 3 activities. All activities (except 3-A) are completed and scored individually.

Activity 1-A: Written Knowledge Test: Youth will be given a multiple choice test about wildlife material (vocabulary words, terms, concepts, etc.)

Activity 1-B: Specimen Identification: Youth will be provided wildlife specimens (furs, skulls, tracks, feathers, etc.) and will identify the species.

Activity 2: Wildlife Management Practices: Youth will survey an outdoor site and provide different wildlife management practices for different species based on a scenario.

Activity 3-A: Wildlife Management Plan: Youth will work in teams to develop a management plan for 1 or 2 wildlife species after surveying an outdoor site and learning about the land use goals.

Activity 3-B*: Oral Defense of Wildlife Management Plan: After creating their plan, youth will individually answer broad, pre-determined questions about the plan they developed to a judge panel. *Only occurs at the state contest

A pre-determined list of species is outlined in the Georgia 4-H Wildlife Judging Contest Guidelines.

Junior competitors learn information about 10 wildlife species. Senior competitors learn information about 22 wildlife species.

The contest is divided into a Junior Division for grades 4-8 and a Senior Division for grade 9-12.

Youth will be trained in wildlife-related content under the direction of a Certified Wildlife Judging Coach.

The current version of the Georgia 4-H Wildlife Judging Contest Guidelines provides information for the contest procedures and rules.

Considerations for 4-H Staff

A team is comprised of a minimum of 3 youth from the same county in the same division.

Counties can designate up to 5 teams per division. This is important because one activity during the contest is a team-based activity where youth work together to create a written management plan.

Counties cannot mix grade divisions to comprise a team. Counties with fewer than 3 youth per division will have these youth assigned to an at-large wild card team. These youth will compete as individuals and eligible for all individual awards.

For the Georgia 4-H Wildlife Judging contest, only the Southeast Mixed and Outer Coastal Plain Forest ecoregion (as defined in the national Wildlife Habitat Education Program manual) is used. The Wetlands and Urban descriptions are not applicable to the Georgia 4-H contest.

Preparation Ideas for Coaches

Each coach can determine the number of practices held during the judging season. Ideal practices last 1-2 hours. Some teams choose to practice multiple times a week for a few months prior to the contest while other teams meet year-round. It’s important to remember that weather and seasonal changes (i.e. deciduous trees without leaves) can affect outdoor learning spaces.

Practices should include outdoor sites (for Activity 2 and 3) and classroom lessons. Many concepts that are included in Activity 1-A can be viewed in outdoor settings. Students learn best through active experiences – consider including outdoor recreation activities like hiking, fishing, etc., as part of a practice session.

Teams are encouraged to gather wildlife specimens and use supplemental photographs as needed. 3-D printed replicas are also viable and inexpensive options. Georgia law prohibits keeping most native wildlife species as pets. The law also generally prohibits possessing parts of protected non-game wildlife, such as tortoise shells. For information about the special permits needed to exhibit wildlife for educational purposes, contact the Georgia DNR Special Permits Unit.

Senior youth may feel intimidated when learning to present their oral defense of the management plan for evaluation. Have youth first practice answering the questions to a peer before sharing responses with an adult.

A great way for older, experienced youth to assist at practices is to have them co-develop the scenarios for Activity 2 and 3.

Remember to infuse fun into this experience! Not every practice has to directly relate to the content that is part of the contest. For example, consider building bird feeders and bee hotels or creating wildlife art during a practice.

There are many state agencies and resources that would likely be willing to assist with coaching, serve as a speaker, offer tours, etc. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Georgia Forestry Commission have employees who assist with public education and outreach efforts. Additionally, DNR Wildlife Management Areas, Public Fishing Areas, Hatcheries, Education Centers, and State Parks and Historic Sites are all places that would be great for site evaluation.

Recommended Resources

National Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP): https://www.whep.org/

Georgia 4-H Wildlife Judging: https://georgia4h.org/wildlife

Georgia 4-H Wildlife Resources: https://georgia4h.org/wildliferesources

Contact

Kasey Bozeman, State 4-H Science Specialist

Dr. Michael Kohl, Associate Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist

Download PDF for Print

 

What is the Master Horseman Project?

The Master Horseman Project is designed as a tool for 4-H members to learn about horse care and handling, and the equine industry in general. Completing hands-on activities helps develop skills not only in horsemanship and equine handling, but also in leadership, communication, decision-making and personal management.

The steps involved in completing the series of three manuals (Novice, Intermediate, and Master Horseman) allow the 4-H member to learn safety precautions related to horse handling, horsemanship skills, proper care, and responsibility, as each member is required to participate in the daily handling and management of the project horse or pony.

