My Vision for Youth Hunters
10-22-2013, 11:33 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Virginia
Posts: 6
My Vision for Youth Hunters
Hello,
I am not really sure if this is where I should post this but I'm looking for some advice and help. I have this vision that I would love to see happen, but I do not know the steps to take. It is best to start out with a story.
There is a farm that we hunt on that borders National Forest Wilderness Area, and it is a huge and great place to go deer hunting. However, the people who own that farm are barely scraping by. The man, W.T., who owned the farm passed away earlier this year, and now it is just James, who is about 11, and his mom. They cannot run the farm so they lease it out to the hunting club and timber a lot of it. James is the one who started this vision of mine.
Two years ago, my dad and I decided to get more involved with the family. W.T., the old farmer, was sick and they were doing everything they could to pay medical bills and keep the power on. They had timber and cattle to do that. James has had a very rough childhood. He watched his grandpa get more and more sick, and had to deal with a number of his mother’s abusive boyfriends. The last one of James’ mother’s boyfriends sent him on a trip in an ambulance before being detained and put in jail for a long time.
My dad and I struggled to find a way to help James, but we did think of something. James, like my dad and I, loves the outdoors and hunting. He had never had anyone to teach him though, or even take him out to hunt. I gave James some of my old camo, and we took him out onto his grandpa’s farm for his first real hunt. We set him up in the corner of a field and sure enough, thirty minutes before dark, some does walked out like they always do. We had one of our rifles for him, and he had never really shot anything besides his bb gun. After several rounds and some encouragement, he finally bagged his first deer. She was a big doe and to him, there was not a bigger deer on that farm. The pure excitement on his face was amazing. Seeing a child take their first animal is truly a special moment. He jumped and screamed out and never stopped thanking us.
We took him back to our house, just a mile down the road, skinned the deer and put the meat in a big cooler. When we returned him home with the deer his mom almost cried. Like James, she would not stop thanking us and she did not want to take the meat. It was something they really needed though. After all, that is free groceries and when meat is vacuum packed it will last a very long time. Since James first hunt, we have been able to take him hunting every year. We have been blessed to be able to continue seeing and killing deer on each hunt. And, just like that first time, we bring the groceries back to his house so they can eat.
I was thinking about our hunting trip this year. It will be different now because my 8 year old sister will be joining us. That was when it hit me. Why stop with just James? Why cannot this be bigger? James and his mother are definitely not the only household like this in rural southwest Virginia, or in the country even. I thought up some names like “Hunt for the Hungry” but that is not really the important part. I would love to find kids, from families who really need it, and take them out on a hunt. Then that family would have free groceries. I mentioned it to my dad and he told me if I am really serious about it to send letters to Mossy Oak or Bass Pro, so I am currently sending letters to any group that might be able to help.
I do not know how to start something like this, or what I would need. All I know is that it is something that could really benefit a lot of underprivileged children as well as their families. My goal is to introduce kids to the sport, allow them to make some memories, and help out families in need. In Virginia, we have something called DCAP, Damage Control Assistance Program. Farmers can get doe tags for their farms when deer come in and hurt their crop. That would be a great place to start. If these farmers could give the doe tags to kids, I am sure it would not bother any of the hunters on those farms who are really only after the bucks. The farmers are trying to get rid of the does anyway, and I have heard horror stories where they just shoot the deer and leave them there to die. If the kids had the tags, it would not be such a waste.
I am basically writing to present my idea and see if any of you could help in any way or maybe offer some advice on legal steps. I am sure it would be a difficult process because firearms are involved, but I am willing to make it happen. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this.
-Sydnei
I am not really sure if this is where I should post this but I'm looking for some advice and help. I have this vision that I would love to see happen, but I do not know the steps to take. It is best to start out with a story.
There is a farm that we hunt on that borders National Forest Wilderness Area, and it is a huge and great place to go deer hunting. However, the people who own that farm are barely scraping by. The man, W.T., who owned the farm passed away earlier this year, and now it is just James, who is about 11, and his mom. They cannot run the farm so they lease it out to the hunting club and timber a lot of it. James is the one who started this vision of mine.
Two years ago, my dad and I decided to get more involved with the family. W.T., the old farmer, was sick and they were doing everything they could to pay medical bills and keep the power on. They had timber and cattle to do that. James has had a very rough childhood. He watched his grandpa get more and more sick, and had to deal with a number of his mother’s abusive boyfriends. The last one of James’ mother’s boyfriends sent him on a trip in an ambulance before being detained and put in jail for a long time.
