Shooting Fun

I'll never forget the summer I was 12 years old, and Dad took me to shoot trap at the Kinsley Gun Club. We had started pheasant hunting the previous fall, and improving our shotgun skills was a primary motivation. Neither of us knew anything about trap shooting, but local club members welcomed us and were generous with helpful hints. One shooter from Greensburg, Larry Schmidt, took special interest in helping me and even loaned me a gun that first year. We shot regularly for a couple of summers before I got busy with other activities and stopped making time for shooting. However, I never forgot the fun and great friendships we made. Much later in life, I became associated with another gun club and found the same kind of welcoming, friendly attitude. I've consistently met good people at gun clubs and shooting events, and I've seen new and young shooters welcomed everywhere I've been. Shooting at a local gun club is an inexpensive, safe and enjoyable activity for youngsters, and it could keep them from other less wholesome activities. Get involved with your local gun club or inquire with your local 4-H club to see if it sponsors a 4-H Shooting Sports Program. You and your young shooters will meet great people and have a great time. And you'll develop shotgun skills that will make next fall's hunting seasons much more enjoyable. By the way, the Kinsley Gun Club is still going strong and welcoming young shooters. Each fall, the club hosts the Kinsley Kids Klassic when young shooters from around the state gather for a competition. I'll keep you informed about his year's event.

Mentoring Payback

I've written several entries about some of the wonderful mentors I've been fortunate enough to have in my life. One was a good friend I met at college who introduced me to hunting ducks over decoys. Kurt grew up hunting Cheyenne Bottoms, and he passed on his love of duck hunting to me. I've been hunting ducks over decoys ever since, and I've been indebted to Kurt for his generous help. However, while turkey hunting the other morning, I reminisced about past hunts, and I remembered one from more than 25 years ago. Though I wasn't exactly an expert spring turkey hunter or caller, I had a couple of spring toms under my belt, and I wanted Kurt to experience that thrill. We hunted for a day-and-a-half without results, then while driving to a new spot, we spotted a tom crossing a field. We had permission on the land, so we hurriedly moved to intercept the bird. We eased down an old shelterbelt and started calling. The bird was moving faster than we thought, and we were well behind it, but it was in the mood for love and gobbled immediately to my amateurish calls. We scrambled to get into shooting position, and I called again. Another gobble, this time closer. We both spotted the top of the bird's fan at the same time. The tom was strutting back toward us, but he had a creek and fence to cross. I knew enough at the time to be anxious about whether the bird would cross those obstacles, but I underestimated this bird again. Without the slightest hesitation, the tom flapped across the creek and went right back into strut, maintaining on a beeline toward our position. Then a cow and calf trotted between us and the bird. Again, the tom was undeterred. When it got to the fence, it was in range, but before I could tell Kurt to shoot, the bird squeezed under the bottom wire and went right back into its strut. Now it was in the clear and well within shotgun range, and Kurt made the shot. We were both elated, but the normally even-keyed Kurt was as excited as I'd ever seen him. I'd like think I paid him back in mentoring, but I think I enjoyed the turkey hunt as much as Kurt did.

Formula For Happy Kids

When I think back to some of my happiest times as a kid, they usually revolve around riding a bicycle with a fishing pole strapped to the handlebars. I once wrote that every kid should own a good rod and reel by the time they're five years old, and that for a happy childhood, they should get a bike when they're a little older. To top it off, they should have a fishing hole within bike-riding distance. I thought I was living in Utopia when our family moved to a small, central-Kansas town when I was 11 years old. Of course I had the rod and reel and bike, and now we lived about a mile from the state fishing lake. Yep, that first summer was heaven. Every morning, my cousin and I would ride to the lake and have a ball catching fish, frogs, tadpoles, and getting muddy. Every kid should find that kind of happiness, but I know not every kid can ride their bike to the lake. However, it is possible, even necessary, to get a youngster their own rod and reel. Buy a quality spincast reel. I've spent too much time working on old hand-me-down or cheap reels kids brought to fishing clinics. A good reel doesn't have to break the bank, but a quality spincast reel will ensure more time fishing and less time working on the reel.  A 5 1/2- or 6-foot medium-light casting rod will work for about any situation. Buy each youngster a small tackle box of their own, and fill it with a selection of spinners, jigs, a few small crankbaits and a couple of bobbers. Then, take them fishing! Take advantage of the great spring weather we're having and go to your local state or community lake. You'll find a listing of all fishing waters in the 2012 Fishing Regulations Summary, and there is even a Family Friendly designation for community lakes suited for family outings. Get out and pass it on. I can assure you, your kids will never forget.

Fishin' Time

You gotta love spring. Even though this has been a mild winter for Kansas, spring is a welcome season. Spring brings warm temperatures, new growth, and most importantly, cooperative fish. You can find and catch fish in shallow water in the spring, and fish are always easiest to catch when they are shallow. First, fish move shallow to find warmer water and food. Soon after, they move shallow to prepare for the spawn. This is a perfect time to take a new or young angler. When fish are concentrated in shallow water near shore, they are not only easy to find and catch, they are accessible to bank anglers. And maybe one of the best ways to catch them is with a bobber and a small jig. It's an easy rig for a youngster to handle, and it works. The bobber keeps the jig from sinking into and snagging on rocks or brush, and it holds the jig tantalizingly in front of the fish. Even though springtime fish are hungry and eager to bite, cool water makes them somewhat sluggish, so a small, slow-moving bait is best. Let the bobber sit; wave action will be enough movement. Try to get it as close to the brush and weeds as possible, and set the hook if it goes under. Seeing a bobber go under is exciting, even if it's not on you line. And while you can catch just about any pond fish with this rig, crappie might be the most sought-after. Nothing tastes better than fresh crappie fillets. Try the rig in a pond or state fishing lake this spring, and don't forget the kids.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SMALL WATERS

I've used it and I'll bet you have, too. We probably all use the excuse, "I don't have time to go fishing," too often. The problem is that you'll be just as busy tomorrow and the next day. Making time for really important stuff like fishing is important to your health. I've found a way to go fishing more often by rediscovering small waters. There are a couple of local ponds that provide great fishing, and I can be on the water in less than 30 minutes. Now that we're back on Daylight Savings Time, an evening fishing trip after work is doable. Recently, my dad, aunt and I took advantage of unseasonably warm weather and found the crappie cooperative. We didn't catch a bunch, but those we caught were large and scrappy. Take advantage of the next really nice day this month and fish a small pond or lake close to home. Small waters warm up more quickly than larger lakes, so March is a perfect time to fish them. Take a youngster or adult friend along, and you'll both be glad you did. You'll be amazed at how just a few hours of fishing can improve you're mood and general outlook on life.

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.