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.