Teaching Hunting is Kid Stuff

Cal Sportsman ^ | 12/13/2015 | Tim E Hovey

[w1n1]

African proverbs have it that it takes a village to raise a child. While this statement may be somewhat antiquated in today's "all about me" society, I still see great value in this adage when it comes to teaching kids to hunt. Nowhere in the outdoor world is this more evident than in a youth pheasant hunt put on by our state's resource agency.

I frequently attend these free youth and family pheasant hunts put on by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife during the fall. I go purely as an observer and really look forward to watching the joy and excitement of the participating kids as the day unfolds.

THESE HUNTS ARE geared towards introducing kids to the exciting world of upland game hunting. To dramatically increase the potential for success and to introduce first-time junior hunters to the thrill of flushing game, pheasants are planted for each hunt in nearby fields. During hunter orientation, volunteers head out to the assigned fields and carefully release the birds for the young hunters.

While the ringnecks are being stocked, the new hunters attend an orientation given by the event's coordinator, Nicholas Betchel. Nick goes over what he expects during the coordinated hunt and strongly suggests that kids and parents alike follow the safety rules and the code of conduct. Already dressed in blaze orange, the young hunters pay close attention to the instruction. Read the rest of the story here.

[5th MEB]

Took my son and daughter to one of these about 30 years ago.
They are both dedicated (rabid?) upland bird hunters now.
According to both of them daddy can’t do anything right (politically), guess they both forgot that part.
It was a great day (and many thereafter), the boy got 2 birds and the girl got 3.
We had all manner of pheasant for supper for several weeks after.