For a few years there, a while back, I found myself fretting about young hunters, and that “future of hunting” stuff we so often cuss and discuss. Where were the youngsters? Why weren’t they out there with parents, grandparents or some adult mentor? Now, I’m thinking maybe it was just some sort of cyclical pattern.
Most everywhere I looked over the weekend, there was a kid on the ground, walking through the woods with an adult, or salivating over firearms and ammo while his dad made a purchase at one or another of our local sporting goods hot spots. A couple homeys were in a happy conversation about how – finally – their son and daughter were old enough for an armed walk in the woods with the big guys. Maybe I can relax a bit.
Monday, Homey Bill Boyum was all smiles on the phone. His grandson, Nate, had finally reached the right age/stage for a deer hunt. Nate finished his Basic Hunter Education class (and demonstrated that he could safely handle and accurately fire a proper rifle) just in time to go get his first deer license. Grandpa and Nate hunted some friendly ground out of Goldendale, saw plenty of deer, and came home with the kind of stories we hunters have been sharing for millennia. Tagged deer? Hmmm… I may have forgotten to ask. Does it matter?
Over the decades, I’m guessing that the vast majority of my most memorable hunts have involved armed walks afield with my sons or daughters – my Hucklings. Three of them became hunters of some note, and the rest eagerly looked forward to tagging along on our various hunting trips. I’ve been asked many times how I got them so connected to the rhythms of nature and food and sustenance, and my answer is nearly always “All I did was create a space for them to interact at their own pace, and they did the rest.” I was there when Tim, Michelle and Edward first made meat for our family, identifying and filling some small niche in the scheme of life on our planet.
A decade or so ago, someone sent me a link to one of rocker Ted Nugent’s essays, “Inspire a Child into the Wild.” While I wasn’t deeply into his music, I had long been, and still am, a huge fan of the work he has done to live his passion for hunting and kids and the earth. I can’t say it any better than Ted did in that essay, so I submit some excerpts for your reading pleasure.
“(T)here was no formula that I adhered to. Rather, it was a deeply thought out process along the way in order to optimize the chances that they would pursue this outdoor lifestyle with me, that has brought me so much enjoyment, excitement, happiness and gratification. All life comes from beyond the pavement, and our call to stewardship of these precious life giving renewable resources runs strong and deep. For if a father fails to bring these lessons of reality and elements of accountability into his family’s life, what good has he accomplished?
“Certainly, my exhilaration upon merely seeing game is contagious. I have made it a point to raise my family on wonderful, game rich wildground, thereby maximizing the sightings that can be shared and talked about together. The first word out of my kid’s mouths has always been ‘deer,’ as they pointed out the window or along a trail together with mom and dad. Watching wildlife shows on TV together as a family and exploring easy access wildground as often as possible brings the dynamic of wildlife encounters to the forefront of children’s young minds. As wildlife habitat faces the growing curse of development and destruction, these beyond the pavement areas for introduction are becoming harder and harder to find and access. This is why efforts and programs to save wildground are so important today. JOIN DU, RMEF, Pheasants Forever, Trout Unlimited, Quail Unlimited and any other organization you can afford. Habitat progress is job One!
“Most importantly, I did not push my children to hunt. I always made it available to them, even gently prodding and encouraging them to join me everytime I went afield, but never to the point of force or pressure. I shared the thrills of each and every hunt in stories and photos, and made it a point to let them know every night at the dinner table, ‘you should have been there! It was really cool!’
“Over the years, I tried to get them to join me on the easier maneuvers. Break them in gently. Comfortable temperatures and conditions were always more alluring than stormy, wet, cold and nasty mornings in the duckblind! But I did make it a point to let them experience the joys of ma nature’s wrath as well. There is nothing more wonderful than coming back to a warm, cozy cabin
or lodge or tent, wet, cold and beat, changing into fresh, dry clothes and sipping a steaming bowl of soup or chili around a roaring fireplace or campfire. That is heaven on earth and everybody enjoys it immensely. They always gaze into the fire and hear the call.”
Find a number of Ted’s essays, along with links to his kids’ outdoor camps and his family’s adventures at www.tednugent.com.
So, here’s to all those parents, grandparents, and adult mentors bringing along the young hunters who will secure our outdoor future!
[Photo of Dad Jim congratulating Huckling Tim on his first deer…]
