Taking Out New Hunters

[elkhunter11]

A friend decided to get into hunting last year, and one of his coworkers who supposedly knew about goose hunting took him out and they were unsuccessful. I asked a few questions after, and it turned out they simply threw bare layout blinds onto a field, no brushing of blinds,and zero prescouting for geese, so his coworker really had no clue about goose hunting, and they didn't kill any geese. At that time, I told him that if he came out to skeet, and broke 15/25, I would get him out on a hunt this year. He and his daughter came to skeet a few times this summer, he managed a 15/25, and yesterday was his first actual goose hunt. A single snow came in, so the rest of us held fire, and let the new guy shoot, and one shot, and the bird fell. Then a single Canada came in and again we held fire, and his first Canada goose was on the ground. Most of the geese from Saturday night went elsewhere, but we did shoot 15 geese and 27 mallards, so it was still a fun morning, with plenty of shooting. My friend totally enjoyed his first goose hunt, and now his 13 year old daughter did her course, and the plan is for her to get a partner license to fill another friends antlerless mule deer tag.
Personally, I haven't filled a tag in four years, all four of my draw tags were filled by youth hunters, or a friend with partner licenses, and new hunters shot the deer I could have killed with my regular tags. I find that I get more excited when new hunters harvest an animal, than when I harvest it myself.
My only requirements for the new hunters that I take out, is that they learn the regulations, and that they can safely handle a firearm, and have enough shooting skills to ethically harvest game.

[Stinky Buffalo]

That's truly awesome, Elk.

I get ribbed by my friends for not shooting anything for a while now (one fellow would tell our co-workers that the safest thing in the woods when I'm out hunting is a deer...)

But that's largely because I've been focusing on getting the kids out, teaching them about the woods, and not just about shooting (letting them have the shot), but about animal behaviour, sign, etc. as well as basic survival and bear/predator awareness.

That's been the rewarding side of it for me. More so than filling my personal tag.

Of course, now the kids are getting a bit cocky, mixed with sympathy... "Awwww, let Dad take the shot..."

This year my youngest pulled a moose tag in 936. I get to partner with him. This will be fun!

A new phase in our hunting has begun.

[slough shark]

Me and some of my friends have been taking youth and new hunters out for 15-20 years now, had a lot of great trips where we have had probably 20 some odd hunters take their first animals. It’s always a good time seeing guys take their deer or moose, watching their excitement, camp is always a good time and the game pole is always full.