Something to Ponder....

[Spitfire]

Since we as sportsmen/women are always hearing "take a kid hunting" or something to that effect, why not implement another way for teams to earn pts.
The State of Ohio has the Apprentice hunting license and new hunters are able to purchase deer tags w/ this license. Why not use this to introduce new people to the sport. Team Members can take out Apprentice hunters or Youth and earn more pts. for their repective team. The rules for these hunters would be the same as they are for Team Members. Maybe Team Members are only aloud 1 Apprentice Hunter or Youth per contest.
Any thoughts on this?

I just enjoy taking my 12 yr. old hunting just as much as I enjoy going myself. This year, finally, my wife has expressed the desire to give it a try. So, I already have an early season objective. I just thought this would add an interesting twist to the contest and get new hunters interested in the sport.

[Deehntr56]

Great Idea!!!!

I like that a lot...we even said here on one post on how hunting is affected in a neagtive way and the question was asked on what is hurting hunting overall the most...and one of the responses was we don't have many new hunters joining the ranks...I also like that each team should be required to have a young hunter or someone new to hunting!!!!:biggrin:

Something to look at for next year!!!

My son started at 14, under his own decision to do so. Never pushed him, just showed him the in's and outs here and there...one day he said "Dad, I want to take the hunter safety course and start hunting":bouncy: ...had it scheduled the next day!!!:biggrin:

I also have taken other young hunters out throughout the years, and our club "highly" promotes the shooting sports as well, by paying for all THEIR expeneses to have young hunters start shooting at our range along with the guns and ammo.

We went from 3 Junior shooters to over 20 each year the last few years!!!:biggrin: :biggrin:

Great Idea to have anyone get started into the sport and have some fun with it too!!!!

[Spitfire]

My son expressed interest at age 10 and wanted to take the safety course and if I remember right only missed 1 question. He proceded to harvest a nice buck that year. With limited time last year we were able to get out and get him a doe. This year he wanted to take the next step and try w/ a compound. So that is what he has been working on when he's not busy w/ football and now school.
I just think getting new people exposed to the sport will only help all of us in the long run. If they don't stick w/ it that is their decision but atleast they will know what it is all about and why we are so passionate about it. My son never understood until he did it himself, now my wife sees both of chomping at the bit for the season to get here and she wants to join us. What more can I ask for!?

[Hoytmania]

I think that this is a great idea but a little late for this year. I think that it would definitley add a twist to the contest. Likewise my son started to hunt when he was 10. Last year was his first year hunting with his compound. Although he has had it for three years he couldn't draw back the legal weight for the first two years he had the bow. But Like I anticipated by the time he got to legal weight he is a great shot with his bow. I am looking forward to spending the first couple of hunts behind the video camera trying to get his first bow kill on tape. That will be SWEET!!! :yikes:

[Spitfire]

My son really wanted to go 2 yrs. ago, so I went out and bought him a crossbow. He has taken two deer w/ it and gained a wealth of knowledge. With alot of cinfidence from those two yrs. I have no doubt he will "slam" a deer this year w/ his compound.
Best of luck to both of you this season and I hope you get his kill on video!

[Lance]

I think that would be a fantastic idea for next year!

[CritterGitter]

I think that would be a fantastic idea for next year!

I agree. Maybe we could work that in for next year's contest. I think it would be a lot more work and at this point it seems we're all set for this year's contest.

Kyle

[Pike]

I think it's a great idea but I think it should only count for points if you take a child OTHER than your own children because hopefully everyone here is already taking their children hunting or going to do so in the future without getting any points from a contest.
When my children are old enough to hunt I dont plan on hunting myself at all
unless their tags are filled. Pike

[TheCream]

I think that would be a fantastic idea for next year!

Or even better, maybe for this spring if there is a turkey contest? :bouncy:

The youth turkey hunt is always one of the highlights of our spring.

[bowhunter1023]

I second Pike in his mention that it should be someone else's child. This contest is pretty much ran on good faith, and this idea would take a healthy dose of that as well. But I think the addition should read similar to this:

"Each member of each team will have the opportunity to earn one bonus point for his/her team during the duration of this contest. In order to receive this bonus point, the member will have to be responsible for helping introduce one new hunter to the sport and having his/her new hunter become successful in their first season. Photo and documentation requirements for this deer will follow that of any member’s successful harvest.

New hunter shall be defined as someone who has NEVER entered the woods in pursuit of a whitetail. They may have harvested a turkey, goose, or squirrel; but they cannot have ever attempted to harvest a Whitetailed deer."

