North American Outdoors Heidi Lyn Rao

Heidi Lyn Rao was hired by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in 1998 and has recruited, trained, and retained volunteers, as the Hunter Education Specialist for Southeast Texas. In 2010 she also assumed the role as statewide Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Coordinator. 
During her TPWD career, she developed many partnerships and organized many education & outreach events. She started “Take Me Outdoors Houston” in 2009, when the Texas Wildlife Expo ended, and brings this annual family-friendly, free, hands-on outdoor event to Discovery Green, Downtown Houston. She hosts wildlife workshops ranging from alligators to big game. She promotes hunting and outdoor safety to groups ranging from elementary-school aged to flying offshore via helicopter to speak to oil and gas employees in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico on a platform. From teaching firearm safety to Rodeo Clowns during the Houston Rodeo, to hosting Hunter Education classes at the Sam Houston (horse) Raceway, conducting National Archery in the Schools Program and Student Air Rifle certifications, and partnering with many hunting, shooting and conservation organizations across Texas.        
She has coordinated 27 statewide BOW workshops across Texas, including the first-ever VIRTUAL BOW in 2020. She has reached over 7,000 Ladies who have attended BOW and continued their outdoors skills ultimately becoming hunters, anglers, and archers, especially through mentored BOW hunts. To date, 10 Texas Outdoor Women Network (TOWN) groups have launched across the state because of the statewide BOW.
She received IHEA’s Professional of the Year; IHEA’s Executive Director’s Award; TPWD’s Terry Erwin Hunter Education LEGACY award, Houston Safari Club Educator of the Year and she is also in the Texas Hunter Education Halls of Fame. 
She and her (now retired) TPWD Game Warden husband of 25 yrs., John, have 4 boys: Dominic is 21 and works for Laser Shot Simulations in Houston; Matthew is 20 and is a sophomore at the University of Arkansas with a 4.0 and on his way to be a large animal vet; JohnJohn is 17 and is a Junior; and Luke is 14 and is in 8th grade. The Rao’s are avid hunters and enjoy camping, trapping, and the shooting sports together. 
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Hunting season is not only for adults. Many kids look forward to getting in the field with their parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, or any other adult role model. This is especially true if it is a kid’s first-time going hunting. Unfortunately, many adults do not understand what a huge responsibility this is. What happens on a kid’s first hunt can be a big factor in his or her decision to continue hunting.
The next generation of hunters are who will ensure that our hunting heritage continues. It is up to us to make sure that we recruit this new generation. How we recruit this next generation makes a difference. Adult mentors must take their role seriously. This means dedicating the time, expense, and providing the right equipment to first-time hunters for the best outdoor experiences.
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From as early as he could talk, he could sing! Luke loved to belt out the latest and greatest songs from an early age, and fortunately that has continued until his early teenage years. I can only hope he continues his journey growing his voice and talent! He's been in choir during elementary and middle school - and has earned solo spots over the years.
Although he was a bit hesitant, he quickly overcame his shyness after he warmed up his pipes! We do not own the rights to any of these songs - only using them in the background so Luke could sing along and keep the rhythm. Enjoy!
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Ever since Luke was a baby, our family takes an annual summer vacation to Yellowstone National Park. Over the years we've ventured further and further around the local communities throughout Wyoming and Montana in search of the best fishing spot. His memories have always included a summer adventure to the Northwest and across the woods and waters of the great outdoors.
We did what we could, fishing the banks and shorelines with the gear we had. Without much luck, we learned from our mistakes and struggles, and each year we did a little bit better. We'd visit with the local sporting goods stores, grocery stores which doubled as bait shops, and chatted with the individuals who lived in the communities. We'd gather tips and tricks, and heard of great spots to add to our fishing 'bucket list.'
This year we did something completely different - we bought an inflatable boat! We were tired of watching from the shoreline, everyone else catch fish on their boats over the years. We wanted to be "those people" too! And we were! It was one of the best trips we'd ever been on, and Luke said so himself! Enjoy!
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One of the most visited National Parks in the world is Yellowstone National Park, located in Northwestern Wyoming. Yellowstone is an incredible place to view wildlife. All the large mammals that were present when Yellowstone first became a National Park in 1872, are still roaming the landscape today. 
These wildlife species include grizzly and black bears, wolves, mountain lions, elk, bison, pronghorn, moose, and bighorn sheep. Not to mention the hundreds of other species ranging from birds to small mammals, reptiles to amphibians and aquatic life. For these larger animals, there are rules in place to keep not only the visitors safe, but the wildlife safe as well.
There are strict guidelines in place to keep everyone and every animal safe. One of the most important rules strictly enforced in National Parks is to never approach wildlife. If you are hiking or picnicking in an area and you see wildlife emerging nearby, leave the area safely. Never follow or approach an animal to attempt to touch it or try to get closer to it to take a picture.
Never feed a wild animal. If a wild animal is fed by humans, they may soon become desensitized to people and start approaching humans and become aggressive, resulting in the animal being trapped, relocated, or dispatched and removed from the population to prevent future human encounters. There is a saying “a fed animal is a dead animal.”   
Be a courteous and respectful wildlife watcher. Those around you are doing the same. Wildlife is here for everyone to enjoy. Those who abuse that privilege not only risk their own safety but the safety of the animal and rob others of the enjoyment of viewing these magnificent creatures. When an animal is removed from the population because someone did not follow the rules, the next generation of that animal is lost.
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We all take our safety and security seriously when we are at home, going to and from work, and while running errands around town. Sometimes we let our guard down and are lax when we go on vacation. Afterall, vacations are supposed to be fun and carefree, and a time when you should not have to worry about your safety and security. Many times, when you are on vacation, these are the times when you are most vulnerable and need to be most focused on safety. 
Depending on your destination there are certain things you need to be aware of. Many times, based upon your activities and what you are doing, you may need more than one firearm and different types of ammunition. Just like when you are at home, there is not one firearm for all purposes, just as there is no one correct type of ammunition for every purpose. Do your research and plan accordingly. 
There are four areas you need to be concerned with when vacationing with a firearm. 
1. Know the laws in all the jurisdictions that you will be in;
2. Traveling to your destination;
3. What to carry while at your destination; and
4. Knowing the correct ammunition to carry to address the potential threats you may encounter while at your location.
For many, summertime means vacation time. The last thing we want to happen while we are enjoying our time off is an unexpected encounter with a deadly threat. Do your research and be prepared. The safety of you and your loved ones depends on it.
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