First Hunt, Delta Waterfowl's Mentored Hunting Program

Share 

Welcome to Delta Waterfowl's “First Hunt” program. Here you'll find a collection of videos and handbooks specifically created for first-time hunters and their mentors. This is your gateway to the storied tradition of waterfowl hunting. Enjoy.

Message from Delta President Rob Olson

Few things as a waterfowler will give you more long-term satisfaction than passing on our hunting heritage to your son or daughter, friend or family member. Even the young kid down the street you barely even know.
At Delta, we take immense pride in mentoring new waterfowlers. I personally derive more pleasure watching a complete novice shoot his or her first duck than actually hunting myself. Ear-to-ear grins tend to make a mentor's small sacrifices completely worthwhile.
Read More

Note from Eric:  Many states have recently adopted Apprentice hunting licenses that allow non-hunters to try hunting with a licensed hunter. For busy people these new laws reduce the upfront commitment traditionally required before they can see if they like hunting and want to pursue it further. Key to the success are quality mentors that number one are willing to step forward and then know how to run a fun, safe and compelling hunt. The materials put together by Delta Waterfowl is a great model for duck hunting and could be a template for other type hunts. Check out the great support materials available for downloading at First Hunt
I'd be interested in other programs that offer training materials for mentors and apprentices. If you know of any please share in the comment section below.
Thanks!

VT Mentored Hunting License in the Senate

Final Push needed to pass H.243

A strengthened Mentored Hunting bill. H 243, has passed the House and is now in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy. We have a window of opportunity to get this important recruitment and retention legislation passed this year, but our Senators need to know that we want them to take action.
Some folks, including the VT Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, are concerned about this bill for safety reasons. They reason that parents and adult mentors can't be trusted to demonstrate and teach folks who what to try hunting how to do it safely. They contend that only certified hunter education instructors can do this. As a HE instructor and the former HE Training Coordinator in VT, I respectfully disagree. 30 years ago I would say they were mostly right, but today with over 80% of our hunters having taken hunter education and our hunting related shootings at all time lows, I find this argument insulting to VT hunters. Admittedly, we still have some bad actors out there that are not safe. But they are not the people that will give up their time and share their bag limits to mentor a new hunter. These are the folks that look for short cuts and violate fair chase, game laws and safety practices.
The evidence from other states who have enacted similar legislation is compelling. Wisconsin's program started last fall. They sold 70,000 mentor licenses and had no accidents - zero. Nationally the figure is the same, mentored hunters are the safest group of hunters by far.
Call to action - If you want to help Vermont's efforts to build support for hunting and recruit new hunters, please contact your local Senator and tell them you support H. 243. Then contact a member or two from the Senate Natural Resources committee and urge them to take positive action on this legislation.
Groups supporting this bill include, Ducks Unlimited, US Sportsman's Alliance, NRA, National Wild Turkey Federation and the VT Traditions Coalition.
The amended bill can be found at the Legislative tracking site.

Apprentice Hunter Bill Headed for a Vote

From US Sportsman's Alliance:


Vermont Apprentice Hunter Bill
Headed for a Vote


On March 12, House Bill 243, the Apprentice Hunter bill, passed out of committee opening the door to a possible vote before the full House of Representatives this week.

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Steve Adams (R- Hartland), is part of the national Families Afield initiative designed to allow newcomers to try hunting under the close supervision of an experienced mentor prior to the completion of hunter education.

“Apprentice hunting programs have proven to be an extremely safe, effective and popular tool across the country in recruiting the next generation of sportsmen,” said Evan Heusinkveld, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) director of state services. “Vermont sportsmen should voice their support for this measure which will allow them to become the 30th Families Afield state.”

House Bill 243 passed the committee by a vote of 8 to 1 and could appear before the full House of Representatives as soon as this week.

“The creation of an apprentice hunting license modeled after such a successful, nationwide initiative is exactly what is needed to help secure the future of hunting in Vermont,” said Frank Stanley, director of government affairs for the Vermont Traditions Coalition. “We applaud the efforts of Representative Steve Adams for his dedication to Vermont’s sporting heritage.”

