TALES FROM THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Bring ‘em Along and It Will Grow

By GERRY SWANSON

It seems everywhere in the sporting world, regardless of the innovations to every nuance of hunting and fishing, one constant message rings loudest:We need to get more kids involved.

Do not be fooled. Our sporting passion will be taken from us if hunter numbers continue to dwindle. The young hunters, as they always have, represent the best avenue to keep our traditions going.
Many of us have good intentions of making our sons, daughters and grandkids our hunting buddies. But lets face it, life is busy.

Kids are into everything as they always have been. But the modern grade-schooler is bombarded with more distractions than ever. It used to be you chose a sport and that was it, maybe two. Now it’s year-long baseball, soccer martial arts etc.. And on the so called “downtime” kids have their noses in one of a host of electronic devices.

If hunting is to become a part of their lives starting early is the key. And I mean early. Start off slowly teaching gun safety maybe shooting lessons.If at all possible, never turn down the young hunter when he asks to go, and end the hunt when his attention starts to wane.

Encourage his interest in hunting, but don’t force it. Some days he may not want to go, and that’s fine.
Show and teach respect for the game you collect, and let him/her help clean it and maybe even help prepare it for the table. We eat what we shoot.

Don’t fixate on taking a limit, stress the enjoyment of just being out there. Bring plenty of snacks. Kids are bottomless pits. Don’t get caught up in the go big or go home, that we need a trophy or a limit of ducks.

Unfortunately, some people never evolve beyond the kill and brag stage. For them a hunting trip can’t be successful unless they shed blood of the big trophy.

Letting kids enjoy the excitement of the hunt doesn’t matter much either. When hunting with kids, its important to be a hunter, not a killer, at least on those early hunts with children who are still in that “hope I get to shoot” stage. For a few hours suppress your killing instinct. Leave your gun at home. Help the kids.

Again teach them firearm safety. Teach them hunting ethics. Teach them woodsmanship. And let them do the shooting, even if it means losing some game.

Do your best to make those early experiences exciting and fun. That’s the best way to ensure that children evolve into true hunters who value every second of every day spent in the great outdoors, even when no game is taken. Its the best way to ensure the tradition of hunting is carried on.

This year I was so blessed to have my son, grandson, and wife on my deer and elk hunt. It was maybe one of the best hunts I have taken in my life.
My five year old grandson Paden showed me he was going to continue the tradition in our family. He helped clean and cut the legs off.

I did learn however I need to bring more snacks. He was a human vacuum. And during the hunt he informed me that grandma was boss.(Still don’t know how much he was paid).
I just hope he learned, like I did from my grandfather and dad and uncles.

Next year Austyn gets to go. I hope all my gran kids become hunters…in the great outdoors