WISCONSIN 4-H WILDLIFE HABITAT EVALUATION CONTEST
APRIL 21, 2007
HOLY WISDOM MONASTERY
(Formerly St. Benedicts Center)
Madison, Wisconsin

HABITAT REGION - GREAT PLAINS GRASSLAND - TALL GRASS/MIXED PRAIRIE

Found on Page 20 of New Manual (Revised September 2001) and above link

The State 4-H WHEP (Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program) Contest is an event designed to teach youth about the fundamentals of wildlife management. Although it is a competitive event, its primary function is education. Natural resources management is learned through participation in the contest and the associated field trips and demonstrations. Additional benefits come from the development of leadership capabilities and meeting youth and professionals from throughout Wisconsin.

Youth will participate in the contest as Junior team members (8-11years of age), Intermediate team members (12-14 years of age) or Senior team members (15-19 years of age). There are three major parts of the Wisconsin Invitational for Junior teams: Activities I Wildlife Management Practices, II Wildlife Foods and VI Wildlife Identification. There are four major parts of the Wisconsin Invitational for Intermediate and Senior teams: I Wildlife Management Practices, II Wildlife Foods, III Aerial Photographs and V Urban Wildlife Plan.

The Senior team winning the State WHEP Contest will be eligible to participate in the National WHEP Contest. Should the winning team not be able to participate in the National WHEP Contest, the next highest scoring Senior team will be given the opportunity to represent Wisconsin at the National WHEP Contest.

The WHEP manual will be used to help with training and preparation for the event. The WHEP Manual or CD-Rom version may be ordered by visiting the National WHEP site at: http://www.whep.org/manual.htm.

Contest Activities

I. Wildlife Management Practices: Participants are introduced to a tract of land and are asked to determine which wildlife management practices they would use to manage the tract in the best possible way for a selected set of wildlife species.

 II. Wildlife Foods: Participants must be able to recognize wildlife food items and match them with the appropriate species or species group.

 III. Aerial Photographs: Participants are given a set of aerial photographs and are asked to rank them for a selected set of four to ten wildlife species. Additionally they must give oral reasons justifying their ranking for two predetermined species.

 V. Urban Wildlife Plan: This is similar to the Management Plan (above), except that the plan is for an urban setting such as around a house, school yard, golf course, city park, etc. (Example at National WHEP Website)

 VI. Wildlife Identification: (only for Junior team members): Youth will be responsible for identifying the common names of Wisconsin wildlife by slide, photograph, taxidermy mount or pelt, track, or live specimen.  A list of animals to be identified is provided.

Contestants and Eligibility

1. Each county is allowed to enter many teams. A team will consist of no less than two and no more than four official entrants who are 4-H members during the current year. Teams may consist of members from several counties, provided approval is given from the 4-H Youth Development Agent in each of the counties.
2. Senior competitors (15-19 years of age) must have passed their 15th birthday on or before December 31 of the preceding year and must not have passed their 19th birthday before January 1 of the contest year.
   Intermediate competitors (12-14 years of age) must have passed their 12th birthday on or before December 31 of the preceding year and must not have passed their 14th birthday before January 1 of the contest year.
   Junior competitors (8-11 years of age) must have passed their 8th birthday on or before December 31 of the preceding year and must not have passed their 11th birthday before January 1 of the contest year.
3. An individual or team may enter the State 4-H WHEP Invitational event for several years, but will be able to participate in the National WHEP Contest only ONCE.
4. Each team of contestants must be certified as an official county entry by the County 4-H Youth Development Agent or by a person designated by the County Extension Chair. The individuals or team may be selected by any procedures which a county considers appropriate.
5. Each Individual or team member must obtain a medical authorization to participate and fill out a discipline policy signed by the contestant, parent and coach.
6. Contestants in the state 4-H WHEP Invitational must not have participated in official post-secondary (university, college, junior college or technical school) competitive events of a similar nature in the same subject matter area. Neither can participants be a member of a post-secondary team undergoing training in preparation for an event.

