ORIGINAL: SilverKype

ORIGINAL: DarDys

ORIGINAL: S-10

Ask Dardys about the long waiting line of kids wanting to go on a free guided ringneck hunt with champion pointers? I would have killed for the chance at that age as would have most of my classmates. 96% of hunters are deer hunters and bemoaning that fact won't change it.

The morning includes archery shooting,

Did you tell them archers have too long to hunt ?

ORIGINAL: bulldog1

Would have loved to get my son to that hunt DarDys, but with the soccer team in the playoffs and football team headed there we haven't had much time to hunt... Can't say I don't like them being in the playoffs though...

ORIGINAL: RSB

The local Pheasants Forever Chapter 630 also sponsors a mentored pheasant hunt on the opening day of the youth season. Their event is held on a section of SGL # 44 that is managed primarily for small game with emphasis on pheasants. The Game Commission stocks all of the pheasants available for the season the day before the youth pheasant season.
 
This year there were over 50 youth signed up and participated in the mentored youth hunt and all but about 4 of them harvested at least one bird even though many shot nearly a box of shells to get a bird. Some harvested their limit quickly but most missed a number of birds before harvesting one or two.
 
Unlike DarDys’ experiences though I didn’t see any youth that had any thoughts of quitting after their day a field on the game lands with quality mentors, dogs and dog handlers. Most of the youth at our local event couldn’t wait for their next opportunity to hunt and many were lining up hunts with the dog handlers for later in the week and throughout the regular season.
 
I guess the local Pheasants Forever folks just know how to inspire youth into wanting to be a hunter. I am trying to provide a link to the photos from the day. Hopefully it works. If it does take a look and tell me there are happy kids in those photos.
 
[color=#800080 size=3]http://pheasantsforeverncpa630.shutterfly.com/4

There are a couple hundred pictures that you can scoll through in that album.

R.S. Bodenhorn 

ORIGINAL: RSB

The local Pheasants Forever Chapter 630 also sponsors a mentored pheasant hunt on the opening day of the youth season. Their event is held on a section of SGL # 44 that is managed primarily for small game with emphasis on pheasants. The Game Commission stocks all of the pheasants available for the season the day before the youth pheasant season.
 
This year there were over 50 youth signed up and participated in the mentored youth hunt and all but about 4 of them harvested at least one bird even though many shot nearly a box of shells to get a bird. Some harvested their limit quickly but most missed a number of birds before harvesting one or two.
 
Unlike DarDys’ experiences though I didn’t see any youth that had any thoughts of quitting after their day a field on the game lands with quality mentors, dogs and dog handlers. Most of the youth at our local event couldn’t wait for their next opportunity to hunt and many were lining up hunts with the dog handlers for later in the week and throughout the regular season.
 
I guess the local Pheasants Forever folks just know how to inspire youth into wanting to be a hunter. I am trying to provide a link to the photos from the day. Hopefully it works. If it does take a look and tell me there are happy kids in those photos.
 
[color=#800080 size=3]http://pheasantsforeverncpa630.shutterfly.com/4

There are a couple hundred pictures that you can scoll through in that album.

R.S. Bodenhorn 

ORIGINAL: dpms

IMO, there is nothing better for getting kids in the woods.  Unfortunately, in todays world, many adults just don't want to take the time then they blame it on no deer.

"I was getting worried. Thought you left town, Wayne."

ORIGINAL: DarDys

ORIGINAL: SilverKype

Did he hurt yer fillins, Shawn ? I'm not sure that was his intent. You are a good guide and excellent mentor. All of the hunting community appreciates your volunteer time and efforts.

Not, not really.  I was actually being quite serious.  And his intent is neither here nor there with regard to my reply.

I have done the youth pheasant hunts since their inception, both on the PGC stocked youth hunts and preserve youth hunts -- with mixed results.  Those kids that were interested in hunting upland birds were interested in continuing to do so and I took some of them during the regular season, on subsequent youth hunts, and even to a preserve (paid for out of my own pocket); those that were interested in hunting in general, but not upland birds in particular (their parents were deer and tukey hunters) may have continued to hunt, but really had no further interest in upland birds and did not want to go after pheasants during the regular season or particpate in another youth hunt; and those who went because their parents wanted them to do so, didn't stick with hunting at all.

So perhaps it is time to turn over the youth effort to an organization like Pheasants Forever working in concert with the PGC that seems to be having better luck.

ORIGINAL: RSB
 
I think fewer of the kids today are ever introduced to hunting though. I also think a lot of kids that are perhaps interested in hunting get turned off to the sport by negative comments they here from various public and their mentors.
 
I really believe that negative hunters and attitudes are among the BIGGEST threats to the future of hunting, hunter recruitment and hunter retention.
 

ORIGINAL: RSB

ORIGINAL: DarDys

ORIGINAL: SilverKype

Did he hurt yer fillins, Shawn ? I'm not sure that was his intent. You are a good guide and excellent mentor. All of the hunting community appreciates your volunteer time and efforts.

Not, not really.  I was actually being quite serious.  And his intent is neither here nor there with regard to my reply.

I have done the youth pheasant hunts since their inception, both on the PGC stocked youth hunts and preserve youth hunts -- with mixed results.  Those kids that were interested in hunting upland birds were interested in continuing to do so and I took some of them during the regular season, on subsequent youth hunts, and even to a preserve (paid for out of my own pocket); those that were interested in hunting in general, but not upland birds in particular (their parents were deer and tukey hunters) may have continued to hunt, but really had no further interest in upland birds and did not want to go after pheasants during the regular season or particpate in another youth hunt; and those who went because their parents wanted them to do so, didn't stick with hunting at all.

So perhaps it is time to turn over the youth effort to an organization like Pheasants Forever working in concert with the PGC that seems to be having better luck.

Sorry to hear that you don’t want to mentor kids in the future. That is a decision only you can make but not taking a kid hunting certainly isn’t going to inspire more kids to be a hunter.
 
If there was anything negative in my post that was directed toward you it was the way you painted such a negative picture of today’s youth toward hunting. I am not seeing anything different about youth having an interest in hunting today then what I saw thirty or forty years ago provided the youth are introduced to hunting in a positive manner.
 
I think fewer of the kids today are ever introduced to hunting though. I also think a lot of kids that are perhaps interested in hunting get turned off to the sport by negative comments they here from various public and their mentors.
 
I know when I was a new hunter I sometimes had to hunt with a negative attitude relative, if I want to get out on some days. If he had been the only hunting mentor available to me I doubt I would have stayed with hunting because he was just so negative about just about everything. One of things made perfectly clear to the Pheasants Forever members and mentors prior to the youth hunts is that the whole day is about having fun with family, friends and other hunters; we don’t care if no birds get harvested but we want the kids to have a positive experience about being with people who enjoy not only hunting but sharing their time with other hunters and watching the dogs work.
 
I really believe that negative hunters and attitudes are among the BIGGEST threats to the future of hunting, hunter recruitment and hunter retention.
 
I am not saying you are a negative person to hunt with, hopefully you aren’t. But, when you painted a negative picture of youth interest in hunting I simply can’t agree. I can’t agree because I have seen nothing but positive attitudes in the youth that have had the opportunity to attend one of the local events. In fact I could point out some really positive results that have come from mentoring youth into hunting in a positive manner.
 
R.S. Bodenhorn