How to Get Youth Involved in Hunting
It
is my ardent belief that the more fishermen and hunters we have, the more
potential conservationists we have. Thus, if you provide someone with a proper
introduction to the outdoors in such a way that they have a positive
experience, then it's very likely that they will want to experience it again
and this is especially true when introducing youth to the sport of hunting.
In fact, when I recall my earliest hunting experiences hunting Mourning
Doves with my father and his Forest Service buddies, the main thing that I
remember about it is that that it was fun!
Fortunately, my father was wise enough to take my restless nature into account
and thus, he chose afternoon dove hunts to introduce me to the sport of hunting
because they did not require that we remain absolutely silent and still for
hours on end and, we were only there for a few, short, hours the afternoon.
Also, because I was too young to use a shotgun on those early hunts, my father
encouraged me to bring my BB gun along which was a nearly constant companion
when I was at home. That way, I felt like one of the fellows because I had a
gun too and, when the shooting got slow and I got restless, dad would encourage
me to go explore on m own to see if I could spook resting birds out to over the
field. Another way to make hunting fun for kids is to purchase them an
inexpensive, digital, point-and-shoot, camera so that they can create and relive
their own memories of the hunt whenever they wish. However, if you decide to
take them deer hunting or turkey hunting with you instead, and then try using a
ground blind instead of a tree stand because a ground blind will enable
children to play games if they get bored or lay down and take a nap if they get
tired. Last, don't stay too long! In fact, if you stay much beyond the point
where the child starts to get bored, then you detract from the positive
experience you are trying to create. On the other hand, if you are trying to
introduce a teenager to the sport of hunting, then I am afraid that the only
solution is to confiscate their smart phone and video games and then attempt to
convince that watching nature is like watching television and that hunting is
like a live action video game.
Next, you absolutely must learn to have the patience of Jobe! Even though
you may be anxious to get to your stand, remember that kids and teenagers are
smaller than adults and thus, they don't walk as fast. So, have some patience,
slow down, and pay attention to the terrain so that you can find the easiest
path for those who are smaller than you. In fact, I clearly recall just how
difficult it was for me as an eight year old to walk across those freshly
furrowed corn fields with the stubble sticking up that seemed to somehow
magically catch my boots and trip me every single time while my father
negotiated them without a problem. Also, instead of being a disciplinarian, you
must learn to become a teacher. Thus, you must not scold them when they miss.
Instead, try working with them to recall and visualize the shot and then
identify why they missed so that they can learn from the experience and recall
your patience and kindly help at the same time instead of recalling begin
denigrated.
In addition to making hunting fun and learning to have the patience of
Jobe, hunter education classes are a prerequisite to purchasing a hunting
license in most states. But, by successfully completing one of these classes,
you child is taught firearms safety and safe hunting practices as well as
conservation practices and is issued a Hunter Education Certificate (usually
just a sticker) which in turn, opens the door to the hunting world for them. In
fact, to the best of my knowledge, a Hunter Education Certificate issue in one
state is valid in all 50 states which enable you to purchase non-resident
licenses for them as well. Of course, an even more important reason for your
children to take the course is, if they have never hunted before, did not grow
up around guns, and are not familiar with basic woodcraft, this course will
provide them with a lot of valuable information. In fact, there is an online course offered by the International
Hunter's Education Association which will get them most of the way toward being
certified and it only takes about an hour to complete.
Last, another way to get youth interested in hunting is to take them
shooting during the off season. However, let's face it; kids like to destroy
things and thus, if you take them out and let them have some fun destroying
reactive targets instead of forcing them to punch paper, they will have far
more fun and thus, remember it as a positive experience. In fact, a BB gun or
pellet gun is an excellent place to start since they are relatively quiet and
have little to no recoil. That way, your child can enjoy the elation of
successful marksmanship without having to deal with the noise and recoil a real
gun produces. Plus, they can practice with a BB gun in the back yard. Then,
once they gain some proficiency with the air rifle, then you can upgrade to a
.22 LR and from there, to whatever gun they will be hunting with. In fact, that
is exactly what my father did for me when he gave me my first BB gun at around
age four, a .22 LR at age eight, a single shot 20 gauge shotgun at age ten, and
a .30-06 when I was fourteen. Fortunately for me, he was also a reloader and
thus, he was able to download my .30-06 ammo until I got older and could handle
full power loads.
So, as I mentioned, the number one goal when attempting to get youth
interested in the sport of hunting is to make if fun. Then, you must have
mountains of patience and be willing to give up at least a bit of your precious
hunting time for the sake of your children. Last, take them shooting and let
them destroy a few targets such as clay disks, bottles of water, or air
balloons: in fact, the more sensational the reaction, the better. When
encouraging the younger generation towards the outdoors lifestyle, I find that
it is of the utmost importance to make sure that the introduction is as
pleasant and interactive as possible. That being said, there are tons of
hunting operations and outfitters who cater to family-oriented hunts for
beginners found at places such as HuntingLocator.com.
Oh yeah, don't forget those Hunter Education courses too!
Bill Bernhardt and
The Hunting Locator Team
Outdoor Professionals
Photo Credit: Michael "Ethan" Kelly, my grandson,
who is now serving our country in the Air Force and will be deployed to Kuwait in
January. I took my three grandsons to get their Hunter Education courses together
and hunting in our great wild outdoors.
I'm a proud grandmother with a lot of great memories that will last a
lifetime for them and for me.
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