hunters challenge - take one new hunter out or mentor one every 2 years

Everyone seems to acknowledge that the #'s are going down. I visited or spoke to 5 camps in the Dacre area and heard the same thing. The youngest member in the camp was in their late 40's or early 50's and the average age >60!!!!
If you want to revitalize the sport -- bring a new hunter out every second year. It is nice to have family join you but what about those hunters from families that do not hunt????? MY CHALLENGE TO YOU IS TO BRING OUT A NEW HUNTER EVERY 2 YEARS!!! Take a chance - if it does not work out for the group - well at least you started them in the right direction. New hunters bring in the fun and energy --besides to them the deer hunt stories we tell are new and exciting.
I would like to twist the OOD magazine's arm to start a Mentor -New hunter bulleting board adv. section. It is time to resuscitate our sport and each of us has something to offer.

Just my 2 cents and I will get off the soap box.

No doubt a very good idea, besides you always need some young muscle for the manual work and most are always willing.

I agree with this post. There are a many people who would love to go hunt and would be hooked if they get a good opportunity to go with experienced hunters. There are a lot of people who don't know any one at all who hunts and have to start by them selves. I'm doing that right now, but i could see how this could discourage a lot of folks.

I am a new hunter and welcome the opportunity to go for a hunt. Looking for anyone interested in duck or small game in Burlington/Hamilton area.

pbonura

ya im 16 and im hunting. I agree with the mucsle thing havent shot a deer personally this year yet ive gutted 3 and draged 4 or 5 out this year.

I've got a 12 yr old neighbour that I'm coaching along with his shooting. I took him out with me for a hunt last winter during the ML season. He had a ball, well he actually fell asleep in the chair and snored..kinda funny. He comes over with his dad to target shoot on my range and is coming along nicely.

Our camp has bought in 2 new young guys over the past 3 yrs. They do really 'add' to the camp, the rest of us are 50+ so nice to have them liven things up. We nearly sacred them away last year when talk at the table turned to ‘drugs’..the ones everyone is taking for heart, blood, diabetes and the assortment of other medical stuff guys over 50 get inflicted with. Comparing the colours of the pills they were taking.

One young guy finally piped up and asked us for a story about a great ‘Buck’ hunt. Sort of snapped us back into what we should be talking about at camp.

took our neighbour's kid out for turkey this spring (he was observing) he fell asleep and snored too....said sleeping under the tree was the best sleep he'd had in months! we've taken him out for deer a few times this fall, he's learning how to sit still-not too successfully YET, but he'll get it-he's having a blast, last time we were out he had a squirrel 2 feet from him, and we saw a great blue heron and a hawk....things he's seeing for the first time ever. skeet shooting with him this weekend he's into the youth hunt pheasant hunt day on the 28th this month. he's getting the clay shooting down pretty well-hitting some, having fun with the 20g. hubby will be doing more clays this weekend with him. we get him out duck and goose hunting, and later this winter he'll be out bunny hunting with us too. he's pretty shy still about calling (doesn't want to sound like a non-duck....then i call, and he's not so shy anymore-i'm not a great duck caller by any stretch, so it makes it human for him).

we're already going to mentor his brother when he's old enough too....but he still has a bit of growing (both emotionally and physically) to do, maybe next year or the year after.
it's great to be able to give the kids a chance (their parents don't hunt). one of the absolute BEST things was this young fellow got a youth apprenticeship hunting scholarship to pay for the courses from a program that was started by Thomas Pigeon, it's a scholarship for families that can't afford to send the kids to the courses, and it paid enough for him to take the one stop course. we supplemented the amount-they pay up to a max $ value and bought his text books, that was it. it was really great, because the parents would not accept us paying for the course for the kids and they don't have the money, and without that scholarship it wouldn't have happened.

if you are interested in the scholarship-it's listed on the OHEP.net site, under youth hunting apprenticeship program under "programs" in the top bar menu. it's for families that have financial difficulty in coming up with the money to pay for the courses-it's for hunter apprenticeships-so kids 12 to 16 years old if i remember correctly. the kids have to write an essay on why they want to hunt, and parents fill in a bit about their income. they pay the monies directly to the course teacher and will cover costs for the OHEP or the one-stop course, and passing is not a requirement-so if for whatever reason they fail they don't have to repay the money.
definitely worth the look if you know of any kids that want to hunt/get their licenses but the parents cannot afford it.

I feel that is a great idea coming from a family of non hunters I don't really know where to turn to .
I took the one stop program earlier this year and now looking for the a mentor to show me the ropes of hunting.I possibly have a couple of turkey spots lined up for the spring hunt but need to get permission first.

It would be great to have this mentoring program/idea a part of the hunter safety program or something of that nature, having said that since I have moved to the south I always here about poor or aging camp numbers however for the life of me can not find a camp to even join or for them to try me out. Heck I would even rent out the cabin for say a weekend or two here and there. There are a few of us looking however no such luck. So I agree the average age of hunters is probably pretty high but it seems the camps will die off with them if no one is given a chance.

Have posted the following notice in town:
"interested in hunting? established group of hunters looking to add 1-2 new members. our group hunts small & upland game locally and deer hunts in north eastern ontario. we are committed to introducing NEW HUNTERS to the sport. we are a group of professionals (medical & civil) and are responsible sportsmen who believe it is our responsibility to ensure the sport continues. If you are interested please call:
You must have or are in the process of completing your hunters safety course & FAC. We are committed to safety, ethical sportsmanship and mentoring new hunters"

will let you know what happens.