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WATERFOWL HUNTING LEGACY
When I first moved to Indiana from the West Coast, I hunted alone. My family was still in California and I only knew a few local folks. While the hunting was good, it wasn't as much fun not being able to share it with others. So, I started inviting people to hunt with me; surprisingly, most of them had never hunted waterfowl! Once our family relocated to Indiana, I had two young grandsons to introduce to hunting, specifically waterfowling. Each year, since 1998, my local hunting partner and I have introduced hunters to waterfowl hunting. Some had hunted deer, but "goose hunting" was a new adventure for them. While the majority of these hunters are youngsters and new to all hunting, several are over fifty years old! While it is still a thrill to have your plans and work pay off with a successful harvest, there is certainly more to the hunt than the kill. We teach appreciation for the "whole process", which includes the preparation; i.e., scouting, equipment and sportsmanship. We give each hunter a "Drake" ball cap and demonstrate the features and benefits of the Drake products. Most of them have purchased Drake items within days of their first hunt. Since there is so much to learn, we are careful not to "overload" the youngsters with too much detail regarding decoys, blind placement and wind direction. Our initial goal is to emphasize team work, safety and respect for all animals, land and fellow hunters. We also try to make the first hunt easy, comfortable and FUN. We usually take the younger folks to the trap/skeet range before we hunt. We explain that "shooting and killing" may validate your shooting skill, but it doesn't make you a hunter! The Early Youth Season is designed to give young people a chance to hunt with much less competition and "to build the ranks of the next generation". My partner and I try to take three to six new young hunters to the field each year. In fact, we had a young man with us in January who harvested a banded Drake Mallard and this was his first duck hunt! This is an event, he will always remember and certainly a great joy for those of us who witnessed it! If you cannot locate any youngsters, try contacting Ducks Unlimited "Greenwings" in your area and offer to participate in their activities. For the past several years, I have given "dog retrieving" demonstrations at Greenwing Days in our area. You can also contact your DNR and volunteer to assist them with their scheduled youth training and hunt day activities. What will be your "hunting legacy"? You can make a difference! Your biggest thrill may be "taking a kid" hunting! |
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