Yes I agree. The history and heritage of hunters and fisherman in this country can be traced to the first settlers that set foot on this land. Even before that the native american tribes lived off the land. Times have changed hunting and fishing no longer reflect a dialy activity for most families. The social disconnect that exists today creats a rift between hunters / sportsman and non hunters. If we take our children hunting / fishing and teach the heritage of our forefathers maybe the up coming generations will respect our rich history as the true conservators of wildlife and conservation. Even non hunters can support hunting when the true and complete story is laid out before them. Take a kid hunting.

For those of you that have read my posts in the past...this is what I love to do. I hunt, and I tell the stories.
Last year I posted Sadie's First Buck and here is my 2009 story.
Hope you enjoy it.
JB

Endless Rewards At Camp

There is something very rewarding in knowing that you had a little something to do with a young person getting involved in hunting. Whether you actually took them hunting or just gave them the encouragement to hunt, it feels great when it all comes together.
I had harvested my 8 point buck the second morning of the Michigan hunt. Everyone returned to woods that night and after the hunt the camp was once again the gathering spot. Congratulations were handed out and stories swapped, it was an annual even and one I love the most.
My niece Sadie was coming to dinner but I watched thru the window as she walked over to the buck pole. I went out and stood next to her, looking over at me she said with a big grin on her face “ I had to come and take a picture, had to see what I had to beat”. Sadie had harvested a nice 10 point buck last year (Sadie’s First Buck) and this year she entered the season with the same enthusiasm as last.
Because of school, she was only able to hunt the evenings but that didn’t stop her from hurrying home for the hunt. “Wait for me” I heard her tell her brother Jason”. “I can be home by 2:50”. Jason who insisted Sadie sit with him instead of her boyfriend Justin. He declared it a tradition as they hunted together every year and this would be no exception. Jason had built a new blind for Justin and he was willing to provide the blind but remained possessive of his sister. He just wasn’t ready to break tradition.
The third night I was at camp preparing dinner and just before dark I heard a shot. From inside the camp I couldn’t tell which direction it came from or how close or far away it was. Minutes later, my phone rang and I didn’t recognize the number. “I got one” said and excited voice on the other end. “Who is this” I asked. “Sadie, and I got one”!!!
Immediately I told her how happy I was for her and how proud of her I was. I asked Sadie how big it was and she said it was “not as big as last years, but it was nice”. I told her to bring it up and hang it on the buck pole then I waited for the pickups to arrive.
I watched as two pickups came up the road to Sadie’s parent’s house. I watched them pull up by the door and could see people moving around in the headlights. Several minutes passed and I just couldn’t take in anymore, the suspense was killing me, I sent her a text message. “Hurry, I can’t wait” I wrote then hit the send button. “We are on our way” she wrote back with a lol and a smiley face. I looked out the window and they were pulling in.
I ran out to the truck and sure enough there was a beautiful 8 point buck. Sadie just grinned and said “you have to let Jason tell the story, it’s pretty funny”. So over dinner he did.
You can almost do a visual when Jason tells a story. He has a video camera in the blind with him at all times. They had been watching some deer and this buck came out. With Sadie tucked way in the back of the blind because “Jason has to have so much space” the blind turned into what would seem like a Chinese fire drill.
Sadie couldn’t shoot from where she sat and Jason’s lap was too tall. He is trying to reach down and grab the video camera and get her into place for a shot. Jason is a big kid and Sadie is no bigger than a minutes so now he has the camera set up and Sadie is sitting in Jason’s hands. The buck is facing almost head on, she lines up the cross hairs and pulls the trigger. The beautiful 8 point only travels 30 yards and goes down. All this in the matter of seconds, but Jason did get the shot on camera.
The two kids exchange looks and interrupt each other while telling the story, I just sit back and enjoy. This is what it is all about and I am so proud to have been and still be a part of these two hunting. This is what I look forward to every year, it is what makes it all worthwhile.
We are just entering the second week of the season and already memories have been made that will last a lifetime. At this point, the girls rule with two 8 point bucks on the pole. If someone gets another or a bigger one, that will only add to the stories that will be shared for years to come…at deer camp.

Children should be included in hunting' they'll have a greater appreciation for the outdoors and might grow to love the wild outdoors as thier parents and grandparents. Even watching or taking wildlife pictures will get children interested.

Took a buddys daughter out today !
No deer(rain) but she had a great time anyway !

Y'all have heard me say it, but it bears repeating. Kids need to be in nature (check out the book "Last Child In the Woods, a little antihunting but you will get the point). But they need parents and other adults to show them the way. It is a simple argument - get the moms out in nature, and the kids will follow. Simple as that. Hard part - letting women feel like they can comfortably learn outdodor skills so they can teach thier children. And for many ladies, that is where it gets more difficult. But those programs exist, they are lots of fun, and it is worth the time invested. So here's to next years' elk camp....

Absolutley...