Every year the JFR program brings all of our crews together to take part in a 2-day event called Bull of the Woods (BOTW).
It is one of the few times in the summer where all the JFR crews get together. Family and friends of the crew members and leaders are invited to take part in the event.
The first day is an Indigenous Culture Day where everyone takes part in:
- Dancing
- Crafts
- Drumming
- Traditional Games
- Storytelling
- Eating and drinking traditional food and drinks
The second day is a light-hearted competition where all crews compete against one another in a number of different events, including:
- Fire building
- Pump and hose relay
- Wilderness trivia
- Knots
- GPS race
- Swede saw relay
- Master chef
- A communication challenge
History of Bull of the Woods
Bull of the Woods is a traditional name for forestry or logging sports competition. One of the early uses of the term was reserved for the person in charge of a field logging operation.
For our JFR crews, BOTW is a crew competition rather than an individual one.
Some of the events are still logging based, while others are related to wildfire, outdoor survival and natural resource management knowledge.
Since 1985, the competition has showcased over 4,000 crew members in various skill-testing events.
