www.indianastatesman.com/vnews/display.v/ART/4343430854c3eExcitement of first hunting trip can be influential to young children
In the field, on the lake
By Chris Jennings
October 05, 2005
Every outdoorsman can remember their first hunt like it was yesterday. The excitement of getting all bundled up in camouflage, being given the ultimate responsibility of handling a firearm, and most of all; being able to watch and follow the examples of those who take you into the field.
As baby boomers begin to slowly step aside because their age has them making fewer trips into the field, the future doesn't necessarily lie with today's hunters, but with those who will be coming after us.
Taking a young kid on their first adventure into the field can be the most influential aspect of a kid's life. I say this because I know it was mine.
When I was 11, my father would take me into the woods, and show me how to stalk squirrels and jump rabbits. His influence on me was not about killing, but more about being in the woods, and more importantly, not taking the shot. Being content with a day in the woods, whether a shot was fired or not, and just having the opportunity to get out, wander around, and soak in everything that happens was what I was taught as a great day.
That sounds like an oxymoron, that a hunter would teach a young hunter not to shoot, but it's taking the responsibility for your actions in the field that have stuck with me over the years.
He taught when to take a shot, making sure to get a clean shot, and being absolutely positive of your target and what's beyond that target. He preached safety to me every moment in the field. Probably because he was worried about my safety, but more importantly, that was probably the way he was taught by his father.
A couple of weeks ago, while planning a dove hunt, my father calls me to ask if one of his friends' sons could go along. Brandon, is 11-years-old and reminds me a lot of myself. He showed up with his father from Indianapolis, wearing a camouflage hat that bent in the middle to cover his ears, and at about 4'2" his shirt and pants had at least a year before they would fit him perfectly.
As Brandon competed for a spot on the back seat with my dog, who outweighed him by 40 pounds, we talked about the fact that all he wanted to do was get out and fish and hunt. His father said that's all he would do if his mom and dad would let him, and I figured that was the truth.
He didn't say much, but as conversation turned to bird migration and food plots, Brandon just seemed to soak it all in, storing it in his memory for a day when he could use this information. As we cruised the Wabash River heading toward our hunting spot, Brandon's head just turned left to right, and his eyes lit up at every bird that flew by, and every fish that jumped. I could tell he was loving where he was, which was about as far from the city as he could imagine.
He carried his hunting and fishing license in his pocket like it was badge, or maybe a membership card into an exclusive group he'd wanted to be a part of for years, and could whip it out to show everyone that he was outdoorsman. But the one thing he didn't bring was a gun.
His father said he wanted Brandon to watch that day, and that's exactly what he did. He sat next to his father and scanned the skies for birds. Not a barn swallow, killdeer, or meadowlark slipped by unnoticed, but the dove were no where to be found that day. As much as I wanted to put them on some birds, the cold weather had pushed them south, and we ended up with an empty game bag.
That didn't matter to Brandon. He never once complained, he never once said, "Man, I wish there were some birds." He was just happy to be sitting on that sandbar, in the middle of nowhere, with no doves. On the way home, he mentioned how much fun he had, and how he can't wait until deer season because his father was going to let him deer hunt. His enthusiasm about just getting out was contagious and my own mind began to drift toward opening day of waterfowl season, and I knew that kids like Brandon will be the future of outdoor sports. Their enthusiasm, coupled with their appreciation for wildlife and habitat will be the next greatest generation of conservationists and outdoorsmen.
If you know a kid that would love to get in the field, Indiana Department of Natural Resources now offers a Youth Waterfowl Day. The local area day to take a kid hunting is November 5-6. The youth must be accompanied by a licensed person, 18 or older. The bag limits remain the same, but this provides an opportunity for younger hunters to get in the field and have a good hunt before the pressure from other hunters affect the birds. It could be a great day to introduce a kid to hunting.
As we rode back home that night after dove hunting, Brandon mentioned that he was heading back to his parents' cabin, and he was going to fish all night for catfish. Then he said, "If I could, I would hunt all day and fish all night every day."
I believed him, because I would too, if I could. But having an 11-year-old show so much passion for being in the outdoors, made the future of hunting and fishing a little brighter in my eyes.