Time For Turkey Prep

In a little over a month, the spring turkey season will be on us. I've written before that I believe the spring turkey season is the perfect starter hunt for young hunters. It's safe with the adult in total control of the shotgun and the youth. Hunting is done from a stationary position or blind, and the adult can be right next to the youngster to provide guidance. Spring weather is mild, and hunts usually only last a couple of hours. And hearing a tom gobble in response to the call, getting closer and closer, creates an incredibly exciting hunt.

The season for youth, archers and hunters with disabilities opens April 1 and runs for 10 days. This is a fantastic opportunity to get a kid out without a lot of competition from other hunters. All the spring WIHA areas are open, and the public hunting areas won't be crowded. Make plans now to take a youngster turkey hunting, and the first thing to do is give him or her a box call. Practicing with calls is an integral part of turkey hunting, and it's lots of fun. A box call is easy to use, and with a little practice now, a young hunter will be ready to call in a bird by the April 1 opener.

Find A Gateway

The purpose of the Pass It On program is to recruit new hunters, and we have focused on youth because they are our future. I've decided that the only effective recruitment efforts involve getting kids outside participating. We've established youth hunting seasons, special youth hunts and conduct outdoor skills events to give youngsters and their parents safe and convenient outdoor opportunities. The outdoor skills events teach skills important to being ethical and successful hunters, but they do more than that. Teaching a youngster to shoot a shotgun or bow exposes them to an outdoor activity they won't get anywhere else. I see it as a gateway to hunting.

My gateway to hunting was actually fishing. Some of my earliest memories are of fishing trips with my parents and grandparents. I was totally obsessed with fish, water and fishing. As I got older, I had an interest in hunting, but I didn't get the chance to shoot or hunt until my family moved to a small rural community in southcentral Kansas. Until that time, we'd lived in the suburbs of large urban areas where shooting and hunting just weren't in the cards.

The Kansas population has become largely urban, and for too many of those kids, shooting and hunting aren't available. However, if we can provide a safe, convenient venue for the parents and kids to learn about hunting and outdoor skills, we'll find those kids who are like I was, kids who will discover something they love.

There are many gateways to hunting, including fishing, hiking, shed antler hunting, target shooting and more. Find the gateway and you might change the path of a young person's life. Never underestimate the power of passing it on.