The Families Afield initiative was established by the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and the National Wild Turkey Federation to reduce barriers to new hunters entering the field. Also giving key support to the Vermont effort are the National Rifle Association, Vermont Traditions Coalition, and Ducks Unlimited.

Take Action! Vermont sportsmen are encouraged to contact their state representatives and urge them to support HB 243. Tell them that this bill is an important step to ensure the next generation of Vermont hunters take to the field. To find your state representatives’ contact information, visit the USSA Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org/lac.

For more information regarding the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alert Network, call 614-888-4868, or email Greg R. Lawson, director of communications at glawson@ussportsmen.org or Sharon Hayden, assistant director of communications at shayden@ussportsmen.org.


U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
801 Kingsmill Parkway
Columbus, Ohio 43229
614-888-4868
www.ussportsmen.org
info@ussportsmen.org

WI Apprentice Hunting Bill moving ahead - Where is Vermont's?

Families Afield Campaign Picks Up Steam

Since the Familes Afield campaign's inception in 2004, 28 states have passed laws aimed at making it easier for people to get into the field and try hunting. Click here for a closer look.

WISCONSIN APPRENTICE BILL CLEARS SENATE . . . The Families Afield initiative is gaining ground in 2009. On the heels of a new law enacted in Nevada, Wisconsin is moving forward with an apprentice bill that would allow 10-year-old novice hunters the ability to get in the field with an experienced mentor. The bill, SB 167, cleared the Senate last week by a 27-6 vote and will now head to the Wisconsin Assembly. The Families Afield campaign was established by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and National Wild Turkey Federation. Since its inception in 2004, 28 states have passed Families Afield-style legislation aimed at making it easier for people to get into the field and try hunting. "It's very encouraging to see so many states embracing the Families Afield concept," said Melissa Schilling, NSSF manager of recruitment and retention. "What's even more encouraging is seeing so many new hunters of all ages taking advantage of these new and welcoming opportunities to give hunting a try." Read more about the Wisconsin bill at ussportsmen.org.

Why Hunt? A new video in support of hunting

Go to the following link to see a very well done video produced by California Waterfowl in support of hunting. Pass the link on to other hunters and non-hunters, it is worth seeing!
click here

Hunter legally takes bighorn, leaves meat, loses trophy in court

Some hunting groups in VT think this behavior should continue to be legal in Vermont. Others like the Federation of Sportsman's Clubs, VT Traditions and the VT Trappers Assn do not.

Hearings are set for the proposed Fish and Wildlife Board rule on Retrieval and Utilization. Let your voice be heard.

The public hearings will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the following dates as follows:

March 10 -- VT Fish & Wildlife office, 111 West Street, Essex Junction

March 11 – Pavilion Auditorium, 109 State Street, Montpelier

March 12 – Kehoe Conservation Camp, Castleton

Hunter legally takes bighorn, leaves meat, loses trophy in court

Statesman Journal

February 18, 2009

Statesman Journal • February 18, 2009

• 
  

A Gresham man who legally killed a bighorn ram will lose his hunting privileges for two years for leaving the carcass of the animal to rot near the John Day River.

Ronald Edward Cecil, 49, was sentenced in Gilliam County Circuit Court to $6,800 in restitution ($5,300 of it suspended), a year of judge-supervised probation and loss of the hunting privileges after pleading guilty to waste of wildlife.
The head and horns of the ram also were confiscated.

H.243 Mentored hunting program

H. 243	AN ACT RELATING TO THE CREATION OF AN APPRENTICE HUNTING LICENSE
	As Introduced

Introduced by Representatives Adams of Hartland, Consejo of Sheldon, Fagan
of Rutland City, McCullough of Williston, Peltz of Woodbury
and Rodgers of Glover


Subject: Fish and wildlife; licenses; mentored hunting program

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to create a mentored hunting license.

The license will allow an individual of any age to hunt for two seasons without
taking a hunter education course or having a hunting license. This bill would
allow mentored-hunter license holders to hunt under the direct control and
supervision of any fully licensed individual over the age of 21 subject to the
fully licensed hunter’s bag limit.

