Topics to teach youth hunters

[EMT40SW]

I did not go on my first hunt until my freshman year in college. This year my brother & I will bring along my niece age 17 & my nephew age 11. I'm seeking advise to prepare these two for safe future hunting but also woodsmanship advise that crosses over to many outdoor hobbies & seasons. I have already been working with them for a few years on firearms safety & proper handling. Thank you in advanced & remember new youth hunters are future pro-gun voters.

 

[Captcurt]

Give them a lesson in anatomy. They need to know where to place the bullet at different angles. When a friend told his nephew to shoot a deer behind the shoulder the kid asked which shoulder, the front or the back? True story.

 

[Andrew Leigh]

Safety.
Markmanship on the range.
Marksmanship from field shooting positions.

Respect and an understanding of nature.
Learning what animals betray your position.
Learning how you betray your position.
Patience.

That hunting is not shooting but a process of gathering food.
Ethics of the hunt.
Passing up on a shot that one is not 100% confident of making.
Respect for the animal and what the animal has offered through death.
One shot kill, knowledge of anatomy (they don't all stand broadside for us).

Let them help with field dressing, skinning and butchering. Just a little to give the youngest one an idea and let the older one do more.

That when done correctly that hunting is a rewarding and enriching experience.

 

[brainwake]

It's a lot of just explaining what your doing and thinking.

Safety
Laws
Tracking and game behavior/habits
Post kill processing

It's a lot to stuff in one adventure. So just take it easy and try and explain things as you think of them. They will learn from the experience. It will take many experiences for them to become self sufficient.

 

[gspn]

Safety.

Ethics.

Marksmanship.

Field craft.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Teach them that it's not enough to know how to shoot. You must also know when to shoot and when to pass on the shot. If you are not relatively certain that you can make a good clean shot that will land in the vitals, you should pass. Teach them to respect the prey.

 

[plumberroy]

safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safetysafety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, ,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety, safety,safety,
Did I mention Safety
Ethics
marksmanship
Limited of their gun and to stay with in those limited .
Habits and habitat of game hunting
Leave the land better than you found it
Roy

 

[flipajig]

Along with every thing said Tracking is becoming a lost art.

 

[twofifty]

All the above plus:

- teach them how to build & maintain a cooking & warming fire.
- how to stay dry and warm should they ever get lost overnight.
- how to orient themselves in the bush (show them how to find their way back to the truck, how to keep track of terrain features)
- teach them to stay hydrated.

Good on you for taking these youngsters out. Hopefully they show up with appropriate footwear, clothing, food and water.