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Where are the young hunters??

JohnR

New member
Joined
Feb 25, 2001
Messages
4
Location
Oakdale CA
I have hunted a very long time and in lots of places for big game to birds and anymore all I see is gray hair. Three years ago a wounded spike elk came by me after some shooting way up the ridge. The elk wasn't hit hard so I finished him with my 340. I waited about half an hour to see if the other hunter would follow up his shot and find the blood trail. Then I saw them, a Dad and his son coming down the blood trail. He was showing his son the blood spots and really taking his time and doing it right. I remember long ago my Dad doing the same thing with me and I think I had a tear in my eye watching them. When they got to the spike that boy was so thrilled you couldn't believe it! As I walked down to them I was thinking this is what hunting IS all about. The Dad and son thanked me for finishing the spike. I thanked the Dad for taking his son hunting and how good it was for both of them and the memories they would have. The Dad told me his name was Ed........my Dad's name was Ed. Never did get a Elk that year but it was the best hunt I've had in a very long time. I sure hope we have some Eds out there.
Are we the end of the line? Where are the young ones?
John
 
John, good topic. I am glad to see you have good ethics and didn't try to claim that elk as yours/ A lot of guys wouldn't have cared and would have ruined that dad nad sons hunt. It may have been the end of the young mans hunting career otherwise. I have a 14 year old boy who has hunted with me the last 3 years. I'm taking him on a guided hunt this fall in WY.

I will never forget his first deer. I was so proud. It is something we will never forget.

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Live to Hunt-Terry aka Coydog.
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JohnR,

Thanks for sharing the story. I remember
growing up and thinking of the day I would
be old enough to hunt. My Dad, who was and
still is a great Dad didn't hunt, and couldn't handle the thought of killing an
animal. I tryed to understand, and found
myself trying to hunt with a couple of good
friends who lived nearby. The really cool thing was the fathers of these boys took pity
on me and took me along like I was one of their own. I'll never forget it. I am blessed
with 2 young daughters. If they choose to hunt, I'll be really excited to share the
time together. If not, theres plenty of other
activities to share. If I come across some
young lad who really wants to hunt and is
willing to go thru our hunter ed course and
follow the rules, I would be thrilled to
bring someone into the sport I truly love.
I remember how someone made a sacifice to
make time to include me in their plans, I
hope I get the opportunity to do the same.

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I am 22 years old and have a 3 yr. old son That went hunting with we last year and he had a ball. He asks we almost every day if we are going to go. He also helped me gut out my deer this year, didn't worry about the blood or nothing. It was one of the best days of my life. My dad did everything with me and I want to do the same for my son.

Cathunt
 
Spotted- I can understand what those guys did for you. I have a friend that never hunted but me and my father started taking him with us all the time and now he kills a nice deer every year. I know that this may not be right, but I take some sort of pride in every deer he kills because I am the one who started him on the path. Now he has gotten his brother and another friend into hunting, which is a GREAT thing.
 
John R., Welcome to the forums.

Where are all the young hunters you are asking... Well, there's one here, but I think the rest are to busy programing computers or chasing girls to be hunting. It's too bad that not many have ever hunted or that they'd rather be doing other stuff. I know there's knowhere else I'd rather be than in the woods, but some fail to ever soak up the experience. For me it has been a great experience with my dad even though he didn't start deer hunting till I begged him to go. I was a great experience learning to hunt with my dad as he was learning to hunt at the same time. We both followed our first bloodtrail together and that is something that was a memorable experience. I think it is important to make kids realize that hunting is not going and killing, but just as the name says "hunting". To many kids want instant success and when they don't see a deer one day hunting becomes stupid. I know, I have felt that way before but because I enjoyed myself overall anyhow I still headed out in pursuit of game.

BTW- For a hunting site created by youth click the link in my signature. That's where the die hard youth hunters hang out!

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~Dan~
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Click Here to visit "The Junior Hunter Online Magazine"
 
John....there chasing girls!
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...we covered that over in the deer section recently!
DS
 
DGF I was checking out your website recently and its a good start. Glad to see something like this for the teenage hunters. Guess I should let my son have the puter sometime and get him involved. Its also nice having you here at Moosies. You give great input from a younger perspective. Even though i didn't know your age til a few weeks a go.
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Take care and keep up the good work. The future of this sport is in your generations hands. Hats off to you.
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Live to Hunt-Terry aka Coydog.
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Kind of intresting, i started back hunting after I got maried. I also got my dad bacck hunting this year, and my brother is going back hunting again this fall.