This bill addresses two important issues for the future of hunting in Vermont; 1) recruitment of new hunters, 2)deepening the support for hunters and the hunting culture. It does this by allowing interested people of all ages to try hunting in a meaningful way before forcing them to commit a lot of time or money. The normal steps for a person to take up a sport or recreation is 1) become aware of it, 2) find out more about it, 3) try it, 4) commit time and money to it, 5) continue with support, 6) continue with out assistance, 7) become avid and an advocate for the sport. Hunting because of well documented safety reasons reversed steps 3 and 4 when hunter safety became mandatory starting in NY in 1947 and in Vermont in 1974. 40 years of hunter education, plus the invention and use of hunter orange has changed things dramatically. Hunting related shootings with injury are rare, our hunters are safe and getting safer.
Here is some preliminary data from Ohio. They like Vermont have no minimum age for people to take hunter education and if they pass can buy a hunting license. four years ago they passed a similar law to H243 allowing people to try hunting with a mentor prior to taking hunter education. Here is what Steve Gray, former Director of the Ohio Fish and Wildlife Department told me about the program:

Eric-The before and after data [before the mentored hunting law passed and after it passed] is being put together at this time and should be available in 2 or 3 weeks. This will be an in-depth review of recruitment.Upon initial review it looks like the results after 3 seasons are very good. I will get it to you as soon as it is available. The safety figures are available now. Not in Ohio or in any of the other states with a mentored hunting program has anyone in this program been involved in a fatality. In Ohio,after 3 full seasons, no mentored hunter has been involved in any incident fatal or non-fatal. The report is being finished and I should get it to you in a timely manner.This will be a very fresh report.

This type legislation is being supported by the National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sport Foundation, US Sportsman's Alliance, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, and the International Hunter Education Association. Mentored hunting program was also endorsed in the Future of Hunting in Vermont report as a result of 2 1/2 days work by 60 leaders in the hunting and conservation field here in Vermont in 2006 in Castleton. The VT Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs have also endorsed the concept of this bill.

I urge all of you to read the bill, and contact your local representative and ask them to support this bill and vote it into law.
I will keep everyone posted on progress thru this blog - stay tuned...

Paleo eating - what the back to earth folks are saying

Check out this Blog site for an interesting look at what folks are saying about hunting that are involved in organic farming and gardening. Looks like a great group to be recruiting...

Real Primal: Hunting for Dinner

My search and practices started years ago after reading Paul Shepard’s “Coming Home to the Pleistocene” and of course Cordains “The Paleo Diet”.

My “beef” is this though- I have seen on several sites, like yours, questions concerning cheap but good animal protein and how to obtain the best for your dollar; grass versus organic; free range versus yada yada yada…..

How about getting out and killing your own food? That seems pretty Paleo to me….so that’s what we do in this family. I’m not talking about the high tech, redneck, trophy hunter syndrome. I’m talking about subsistence hunting- spiritual hunting. Taking responsibility for ones hungry place in the natural world and reconnect..

Get in the Game: Easy Primal Game-Meat Recipes

As a follow-up to our Wednesday post about hunting for your dinner, we wanted to offer up a few simple recipes for foods that you might find in the forest (or in your local grocers meat section!)

Montpelier Happenings

There are some important issues on the table in Montpelier.
Fish and Wildlife Dept funding - all departments are being hit, but the FWD general fund money is being whacked especially hard.
The Fish and Wildlife board will be announcing public hearings for a proposed rule on retrieval and utilization of fish and wildlife. Most of the provisions have been endorsed by the major sporting groups including the Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, but several sections are still to be decided - the voice of hunters is needed.
Lastly, a bill to allow folks of all ages to try hunting in a very controlled manner prior to getting a hunting license is about to be introduced. This is one of the "Families Afield" initiatives that are being adopted nationally to help reverse the decline in hunter numbers. All hunters should look at this and support the concept.
Stay tuned...

Long range shooting - ethical or not?

I recieved this message from a long time hunter ed instructor from Ontario. He is also on the board of directors for the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) and very active with the Ontario Hunter's and Angler's Association.