I think there should be no preference given to buck or doe, inches of antler, age, and/or weight since we need to teach new hunters that it is the pursuit of the game, not the game itself that matters. I also think that we should encourage the members to talk a woman, a buddy, a veteran, etc. hunting and not blind ourselves with only taking the youth. While taking a youth is vital to the future of our sport, and something I believe and participate wholeheartedly in, we need to remember that there are people from all walks of life, social class, race, etc. that would love a chance to hunt. And if they are given a chance to do so in the appropriate manner, with the proper instruction, we will either welcome a new member to our ranks to fight the fight alongside us, or we will have educated someone on why we hunt, how we hunt, and possibly some of the issues that face hunters today. Educating the “fence sitting public” is something we need to focus on in the coming years…

[davies2097]

Great idea! My 12 year old brother asks me every time I see him..."When can we go deer hunting?" I took him last year for the first time and he loved! I can't wait to get him a deer this year!

[deerhunt45]

I second Pike in his mention that it should be someone else's child. This contest is pretty much ran on good faith, and this idea would take a healthy dose of that as well. But I think the addition should read similar to this:

"Each member of each team will have the opportunity to earn one bonus point for his/her team during the duration of this contest. In order to receive this bonus point, the member will have to be responsible for helping introduce one new hunter to the sport and having his/her new hunter become successful in their first season. Photo and documentation requirements for this deer will follow that of any member’s successful harvest.

New hunter shall be defined as someone who has NEVER entered the woods in pursuit of a whitetail. They may have harvested a turkey, goose, or squirrel; but they cannot have ever attempted to harvest a Whitetailed deer."

I think there should be no preference given to buck or doe, inches of antler, age, and/or weight since we need to teach new hunters that it is the pursuit of the game, not the game itself that matters. I also think that we should encourage the members to talk a woman, a buddy, a veteran, etc. hunting and not blind ourselves with only taking the youth. While taking a youth is vital to the future of our sport, and something I believe and participate wholeheartedly in, we need to remember that there are people from all walks of life, social class, race, etc. that would love a chance to hunt. And if they are given a chance to do so in the appropriate manner, with the proper instruction, we will either welcome a new member to our ranks to fight the fight alongside us, or we will have educated someone on why we hunt, how we hunt, and possibly some of the issues that face hunters today. Educating the “fence sitting public” is something we need to focus on in the coming years…

Well said...that's exactly how it will work next season. Accomplishing something like we are describing should be worth at least 100 bonus points!!!

Thanks to all for your efforts and insight. Recruitment is at the core of keeping our sport and passion for the outdoors alive.

[Bawana]

Great idea, but why wait til next year? 1023 pretty much spelled out how it needs to happen. While it may be difficult to get someone ready for bow season, you could easily take them during firearms or muzzleloader season. Maybe give a point for introducing them to deer hunting and two more if they harvest a deer. We've got a month til season opens, so we've got time to work it out now.

[Deehntr56]

Oh,the Bonus points is a great idea too for the teams who do have youngsters on their team.:biggrin:

Oh, and imposing no restrictions like 1023 states to the new hunters is vital in allowing them to learn the sport for what it is. Allow them to have some fun...and learn in the process.

This year??? Why not...but with set teams and rules in place...it will be up to the teams and the man who puts it all together!!!

You easily select Junior team members the same way you select the regular teams as well. Randomly.

Man..... you want to help promote it...this is the way and avenue to do it.:biggrin:

On top of that, if there is any young hunter living close to Grafton, Ohio...if they or their parent IM me....I can have their parent get a hold of our Junior Director and have some of the youngsters "brushen up" their shooting skills next summer......on our range, when we have the Juniors meeting during their regular Range times on selected weekends during the summer......it's open to any Junior, if they need the help...FREE!! We have Guns and ammo and directors that run the program.

I'll talk to the Director and verify if there is an interest down the road.

I scheduled a Pheasant hunt for my son and 2 other young men tonight for this fall......I'll enjoy watching them hunt and continue to learn the sport this fall!!!

[Bawana]

Along those lines, I think you should limit it to one new hunter per team member.

[FranciscoJ]

How many points would it be if we got some lady like a playboy bunny to go hunting? Do we get points just for having them around?...:coolgleamA:

[bowhunter1023]

Along those lines, I think you should limit it to one new hunter per team member.

Why limit the members who can participate? If you can only earn one point, even if an entire team were to executive this achievement, I doubt 6 points will transform the contest. I for one, would be happy to get my a$$ handed to me by a team ended up with 6 successful new contestants.

You have to consider this too... My guess is most, if not all of us, have an intense drive to succeed. (AKA: Win) That drive in some members may be enough for them to finally dedicate the time it would tkae to share the outdoors with that neighbor boy down the road. I would like to think we would all take a new hunter out given the chance. But that is not how it is and limiting the team to only one new hunter, could potentially cause some members to continue to ignore that opportunity. We want to encourage every member to take a new hunter to the woods...

