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Over the years I see less and less youth in the field hunting or any outdoor sports for that matter. Their only interest now is PS3 or internet related popularity like facebook or myspace. When I was a kid you could not get me out of the woods and I learned a lot about how nature life works in balance. Now, most kids don’t even want to leave the house or even communicate/inter act with family. Most would be known as the “fat kid” when compared to when I was growing up as youth.
Since there is less and less people doing outdoor sports, what are some ways I can get/convince kids and other people to go hunting and pick up different outdoor sports such as, camping and fishing?
Thanks David
Take them afield, I’m sure they will love the experience. If they are old enough take them to your state’s Hunter Education Course to learn the basics of safety and firearms/bow operation. If they see your passion and responsibility to the sport, it should rub off on them.Show them how much fun it is!! Show them how to do everything take them outdoors and say” look guys, this is how its gonna b for a week so i suggest you guys find some ways to make it fun” make sure there’s NO electronics except maybe a flashlight.
David,
The world you and I grew up in isn’t available to kids today. It was accepted practice that we would spend the day outdoors. That is no longer the case.
Before school started here in Wichita, Frank Martin, the basketball coach at K-State came down and gave the teachers a bit of a pep talk before classes started. On comment he made that really stuck for me was that kids today aren’t any different than when we were kids…what is different is the world around them and the expectations and demands that society puts on them.
If we want today’s kids to have a chance to experience the great outdoors that you and I both love, we have to take them by the hand and give them the opportunity to see what it’s all about. We, as outdoorsmen and women, have to step up and make sure today’s kids have the opportunity. Without a proactive approach, too many of today’s kids won’t ever thrill to the flush of a covey of quail or a rooster busting cover, won’t see a glorious sunrise on a bright spring morning with a gobbler in full strut. We have to make it happen for them.
Mike
http://www.outdoormentors.org
Mike:
That’s a good link and a great organization!
David:
It is truly hard to get kids out of the house these days to do anything not just go fishing/hunting. When I was a kid the night before a fishing or hunting trip was like Christmas eve. I recently had my nephew over and asked him if he wanted to go out on the lake the next morning to do a little fishing? He was somewhat excited until it was 5:30 am and he did not want to get out of bed because he was on the computer gaming until 1:30 am.;-(
The only thing you can really do is getting them involved at a young age, even if it is just coming outside and seeing what you got when you were out. Chances are if you take a little kid fishing a lot, he/she will be fond of it and want to continue if only to spend quality time with you. I know it certainly worked for me, I hunt and fish because my father had me fishing from when I was only a year old.