About Evans County Wildlife Club
The Evans County Wildlife Club was formerly organized and staged its first Rattlesnake Roundup in 1968. The Evans County Wildlife Club continued to sponsor this event, adding a beauty pagent, arts and crafts, a parade, and live entertainment to the schedule of events. In 2012, the event name was changed to Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival in an effort to put more emphasis on wildlife conservation.
The Evans County Wildlife Club generously gives back to Evans County and surrounding communities through annual donations to local charities, non-profit groups, schools, churches, and numerous events. Each year, the Wildlife Club presents Scholarships to high school Seniors. The Club sponsors wildlife conservation programs at local schools and supports activites designed to promote high standards of sportsmanship. The Evans County Wildlife Club is a member of the Caxton-Evans County Chamber of Commerce as well as the Georgia Sportsman Federation.
The Evans County Wildlife Club strongly supports the 2nd Amendment and encourages the safe use of firearms for defensive, hunting, recreational, and competitive purposes.
Our club is a host location for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Hunter Safety Course to educate young and new hunters on safe, responsible, and ethical use of firearms for hunting.
The club’s facilities include a clay target practice area to improve the shooting skills of organized clay target teams. The two-time Georgia State Champion Clay Target Team for Pinewood Christian Academy uses our facility as their official training location.
Wild Turkey Federation events consist of Sanctioned Turkey Calling Contest held yearly and hosted by the Evans County Wildlife Club.
PKC Coon Hunt is hosted in conjunction with the Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival.
During the Rattlesnake & Wildlife Festival, the Wildlife Club sponsors these firearms related activities:
-Gun Dog Handling Demonstration with Amplified Kennels
-Advanced retriever training with Mossy Pond Retrievers
When handling firearms you should ALWAYS remember the 4 primary rules of firearm safety:
· Always keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction. Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to shoot.
· Treat all guns as if they are loaded. Even if you are certain your firearm is unloaded you should treat it as if it is. By doing so you develop safe practice habits that can prevent accidents from occurring.
· Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
· Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. Even small caliber projectiles can travel over a mile, so keep in mind where a stray shot or ricochet may end up.
The Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival is the greatest accomplishment of the Evans County Wildlife Club. The Southeast Tourism Society voted the Festival one of the “Top Twenty Events in the Southeast.” The annual Festival brings over 15,000 tourists and an economic boost to the community.
