Coosa County Place Third in National Wildlife Competition

The Coosa County 4-H Wildlife Team won third place at the National Wildlife Habitat 
Evaluation Invitational.
Alabama, represented by the Coosa County team, was one of 26 states competing at this 
year’s event. 
	Coosa County team member John Mullins garnered the highest overall individual score at 
this year’s competition – “a pretty remarkable accomplishment considering that all of our team 
members were rookies competing for the first time,” says Roger Vines, Coosa County Extension 
agent.  He, along with Joel Glover, a wildlife biologist, coached this year’s team.
	Team member Jessica McGalliard earned the third highest overall score.  
	The team also included Loren Evans and Clay Wilder.
	Each year, the national contest is held in a different state, and participants must study a 
national manual to learn about wildlife and habitat found in that state, Vines says.   This year’s 
contest, held in Wooseter, Ohio, July 24 to 28, focused on wetland habitat, waterfowl, and other 
animals associated with aquatic environments.  
	Team members also had to learn about wildlife foods, aerial photo interpretation and 
wildlife management practices.  They also had to write a wildlife management plan for both a rural 
and an urban site.  
	Much of the team’s success rests on the scores of individual team members, which 
comprise part of the team’s cumulative score.
	Mullins won second highest score in aerial photos, while McGilliard earned the top score 
in the wildlife management practices segment of the competition.  Evans also was a top scorer, 
winning ninth in wildlife management practices. 
	“We’re also very proud of Clay, because even though he didn’t place in the top ten of any 
of these events, he did very well for someone who had just returned from a kayaking competition 
in Wales before the contest,” Vines says.
	Indeed, says Vines, the team’s performance at this year’s competition was “very 
surprising,” especially considering it marked the team members’ first exposure national 
competition.
	“Placing third against some very strong teams from throughout the country required lots 
of hours of study and preparation,” he says.  “But the team rose to the challenge and surprised a 
lot of folks, including their coaches, Joel and me.”
	Without the support of several key sponsors, Coosa County’s presence at this year’s 
competition would not have been possible, Vines says.
	State sponsors included the Alabama Chapter of the Wildlife Society, Alabama Foresters 
Owners Association, Alabama Forestry Foundation, and Alabama Wildlife Federation.
	Local sponsors included Five Star Plantation of Kellyton, Coosa Action Network, ALFA 
and Chuck Weldon.  
	National sponsors included the National Fish and Wildlife Service, Sustainable Forestry 
and Wildlife, National Rifle Association and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. 
	The point spread at this year’s competition was very close, with only an eight-point 
difference between Coosa County, representing Alabama, and the national champions, Virginia.  
	Tennessee placed second. 
This year marks the seventh time the Coosa County team has competed in the National 
Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Invitational.