States across the country are beginning to focus on early youth hunts to increase the involvement of young hunters. All experienced hunters need to find interested youth and get them involved in outdoor activities, being that they are the future of our beloved sport and the conservation of our lands and waters! The lessons children learn afield such as persistence and patience will be applicable in many other life experiences. For the adult taking a child afield for the first time, there are a few things you can do to increase the young hunters odds of harvesting a bird.
Proceeding safely afield should be at the forefront of a youth’s outdoor education, teaching when, where and how to do so are the most important tasks of the adult. It’s a proven fact that children involved in activities at younger ages tend to continue that activity throughout their lives. Our state has fortunately stepped up to get youths involved in outdoor sports at younger ages. Hopefully this will keep outdoors men numbers up in the future.
I have taken youth hunters out since the program’s inception, but have noticed a lack of involvement from adults. With single-parent homes on the rise, there are more kids than ever needing this form of education. I consider it our job as sportsmen to locate and educate every willing child to the ways of the wild. To be honest, I feel sportsmen are dropping the ball. When I only see two to three other sportsmen afield daily with youths, I wonder why so few are being taken afield?
Greed is what I believe to be the most insidious deterring factor in youth-typed hunts. The fact is that most hunters don’t want to give up a bird because of their possessive nature. I have personally heard many turkey hunters griping about the early youth hunts. The most common statements made are that the early pressure on animals hurts their odds of harvesting one. and that kids don’t know how to call. And if they do call, shy birds will be created.
The fact that adults can see themselves as more important than the next generation sickens me. I have taken youth hunters to my favorite spots the last few years and seen no negative impact made on the hills resident turkey population. If the adult hunter is an educated caller, they can assist the child in making proper calls at the appropriate time. I have found that nine out of 10 adult turkey hunters have no clue how to call, and more importantly, what the calls mean. I believe these hunters hurt my odds worse than a kid ever could. They educate birds with their lack of calling ability, and proceed to pass their useless calling techniques on to the youths they are attempting to teach. This is a perfect example of how a student can only be as effective as his teacher. The adult hunter’s abilities can be the deciding factor as to the child’s success rate and future skill level. I recommend watching tutorial videos for the adult hunter who isn’t absolutely sure what is meant by the calls you make. Ask yourself would I take a child on a helicopter ride if I had no idea how to fly one? You must first be educated to later educate.
While guiding a child afield, you must know a few things to make their experience an enjoyable one. Number one is letting them make some decisions, like when to leave or head to a new spot. This will make them feel directly involved in the hunt, and prevent the child from becoming too bored. Remember your own youth; don’t force the child to stay, or they will likely not want to go again.
Bring lots of snacks and drinks as kids require refueling more often than adults. Some adults allow video games to be taken afield to keep the child busy. I feel this is the biggest no-no. In my mind, the instant gratification of such games has become the largest deterrent in keeping kids entertained outdoors. Hunting, as many other life experiences, teaches patience and that hard work pays off. Use the down time to teach other important factors in their upcoming future. I believe video games taken afield only cause disconnection in the experience being had, and that they then allow children to side step their education in patience.