My dad and I struggled to find a way to help James, but we did think of something. James, like my dad and I, loves the outdoors and hunting. He had never had anyone to teach him though, or even take him out to hunt. I gave James some of my old camo, and we took him out onto his grandpa’s farm for his first real hunt. We set him up in the corner of a field and sure enough, thirty minutes before dark, some does walked out like they always do. We had one of our rifles for him, and he had never really shot anything besides his bb gun. After several rounds and some encouragement, he finally bagged his first deer. She was a big doe and to him, there was not a bigger deer on that farm. The pure excitement on his face was amazing. Seeing a child take their first animal is truly a special moment. He jumped and screamed out and never stopped thanking us.
We took him back to our house, just a mile down the road, skinned the deer and put the meat in a big cooler. When we returned him home with the deer his mom almost cried. Like James, she would not stop thanking us and she did not want to take the meat. It was something they really needed though. After all, that is free groceries and when meat is vacuum packed it will last a very long time. Since James first hunt, we have been able to take him hunting every year. We have been blessed to be able to continue seeing and killing deer on each hunt. And, just like that first time, we bring the groceries back to his house so they can eat.
I was thinking about our hunting trip this year. It will be different now because my 8 year old sister will be joining us. That was when it hit me. Why stop with just James? Why cannot this be bigger? James and his mother are definitely not the only household like this in rural southwest Virginia, or in the country even. I thought up some names like “Hunt for the Hungry” but that is not really the important part. I would love to find kids, from families who really need it, and take them out on a hunt. Then that family would have free groceries. I mentioned it to my dad and he told me if I am really serious about it to send letters to Mossy Oak or Bass Pro, so I am currently sending letters to any group that might be able to help.
I do not know how to start something like this, or what I would need. All I know is that it is something that could really benefit a lot of underprivileged children as well as their families. My goal is to introduce kids to the sport, allow them to make some memories, and help out families in need. In Virginia, we have something called DCAP, Damage Control Assistance Program. Farmers can get doe tags for their farms when deer come in and hurt their crop. That would be a great place to start. If these farmers could give the doe tags to kids, I am sure it would not bother any of the hunters on those farms who are really only after the bucks. The farmers are trying to get rid of the does anyway, and I have heard horror stories where they just shoot the deer and leave them there to die. If the kids had the tags, it would not be such a waste.
I am basically writing to present my idea and see if any of you could help in any way or maybe offer some advice on legal steps. I am sure it would be a difficult process because firearms are involved, but I am willing to make it happen. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this.
-Sydnei
10-22-2013, 02:04 PM
#2
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SE Mn
Posts: 61
Well you have the desire to do so, so I'd say that's a huge step in the right direction. Very very admirable of you.
This would be something I'd think that certainly could work but might take some planning. Maybe contact your local sportsman club? Get the word out of what you'd like to do? Contact the big brothers/big sisters chapter for your area? You could even donate some of the meat that you or people you know to a local food bank? Not sure what if any laws preside over something like that but maybe worth looking into. I'll have to think about this a bit and see if I can come up with any other ideas. Glad to see you are wanting to make a difference in some young persons like. Sometimes all it takes is a gesture like what you presented here that turns someone world around
This would be something I'd think that certainly could work but might take some planning. Maybe contact your local sportsman club? Get the word out of what you'd like to do? Contact the big brothers/big sisters chapter for your area? You could even donate some of the meat that you or people you know to a local food bank? Not sure what if any laws preside over something like that but maybe worth looking into. I'll have to think about this a bit and see if I can come up with any other ideas. Glad to see you are wanting to make a difference in some young persons like. Sometimes all it takes is a gesture like what you presented here that turns someone world around
11-26-2013, 06:22 AM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,230
If I was you, I'd get ahold of Safari Club International (SCI). Although they are mostly known for African hunting, they are the world's largest hunting organization and the best funded. In the USA they have hundreds of local chapters and I guarantee you that there is a chapter somewhere near south west VA. This sounds like something right up their alley.
I've been a member of the Denver chapter of SCI for over 15 years. Look into them.
I've been a member of the Denver chapter of SCI for over 15 years. Look into them.