Eric

I was just down at the IHEA winter board meeting (got invited back on as the Canadian Volunteer member could not fulfill his obligations due to work commitments) and in what I am seeing on the Wild Channel and all the hunting shows and what is available at the Shot Show, big 50 cal rifles etc. and people making incredible 400 – 1000 yd shots on animals we should really be discussing where the element of Fair Chase comes in here as well as dispelling the myth that most people hunt for the thrill of the chase and not just the kill. When you kill an animal from 4-8oo yds there is no fair chase, you do not match any of your abilities against the animals as he can’t see, hear or wind you and to shoot him at that range definitely disproves the fallacy that the kill is not important. When done at long range the only important thing to most is the kill and the trophy. I don’t dispute the fact that these are incredible shots and shooters who have honed their shooting skills and deserve credit for this, but they can also prove their abilities on paper targets rather than live ones if they have a true belief in “Fair Chase” and that the kill is not important. Technology is destroying real hunting and begs the question “ are bow hunters the only true hunters left” and they even have their issues of range?

My thoughts.

Bill

What frame does the word hunter evoke for folks who are not active hunters themselves?

A frame is a mental image that subconsciously arises when we hear a word or phrase. An example of it's power is "don't think of an elephant" I bet you all saw an elephant in your imagination, even though the statement said don't think of one. I suspect the mental picture of the hunter by a hunter is different than for a non-hunter and way different than an anti-hunter. I'm interested in what the picture is for folks that haven't thought much about hunting.
What do you think? If you could ask a few friends or folks at work I'd be interested in the picture that first pops up.
This is one of the topics at a weekend think tank I'm facilitating at the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation this weekend.
Thanks!

Squirrels the new cuisine

Wake up America - squirrel for supper is the hot trend in England.

• • 

  • Saving a Squirrel by Eating One

    Lately, a new meat is gracing the British table: Squirrel is selling as fast as gamekeepers and hunters can bring it in.January 7, 2009 - By MARLENA SPIELER - Dining & Wine
  For those of us concerned with the decline in hunter numbers and support for hunting this is hopeful news. Research by Responsive Management indicates that youth that start hunting small game, including squirrel, are more likely to continue to hunt than kids that start with big game.
• The first game animal I shot was a gray squirrel with my single barrel shotgun. I've been shooting them ever since. I disagree with the author of the Times article that squirrel are hard to skin and bone. If you skin them right after shooting them the hide comes off very easy. But she is right about how good they are. My co-housing neighbors, who are from Texas and never hunted (yet), think squirrel is the best meat in the world.
  
• Next year, head over to the Champlain valley and take a kid squirrel hunting. Then cook up a big squirrel pot pie and invite over some non-hunting friends for a memorable meal, and a hunting story. As the reporter from Channel 5 news found out last year, when he shadowed my wife and me - squirrels aren't as easy to get as most people think!
  

New Camo what does it mean for safety?

The Gore company has developed a new camo that appears to make you invisible to deer and to hunters. Check it out at the Science of Nothing or http://www.optifade.com/ Skip to the 2nd and 3rd videos. It is pretty amazing.
The question it raises to me, being the old hunter ed instructor, is what does this mean for hunter safety. We are already seeing a rise in mistaken for game shootings during bow season with the current generation of camo. Also, Vermont has no orange law during rifle season, and more folks wear camo than Darwin's survival of the fittest should allow for. Once this new generation of digital camo gets out there it will become very difficult to "be sure of your target and beyond" no matter how conscientious and safety minded you are.
Seems to me it is time to get ahead of this increasing problem and require orange during deer rifle season and while small game hunting. Coupled with this should be experiential training during basic hunter education class and outreach/advanced training for seasoned hunters, covering defensive hunting It could be easily blended in with the Successful Hunting seminars that have been piloted by myself, Orion and VT Hunter Ed in Stowe and Putney.

Is it time for Vermont's Apprentice hunting effort?

From the NSSF Bullet Points:
ARIZONA OFFERS APPRENTICE HUNTING LICENSE AT NO CHARGE . . . Effective Jan. 1, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering a new apprentice hunting license at no charge to encourage existing hunters to become mentors and introduce a friend, neighbor, relative At the 2006 Future of Hunting in Vermont conference in Castleton we agreed to move forward with an apprentice hunting license so people of all ages could "try" hunting under the direct supervision of a licensed adult hunter. So far there has been no action.
It seems to me the time is now. We need more support for hunting and we need more new hunters for their political and financial support. What are we waiting for Vermont?