RE: PGC staff drops an important ball for our youth
 

I agree everything should be done to increase hunting opportunites in PA. Statistics are dwindling for the age group 12-17. More has to be done.

RE: PGC staff drops an important ball for our youth
 

Rybo, you and Trykon do both have a point. there are a lot of jerks out there.

I'd like to think that they are not in the majority. It's certainly human nature for all of us to remenber the bad before the good.

I'd also like to think that the kind of parent who is willing to put forth the effort to mentor an underage kid is probably a cut above average in this state.

RE: PGC staff drops an important ball for our youth
 

I just think there is a much better way to get a kid out there without leaving a wide open loophole for scumbags.
My views on youth hunting are different than most. I feel they should be able to start young, and get breaks on license fees, but honestly i truly disagree with the special seasons and rules for them. If you can't get a kid interested in the amount of time the seasons already provide, then a couple extra days ain't going to do the trick. It's a bogus "feel good" rule IMO.

RE: PGC staff drops an important ball for our youth
 

All three of my kids started "hunting" at around age 4 or 5. I would wait for a warm october afternoon, pack a small backpack with munchies and drinks for em and go outfor squirrels. I would only shoot squirrels that they spotted and pointed out to me and of course let them carry thesquirrel around.

By the time my oldest son was nine, he was ready to sit with me all morning on the first day of rifle season and we "hunted" the same way.
We did it legally and he didnt shoot before he was 12 and I think back at how nice it would have been if he could have been the primary hunter back then.I just think with most kids attention span at the young ages that we ought to cut them a little slack even on the small bucks.

I'll tell you what would make sense though.when a kid gets his first license at whatever age, he gets one or two special buck tags thatare not dated. the kid gets to harvest one or two sub AR bucks and then he/she is huning as an adult. that special tag gets put on the sub AR buckwith the regular tag siginifying it as a "first" or "youth" buck.

That does two things. it preserves the purpose of relaxing the AR's for kids but doesnt let it go on for several years if the kid is fortunate enough to have the opportunity many years in a row. It also makes that one or two tags something valuable to the kid and maybe those jackasses that would shoot a kids deer would give it more thought isf the kid only had one or two chances at a small buck.

RE: PGC staff drops an important ball for our youth
 

The PGC can only do so much to promote hunting.Instilling the desire and interest to hunt is up to the parents.I know one thing for sure.Complaining about how poor the hunting is nowand how great it used to be when it wasn't unusual to see 50+ deer a day isn't the way to instill the desire to hunt.

RE: PGC staff drops an important ball for our youth
 

That's one postI actually agree with.

RE: PGC staff drops an important ball for our youth
 

I am with you Bailey, I have four sons I started them like BTB. and they had no problem waiting until they were 12yrs. old to go hunting, three out of my four boys turned out to be avid hunters one just never took a liken to getting cold and walking the hills. Kids can learn just as much about hunting and the woods without a gun as with a gun maybe more.

RE: PGC staff drops an important ball for our youth
 

BT, do you have a beef with the PGC lately? :D


I too feel thatsome of thescum bags out there will take advantage of this. Some guys stoop to a really low level.

They'll shoot a sub legal buck, go home and get their daughter, come back and take the deer out of the woods.

Some guys will just shoot at any antlered buck and count points as it lays on the ground. If it isn't legal, the do the above scenerio.

Now if I could wave a magic wand, I'd create a seperate one or two day season earlier in the fall when the weather is more comfortable for young kids. Only kids under 12 would be permitted to hunt. To hunt this special season would require a special licence and tag, for a very low cost ($5). This would raise a little $$$ for the PGC and prevent some of the bad scenerios we've mentioned.

I don't think mentors would mind paying $5 for their young hunter to get an early chance at a buck. The deer would be more relaxed giving the little hunters a better chance. Maybe the scumbag mentors wouldn't be tempted to do the shooting, knowing they'll get a chance later on in the season.

RE: PGC staff drops an important ball for our youth
 

It easy now to see after reading alot of responses why the PGC might want more time. I'm just saying it's a very touchy subject.

RE: PGC staff drops an important ball for our youth
 

I don't know if PA is just loaded with knuckleheads or it's the whole country but I caught a few groups driving shooting at anything willing to use a kid to tag the sub-AR buck.It's ashame we even have to worry about this kind of thing.And yes I made reports.