There are a variety of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks programs designed to recruit new hunters and anglers. All efforts are in response to a declining trend in the number of Kansans who purchase hunting and fishing licenses, as well as the desire to see our outdoor heritage passed on. But the positive impact of teaching youngsters about the outdoors may go much deeper than merely passing on a heritage.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Remembering

It's funny some of the memories from my youth I hold onto. I'll never forget the first time I hunted behind pointing dogs. I had several seasons of walking fields for pheasants under my belt and was thoroughly hooked, but none in our hunting party owned a hunting dog. When one of my dad's coworkers invited us on a quail hunt near Protection, I was excited. But what made my excitement nearly uncontainable was the fact that several of the hunters were bringing dogs -- a pointer and a setter. I couldn't wait. It was a great day but what I remember most was the first point in the first walk. Just after sunrise, we were walking a little homestead site. The pointer went on a rock-solid point. We all approached slowly, and I was literally shaking with anticipation. But after kicking and walking through the patch of grass, nothing flushed. I was disappointed. However the dog stayed on point. A closer look revealed a patch of quail skin and feathers half the size of a dollar bill. It was probably from a bird killed by a hawk or other predator earlier that morning, but the fact that the dog scented it and pointed it fascinated me. I have been fascinated and in love with bird dogs ever since. And I've never lost that boy-like anticipation I feel while walking up to a dog on point. Just writing about it now, I can visualize the intensity in the dog's eyes, every muscle taut, waiting for the explosion of grass and feathers. I'd say that one hunt when I was 13 had a profound impact on me.

Monday, April 11, 2011

It's Never Too Late


Most of my blogging has focused on getting youngsters started hunting and fishing because today's youngsters are the future of wildlife conservation. However, it's never to late to discover the joys of hunting and fishing. My aunt is a perfect example. For some reason, she didn't figure out how much she enjoyed fishing until a few years ago. She began fishing off the docks while visiting a home on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. She caught the fishing bug and spent hours fishing there with mixed results. She's my dad's sister, so I encouraged him to invite her on our annual Canada fishing trip. I'm already imagining the look on her face when a 10-pound northern pike explodes on her lure. I think I'll get more of a kick out of her catching fish than I will my own. This past weekend, she was in town to visit Mom and Dad, and I told them we needed a warm-up fishing trip. We spent the morning on a private sand pit and had a ball catching crappie and small bass. As I expected -- I got as excited as she did when a crappie hit her jig and pulled her float under -- maybe I got more excited. I can't help it. That's probably why I am so passionate about passing it on -- it's as much fun for me as it is the "kids" -- no matter their age.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Shooting Opportunities


If you've never shot a shotgun, you don't the fun you're missing. Breaking a flying target with a shotgun is a satisfying accomplishment, and it's a blast to watch the orange target explode into dust when you center it in your pattern. Wingshooting is a valuable skill that will make your bird hunting more enjoyable and successful, and practice during the off season is necessary. From now through next fall, local gun clubs all across Kansas will be holding trap, skeet and sporting clay shoots. Kansas 4-H clubs are starting their shooting sports programs this spring, as are some high school and college shooting clubs. Shooting competitively is fun and exciting, and it will make you a better wingshot when the fall hunting seasons open. Contact your local gun club, Extension office or nearest KDWP office to find out about any local shooting programs. Shooting is a blast!