More Details

The activities outlined in the manuals include service activities on the club and community levels, which encourage both continued participation in 4-H and the development of leadership skills which can be carried beyond the scope of the Horse project and the Georgia 4-H program. Each manual contains a set of questions and problems which must be answered/solved in order to demonstrate the knowledge that the 4-H’er gains through the research performed during the completion of the manual. Various activities are required, completion of which must be documented by the 4-H’er and signed by an adult leader. Progression through the series of manuals guides the 4-H’er through an increasing level of difficulty in both horse handling skills and knowledge of the equine industry.  

 Special Notes

A qualified horse club leader or agent must sign each manual, indicating that activities have been performed, and that questions have been answered correctly. A completed manual is considered to be one which has been completely filled out, with at least 80 percent of questions answered correctly. Completion of the Novice Horsemanship Manual is required in order for a 4-H’er to compete at the State 4-H Horse Show, and is required in order to advance to the Intermediate Horseman Manual. Completion of the Intermediate Horseman Manual is required in order to progress to the Master Horseman Manual. 

Completion of the Master Horseman Manual entitles the 4-H’er to Master 4-H’er status and is considered the culmination of years of hard work by the 4-H’er within the Horse project, and is a very high honor.  

Preparation Activities 

Horseman books overview Each book is 12-16 pages 

Novice Horseman book: Includes general knowledge, markings, health/hoof care, basic record keeping, and basic riding/handling skills (minimum 60 hours) 

Intermediate Horseman book: Includes equipment id (hunt and stock seat), illnesses, more in depth recording keeping and feedings, more in depth riding/handling skills (minimum 160 hours) 

Master Horseman book: Includes a teaching and or leadership role in horse industry, skeletal id, developing a feeding plan, writing reports on handling topic, more in depth recording keeping on health and riding/handling skills (minimum of 260 hours) 

Special Considerations for Mastery

In order to receive the certificate of completion for each manual, a student is required to: 

• Be a member of a 4-H club within the state of Georgia.
• Be responsible for the care of a horse, either owned or leased by the 4-H’er 
• Have access to proper equipment and tack in good, safe working condition.
• Wear proper, safe attire for every instance of handling and riding demonstrations. 
• Demonstrate humane handling of the horse at all times.
• Complete all requirements of the manual to the satisfaction of the 4-H leader, agent, and/or State Extension Equine Specialist.
• Submit the completed manual to the county 4-H office.
• At the Master level, pass (85% or better) a comprehensive test of knowledge and horsemanship skills, under the direct supervision of a State Extension Equine Specialist 

Recommended Resources 

Horseman books:
Novice Horseman Project Manual
Intermediate Horseman Project Manual
Master Horseman Project Manual

 

Contact  

Dr. Kari Turner, UGA Animal & Dairy Science Equine Extension Specialist  

Kate Whiting, State 4-H Animal Science Specialist 

 

Manual Prepared by: Allison Perkins, Bartow County 4-H Agent, Kate Whiting, State 4-H Animal Science Specialist 5/10/23 https://georgia4h.org/programs/focus-areas/agriculture-stem/agriculture/livestock-and-animalprojects/judging-teams/hippology/  

 

The UGA Motor Vehicle Use Policy applies to all UGA faculty, staff, volunteers, and independent contractors who drive as a part of their role. This is an annual training for all drivers; the policy can be referenced by clicking the button below.

UGA Motor Vehicle Use Policy

Specifically, this policy applies to all UGA employees and volunteers who drive State of Georgia, federal, or any other personal or rented vehicle on University business regardless of frequency or location of driving. (UGA employees who drive should complete this training through PEP.) Volunteers can complete the requirement through the following three steps.

Step 1: View the Training Module

Volunteers who drive on behalf of Extension must complete this training module annually.

UGA Motor Vehicle Policy Training Module

Step 2: Complete the Driver Acknowledgement Form

At the end of the module, submit a driver acknowledgement form. This electronic form is accessible through the last slide in the training module.

In the module, click the button, “Driver Acknowledgement Form.”

 

Enter your name and preferred email address. Note: This does not need to be a UGA email address.

In the “department” drop-down, please add your district, center, or state department. For example, Northeast Extension should enter “CAES-Northeast District CES”; state 4-H volunteers should enter “CAES-State 4-H.”

Northeast District County List
Northwest District County List
Southeast District County List
Southwest District County List

In the “Major Unit” drop-down, please select “College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.”

 

Complete the remaining questions and click submit.

Step 3: Complete Primary Driver Requirements

If you typically drive on behalf of Extension three or more times per week, you are considered a primary driver and must also complete the Motor Vehicle Records History Check link.

The link is found within the training module.

If you do not typically drive on behalf of Extension three or more times per week, you can bypass this step.

Thank you for your service to UGA Extension!