Registration and General Contest Rules

1. Team registration materials will include team entries on an official entry form (Junior, Intermediate or Senior) and individual registration materials: medical authorization for each youth and adult to participate, and an expectation form with photo release (youth and adult) signed by the contestant, parent and coach.
2. Current 4-H members may serve as coaches for a team, but those individuals will be ineligible as future contestants. A team will consist of no more than 6 individuals (four contestants and two coaches).
3. Junior team contestants will work independently on Activities I Wildlife Management Practices, II Wildlife Foods and VI Wildlife Identification. Intermediate and Senior team contestants will work independently on Activities I Wildlife Management Practices, II Wildlife Foods and III Aerial Photographs and in teams for Activity V Urban Wildlife Plan. The Senior team participating in the National WHEP Contest will also be required to participate in Activity IV Wildlife Management Plan at the National WHEP Contest. Scorecards will be turned in to an official committee member immediately after each event. The Intermediate and Senior team score will be the sum of the three highest accumulative scores in each of Activities I,II and III, plus the team score for Activity V. The Junior team score will be the sum of the three highest accumulative scores in Activities, I, II and VI.
4. All contestants must provide their own pen/pencil and clipboard. No other equipment (ex: cell phones, backpacks, etc) will be allowed on the day of the contest.
5. Activity V (Urban Wildlife Plan) will be completed as an Intermediate or Senior team effort. A maximum of one side of one page will be allowed for the written plan.
6. A maximum of five minutes will be allowed for oral reasons in Activity III (Aerial Photograph Interpretation).
7. No talking by contestants will be allowed during the individual events.
8. Anyone caught cheating will be disqualified.
9. No use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs will be allowed.
10. All adults, except contest officials, will be separated from the contestants at all times while the contest is in progress.
11. An official committee will score the contest and analyze the results. Its decision will be final. After the event, individual and team scores will be given to the team coach. Contest score sheets will NOT be distributed.
12. All contestants should study the WHEP handbook, which may be ordered at: http://www.whep.org/manual.htm, and be prepared before coming to the state event. Questions will NOT be allowed during the contest, except those related to contest procedures.

Awards

Every participant will receive a Certificate of Participation. Ribbons will be awarded to three team categories - Junior (8-11 years of age), Intermediate (12-14 years of age) and Senior (15-19 years of age) as follows:

1st Place Team
2nd Place Team
3rd Place Team
1st Place High Individual
2nd Place High Individual
3rd Place High Individual

2007 Contest Results
Junior Individual Scores
Jr Wildlife Foods (1 pg, 40.5 KB)
Jr Wildlife ID (1 pg, 41.2 KB)
Junior Individual Wildlife Management (1 pg, 41.6 KB)
Junior High Individual (1 pg, 42.1 KB)

Junior Team Scores
Junior Team Wildlife Identification (1 pg, 43.8 KB)
Junior High Team Scores (1 pg, 43.5 KB)

Intermediate Individual Scores
Intermediate Aerial Photos (1 pg, 41.1 KB)
Intermediate Individual Urban Management (1 pg, 42.7 KB)
Intermediate Wildlife Foods (1 pg, 38.4 KB)
Intermediate Wildlife Management (1 pg, 41.6 KB)
Intermediate High Individual (1 pg, 40.6 KB)

Intermediate Team Scores
Intermediate Team Urban Management (1 pg, 43.4 KB)
Intermediate High Team (1 pg, 42.5 KB)

Senior Individual Scores
Senior Aerial Photos (1 pg, 37.5 KB)
Senior Wildlife Foods (1 pg, 40.2 KB)
Senior Wildlife Management (1 pg, 39.6 KB)
Senior High Individual (1 pg, 38.4 KB)

Senior Team Scores
Senior Team Urban Management (1 pg, 40.4 KB)
Senior High Team (1 pg, 40.5 KB)

Return to State WHEP Home Page