John
 
We also brought our son up hunting.Before he was old enough to get his lic. he had already been in the field with us on many long hard hunts.He new how to shoot and had been shooting jug's and paper to get practice.Now he is married with 2 kid's and they also will be given the chance to hunt and fish.Haveing a hunting wife has helped as they do this as a family.Our 5 1/2 year old graddaughter crys when she cant go out with us.


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Debbie
 
Welcome cougarguy,It sure is nice to see the younger folk's in here posting. We sure need all of you to help the sport stay alive. Keep up the posting and good luck hunting.

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Debbie
 
John, et al, I have taught Hunter Ed in Arizona about 6 of the last 11 years. Each class I am amazed at the number of kids between 7 and 15 that are in those classes. Bare in mind that they can't hunt and they can't even get a Hunter Ed card until they are 10. So the kids are there. Another thing about these kids that is worth mentioning, is that most of them are girls. Girls at the age when boys should be what they are thinking most about. (11 to 14) Don't anyone get froggy, that was not a crack about girls, that was a comment about their interest in hunting.
I think the future of our sport is fairly secure from the participation aspect. Now it's up to us old farts to be sure that these kids have a place to hunt, game to chase, and something to hunt with.
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Dan AZ www.huntandlodge.com
 
I might be a good idea after hearing (reading) these posting, if someone were to start a mentor program. I know that I have heard from a few new hunters (young ones) who would love to know more about hunting and have someone to hunt with. One of these fellows is a young man named Justin who is looking for someone to teach him how to hunt bear and perhaps be willing to take him on a hunt. I gave him all the tips I could but so far haven't found him anyone to hunt with. He's from Wisconsin (I believe). If anyone of you would like to help him out, please let me know. I am working at trying to get an Alberta hunt for him but to hunt in Alberta he would be considered a non-resident-alien and can only hunt with a guide and outfitter which is too expensive for him. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks.

I started hunting with a 22 when I was in grade school. We were taught how to handle a gun and if we broke the rules, we would not be allowed to use the 22 again for a very long time. We never broke the rules - it was such a privilege to be given the honor of using it. My dad also took my sister and me with him at times but that was only when bird hunting. He took my brother game hunting. There's nothing like learning to appreciate and respect nature while you are young. I'm so glad I had that opportunity.

SHERRI
 
My wife and I had only girls and I thought I would never have a hunting partner that was family. 12 years ago my oldest daughter presented us with a grandson and he has been old enough to hunt for a couple of years. He is ready to go hunting anytime or anywhere. He has already killed deer, wild boar, and coyotes and has made my hunting so much more enjoyable. We better get all of the young ones hunting that we can because they are the future of our sport.
 
I have 4 sons, 3 of which are old enough to hunt and do. the baby now 2 was with me tracking and on my back while we were dragging out a friends bear when he was in his second fall. My oldest is 16 and has already got 3 bucks and a bear to his credit along with many pheasants. Taylor my 14 year old took his first deer this fall. The two older boys went to Iowa with my dad this last fall for the pheasant opener ( I had to work ) and the two boys handled our two britts by themselves, my dad went his own way, the two boys had 5 roosters the first day, best of all the dogs came back in great shape. To me hunting takes on a whole new meaning when you hunt with your kids.
 
tomarrow i will be taking my 6 year old boy to his first turkey calling contest. i am so thrilled, because he is so into it. he has been imitateing turkeys since he was 2 years old and it's hard to believe what he can do with his voice.

this is a great topic, hunting is my hobby and i really hope my kidds enjoy the HUNT as much as me.
 
At 33 I don't qualify as "young" but I am a new hunter -- and so is my wife (31). We never hunted before but somehow the bug bit us while watching trap shooters at our gun club.

I have to say it is difficult to be a "new" hunter unless you're young. The reason is that it is hard to learn all the necessary knowledge that "old time" hunters know -- unless you're their kid/friend of kid/nephew/niece, etc. Hunter Ed class is a good start but I really need to learn more about calling, tracking, and dressing game.

I need a "buddy" with all this knowledge but none of my friends hunt! In the meantime I'll have to learn via books & videos and by trial & error in the field.

[This message has been edited by ClonaKilty (edited 03-13-2001).]
 
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