Poll: Your thoughts on youth hunting/fishing opportunities

[bearpaw]

106 members have already voted. Poll is now updated with added options.

If you would like to change your votes, click on the button to "Remove Vote" then vote again for all choices that you like.

[Dhoey07]

I think that we might be getting somewhere.  I just redid my votes, the first time i voted for 3 options, this time i voted for 10 

[fireweed]

For fishing, I would like to see rules relaxed for youth.
True story: WDFW took 50 some city kids to Coldwater Lake to fish.  Single, barbless, hooks no bait for kids that have never fished before.  The Newspaper was there to do a story.  Total fish caught= ZERO. This probably did more harm than good.  Kids thinking Boring who wants to fish, sit all day, catch nothing.  But if kids could have used bait or barbed hooks.....

[idaho guy]

Do they offer hunter ed in school. The elementary school where my kids go offer it as and extra class. Might be doing that already but that makes it really easy for the parents and kids to do it.

I don't know of any schools in Washington that allow hunter-ed in school. I would like to know more about the availability of hunter-ed in Idaho schools?

They offer it as a class (I think after school) but I wish I had more information my son took the online hunter ed when he was 8 so he could hunt in washington since Idaho big game was limited to 12 year olds at the time. The school sends home a flyer with the kids and then you can sign them up. I didnt notice that they sent it out till he was 10 which makes sense because that was the first year he could hunt small game and would need hunters ed in Idaho. My daughter who is 9 will take the course through the school next year so I will know better how it all works. We had to look for online hunter ed and were motivated to do it but whats great about the school is they are letting all the kids parents know its available and its a pretty easy deal to get kids involved. Even if the parents arent avid hunters be a good way to offer a class to their kids which is easy for the parents to do.     

[cue772]

Never had a special program growing up. The first thing that needs to happen is set Olympia on fire and watch em burn..public enemy no 1 is the gov. The mentality of the modern hunter needs some work as well. We tolerate too much crap. Mentor programs sound like a great idea. A lot of kids out there who would love to hunt, just no one to teach them.

[bearpaw]

   for more comments and votes....

[bearpaw]

  for more comments and votes....

[Bordercop]

Hunting camp for kids. I know a lot of parents want to be involved in this part of their children's life. This would be a way if the parents didn't have the time or their skills were limited. A camp that would give the kids hands on experience is something to start. I just remember when I was a kid the camps I went on that related to hunting and outdoors really gave me great memories and got me very interested in the outdoors. As far as how to do it, I am not one to say. I just hope someone can take my idea and do something with it, like you Bearpaw.

[RB]

Poll states only 116 have voted so far I believe there are quite a few more than that on this site  With that I voted with what appears to be the most voted for, more instructors/classes and extending the "youth" age to 17. The age increase would allow more flexibility I believe because it will give more time to mentor. Every kid is different some don't mature enough until later in life (13-15yrs old) to be responsible even with adult supervision. At 18 in the eyes of the military you are adult enough to be a part of them, so that is when full price license and tags should start.   

[bearpaw]

Hunting camp for kids. I know a lot of parents want to be involved in this part of their children's life. This would be a way if the parents didn't have the time or their skills were limited. A camp that would give the kids hands on experience is something to start. I just remember when I was a kid the camps I went on that related to hunting and outdoors really gave me great memories and got me very interested in the outdoors. As far as how to do it, I am not one to say. I just hope someone can take my idea and do something with it, like you Bearpaw.

I've had a domain reserved for a hunting school for a few years, but that will be a private business venture in association with my outfitting business.

I had a meeting a couple days ago and we discussed the idea of Hunting-Ed (learning basics about hunting) for youth or first time hunters who have graduated Hunter-Ed (firearm training) but have no mentor to learn from. I'm totally on board with that idea. I think we need to provide an opportunity for new hunters who have no mentor to gain basic hunting knowledge to help get them started at hunting. This idea fits in with what Bob33 eluded in a post about needing to do numerous things to get youth involved in hunting. The big questions I see to get a Hunting-Ed program started:

How to get WDFW aboard?
How to design the program?
How to acquire instructors?
Where to do it?
How to pay for it?

Anybody have any thoughts?

[bearpaw]

I have a small group of individuals who want to help put together a recommendation to WDFW for "Improving Youth and New Hunter Recruitment". If you would like to participate in this email exchange please send me your email address and I will include you. Thanks, Dale

[bearpaw]

You guys and some others providing info by email really helped me put together a comprehensive list of ideas. The ideas were well received by the task force members with several members commenting favorably about the comprehensive list. I attached a pdf of what I submitted, this will give the Dept. some good ideas to consider. Thanks again to everyone for your input. 

Many Thanks,
Dale