Take A Kid Hunting

By Robert Lane

Bob Lane is a Licensed Master Maine Guide and photographer. He has also guided Caribou Hunters and Fishermen on float trips in Southwest Alaska.

Deer season in Maine is a longstanding tradition marked by cold, frosty mornings, treks through the pre-dawn darkness to a coveted tree stand, a swamp’s edge, or a favorite stand of hardwoods in quest of the elusive whitetail. Lifelong friends share the camaraderie of hunting camp with stories of seasons past, traditional, hearty early morning breakfasts with strong coffee, and enough fat and cholesterol to fuel a skidder.

As a kid, I was fortunate enough to have a father who brought me up in the forests, and on the lakes and rivers of Katahdin Country. We fished, hunted, and trapped together throughout my youth. Every year after the annual hunter’s breakfast at the VFW, opening day found us in the woods for a day-long hunt. During those days afield my father took the time to teach me about firearms safety, reading sign, compass use, and the features of the country we were hunting in.

Times have changed since those days. Single parent families and fathers in absentia are more prevalent than they were in my youth. Today’s kids live in an era of instant gratification via the internet, text messaging, computer games and cell phones. Many of them spend little or no time in the great outdoors. They miss out on the opportunity to gain an appreciation of nature and the development of a sportsman’s code of ethics. Learning to adhere to fish and game laws, firearms regulations, safety, and respect for landowners, results in the development of sound sportsman’s ethics. These basic principles, as they relate to fishing and hunting, can go a long way towards the development of broader based ethics and values that are transferable to everyday living.

Over the years I’ve come to appreciate all of the benefits and enjoyment that my outdoor experiences have provided to me thanks to my father, without whom I might never have experienced the outdoor heritage. I now make it a practice to take a kid hunting each fall. Most of these kids are anxious to hunt, but for a variety of reasons don’t get the opportunity, primarily because they are still at the ages where they must be accompanied by a licensed adult. It’s been a rewarding experience for me, as well as them. A young fellow that I accompanied on this year’s Youth Day, told me that he would have been hanging around the house that day, playing on the computer, because he had no one to take him out. At the end of the hunt he thanked me, asked if we could go again and said he’d like to get a “Big Buck this year”. Due to his enthusiasm, attention to safety, and respect for the law that I coached him on prior to going out, this young man will be welcome to hunt with me for years to come

There are many kids in the Katahdin region that want to hunt this fall, however some won’t get the opportunity for the reasons I’ve stated above. If you can find one of these kids take them out with you. They are the key to preserving the future of our outdoor heritage.

If the young man or woman is someone you think you can work with, let them know your expectations. First and foremost always stress safety, for their sake and everyone else’s. I emphasize target identification and knowing what’s beyond. If the two don’t add up, I won’t let them take the shot. If the newcomer to the sport hasn’t taken a hunter safety course, help them get enrolled in one. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife publishes the course schedules on their website, (http://www.maine.gov/ifw/). These courses provide a wealth of information from safe firearm handling techniques to basic survival skills.

Be sure to take the fledgling hunter to the range and let them shoot and get comfortable with their firearm. They should be familiar with all aspects of the gun they’ll be using. Part of my preparation with kids who haven’t had much experience is to teach them about shot placement, and the vital zones of deer and other game that they are going to hunt. I want them to feel confident that they can make a quick clean kill. This comes with practice and reinforcement, both on the range and in the woods. It’s not fair to the budding nimrod to take them into the woods if they have no hope of hitting a target, nor is it fair to the game that may end up wounded, and suffer a wasteful death.

The Hunter Safety course combined with the above basics will hopefully instill a sense of responsibility to the game that these newcomers are hunting, as well as to the people they hunt with. As the young hunter progresses, I work with them on woodcraft, tracking, pre-season scouting, feeding areas and other information that I think might enhance their enjoyment of hunting. Map and compass work is covered in the hunter safety course, but it’s a good idea to practice it with them in the field. It’s one of the things that is easily forgotten if it isn’t used regularly. Being able to use a compass in conjunction with a map gives one confidence that they can navigate through, and find their way out of the woods. It can also save a life.

Not all kids can sit for hours on stand. Others don’t have the patience to do a lot of walking at a snails pace in hopes of seeing game. I like to mix it up so the young hunter can determine what works for them. An explanation of the benefits of each method and the type of terrain where it is most effective, keeps hunting interesting, and increases their chance of success. It’s especially important to emphasize that they are not always going to see an entire animal, especially in thick cover. I coach kids to look for an ear, an eye, an antler that is reflecting sunlight, a leg or some other part of the animal. Again we are addressing the interest and success factors for the youthful hunter.

Most kids love to hunt deer, but the whitetail isn’t the only species on the planet. Different kids like to hunt different species. I have a young niece who has no interest in deer hunting, but she loves to hunt partridge. Five years ago I took a kid deer hunting for several seasons in a row. He now lives to hunt turkeys, ducks and upland game birds.

The pursuit of grouse, rabbits, turkeys, bear, and coyotes in addition to deer, provides great sport and challenge to any outdoorsman, whether they are sixteen or sixty years old. Those of us who are experienced hunters should take the time this year, and in the years to come, to take a kid hunting. You’ll make a lifelong friend, help preserve our hunting heritage and be pleasantly surprised with the rewards that you experience as a result of your efforts.