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Recruitment time

Summer type weather is finally here . We have all summer to recruit new Archers & Bowhunters . Friends, relatives , neighbors, & family . Keep our heritage growing . Build for the future .

Great to see. Two of my grand daughters were up on Saturday, One is a hunter, one is not. They both love to shoot their bows and we shot for a few hours. First time this year for them and we had to adjust weight and draw length on both bows. They grow up fast.

My son just turned 9, I'm going to buy him a bow this summer so he can shoot with me. He's been "training" how to be a hunter since he was 3. Before I put a weapon in his hands I had to teach him how to: walk in the woods (tip: make believe you're ninjas), how to be silent and patient, navigate with a compass, navigate with the sun, deal with pickers/brush/getting whipped in the face, deal with blisters/aches/pains, deal with the hot/cold/rain/snow/everything mother nature throws at you, carry a heavy pack, deal with ticks/skeeters/flies, learn how to dress for the elements, how to look for deer sign, how to help gut and drag deer, learning respect and admiration for wildlife, and all the other skills that make for an outdoorsman. The first time I took him gun hunting I passed on a fork. He asked why I didn't shoot it and I explained to him that it was too brushy and I couldn't a clean, ethical shot. This is the heritage I'm passing on to my son. My neighbors kid is 7. He was sat behind a crossbow on a tripod, pointed at a pile of corn in a tower blind, and he shot a fork the first time he hunted. Later in the season his dad got a cellphone pic of an 8 roaming his property; he left work early and shot said 8 that afternoon. This is hunting as they know it. Both methods are hunting, to each their own as long as it's legal. Question is, what hunting heritage do we want to pass on?

Well done Ruger!

Bushwack, 90% are passing on the latter.

My grandkids won't be hunting with a weapon until they are at least 12. That's plenty early in my world. The ability to pull a trigger has nothing to do with hunting. They also won't be sitting in a condo stand, using a bench rest, or baiting. If they want to bowhunt they will do it with a bow. And they won't do it until they show me they are proficient to do it. If it takes until they are 16, so be it.... If they can't cut the mustard, that's fine to... They won't be spoon fed anything to get "likes" on social media....

I agree retro, my boys both know bowhunting is for bows. Unfortunately my one son says he is the only one he knows that uses a bow. I told him to be proud of what he is using and it is sad that people are only in it for the easy kill, make sure you think more of hunting than that.

Agree 100 % retro , no tents or houses . All my grandkids start by observing & calling . The 5 year Olds carry their Airsoft guns incase Zombies attack .

Looks to me that our future is in very capable hands. Thank you to all of you doing it the right way!

Live2Hunt, My grandsons have questioned me why other kids in there classes are already shooting deer????? I'm glad they question me because it leads to good discussions....

Ruger, We are learning gun safety with a Crossman BB gun. They also shoot the .22 and .410 with very close supervision.... Emotionally none of them are ready to kill anything yet. Given there age, I consider that normal.....

Josh and others , It sounds great the way you're bringing up your kids and grandchildren. I did the same thing the first year my son was going to hunt. I remember sitting up in a double stand I built. I nice doe was coming down the trail, she stopped. My son drew back and he was shaking like the scene out of Deliverance. The doe spooked and he looked at me and asked, "I suppose you're ashamed of me." I told him, "Not in the slightest, I wouldn't have it any other way," but it did tell me he had the bow hunting fever.

Many great comments in the above...bowhunters/hunters passing on the traditions and instilling the love of the outdoors...teaching youngsters there is a right way to become an outdoors guy or gal... I applaud you all. Well done folks.

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