[deerhunt45]

How many points would it be if we got some lady like a playboy bunny to go hunting? Do we get points just for having them around?...:coolgleamA:

Your team just got minus 5 points for thread hijacking :cheeky-smiley-022: :D

[Deehntr56]

Ok...I'll make this simple...if you all want to do it this year.....I'll take all the newbies on one team...and put a whupping on all the others!!!:biggrin:

Simple...and the long run objective to get new hunters in the field, and having some fun will be accomplished.....and along with that..... the newbies putting a hurt to the "other accomplished teams" out there, and bring them back to reality will be a bonus!!!!:cheeky-smiley-022: :biggrin: :biggrin:

Simple rules for them, and let them get to enjoy.....they'll beat you all just in determination!!!!:biggrin:

And if they take any Buck 8 point or larger, they get Bonus Points. If they take more than 1 deer, they get Bonus points......remember, the odds are aginst a newbie doing this, without expereince and being new, so you have to weigh that factor in.:biggrin:

So..............do we do it? Or do you wait???

[Bawana]

I thought we were just adding one point to our team score if we invited a person who had never deer hunted before to hunt with us. Each member of the team could do this so you could pick up a possible six bonus points. That's what I meant by only one per team member. Not making them a separate team or actually adding them to our team.

[Pike]

Why limit the members who can participate? If you can only earn one point, even if an entire team were to executive this achievement, I doubt 6 points will transform the contest. I for one, would be happy to get my a$$ handed to me by a team ended up with 6 successful new contestants.

You have to consider this too... My guess is most, if not all of us, have an intense drive to succeed. (AKA: Win) That drive in some members may be enough for them to finally dedicate the time it would tkae to share the outdoors with that neighbor boy down the road. I would like to think we would all take a new hunter out given the chance..
Thats how I got my start into hunting when I was 12, no one in my family hunted and my neighbor offered to take me hunting, he had hunted for over 20 years without ever harvesting a deer, my 1st day of buck season I harvested a 4-pt and he was happier for me then he would have been if he got his 1st. Four years later (when I had my driver's lic) I returned the favor, I havested my buck on the 2nd day of buck season and took him back to that spot and he harvested his 1st. deer in 24 + years, a six point.
If every hunter, got just 1 new person interested in hunting we would never
have to worry about the future of our sport and if the new hunter is a kid, might just make a big difference in his entire life, Im sure like myself hunting has tought many here many life lesson's and the sport has made us grow as people. The best lesson I have learned when I was a kid was that the harder I worked the luckier I became and the more sucessfull I would be, which not only turned out to be true in regards of hunting but every other aspect of life aswell. Pike

[Spitfire]

I don't think I would have the new hunter added to the team. I wouldn't even limit the number of new hunters each team member can take out. The more newbies that we can get in the woods and mentor the better. Teach these new hunters the right way to do things and why we love the sport. I think by opening it up to as many new hunters as you can it will give all the teams extra incentive to get new hunters in the woods and collect some pts. along the way.

[Deehntr56]

No bites on this:confused: .......Now..... don't let the youngers playing with a team scare you all!!!:biggrin:

I know they'll be more determined and upset quite a few teams...but that shouldn't stop them from forming one......:biggrin:

We do want to enlist more future sportsman, now don't we???:confused: :biggrin: :biggrin:

[deerhunt45]

No bites on this:confused: .......Now..... don't let the youngers playing with a team scare you all!!!:biggrin:

I know they'll be more determined and upset quite a few teams...but that shouldn't stop them from forming one......:biggrin:

We do want to enlist more future sportsman, now don't we???:confused: :biggrin: :biggrin:

I'm working on it 56...let me get all the teams set first...I'm listening :D

[BillK]

I'll sign my son, Ryan, up for it right now as a gun hunter. Add his point(s) to Team WSF, or on a team of other youth hunters as a group - doesn't matter to me.

He's yet to get his first deer, so this will definitely "incentivise" him. (is that even a word? Let's ask Dubya.)

[Deehntr56]

Atta Boy 45;) ...and if it's easier for all.....and you don't want to work up new rules etc. or mess with any of the current teams, and it's easier just to form one new group.......give them to me on one team...we'll make all the "regular" groups cringe and get them on their knees by contest end......:D

To help all the young hunters.......we'll add another incentive to the youth team......what prize can a youngster win...Hmmmmmmmmmm:confused: :biggrin:

How about I'll donate a Cabelas $50.00 Gift Certificate to the youth that gets.........the Biggest Buck:confused: .....or the most Deer:confused: .......Hmmmmmmmmm...what do we do???:confused: ;) :biggrin:

We'll have to figure that out...down the road.......:biggrin:

[BillK]

My son was just asking if anything had been decided. He's psyched.

[TRAPPER JOHN]

Can out of state people get in on the action...:hide:

[deerhunt45]

Stay tuned...I hope to have something up on this tonight!!!