Interesting day and a first for me.

Drew

Drew

Well-known member
Yesterday, I was asked if I would “lease” my dog and myself out to spend a day taking folks who have never hunted ever and wanted to give it a try. So they had safety classes and shooting lessons all week and my job was to take them out and give them an opportunity to experience an upland hunt. Long story short, they were safe, and believe me they have opportunities to shoot myself and my dog. Had folks from Oregon, Montana, Iowa, Indiana and New York. Lots of shooting and only two birds died. They cleaned them and we cooked them last night for the crowd.

It was very difficult not have a gun in my hands, but I would do it again. Very worthwhile.
 
Drew said:
Yesterday, I was asked if I would “lease” my dog and myself out to spend a day taking folks who have never hunted ever and wanted to give it a try. So they had safety classes and shooting lessons all week and my job was to take them out and give them an opportunity to experience an upland hunt. Long story short, they were safe, and believe me they have opportunities to shoot myself and my dog. Had folks from Oregon, Montana, Iowa, Indiana and New York. Lots of shooting and only two birds died. They cleaned them and we cooked them last night for the crowd.

It was very difficult not have a gun in my hands, but I would do it again. Very worthwhile.
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Well done Drew! You obviously did a great job “coaching” your new hunters!! Very rewarding!!
 
Our local PF group does a youth hunt, and a DAV hunt every year that we guide in. I’ve been trying to get them to add a ladies hunt as well. It’s always a highlight of my year watching someone get a big smile when they shoot their first bird and the dog brings it back !
 

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Between volunteering at our youth hunts and guiding at a preserve I get to see lots of first time hunters. Know there are lots of bad stories out there but I’ve never had a really close call in the safety department. Have got to see many kill their first birds and that is always great.
 
I to have guided on some youth hunts. I learned that being calm and friendly works better than trying to be in command so to speak. If you can explain the rules and keep them calm they do a lot better. One kids dad was kind of giving him a hard time for missing a bird and barking orders. Poor kid was a wreck. I got him aside and told him not to worry about missing the shot. All the boys were missing. Just take a deep breath, plant your feet and shoot. He killed the next bird and was all smiles.
 
I spent most of the day telling them to keep their eyes on the dog and the cover. I also repeatedly gave advice concerning shot selection. There were multiple opportunities where you have a straight away shot for the first 20 yards which a dream shot. They tended to wait a little long and the birds then caught a tail wind and offered a 30-40 yard passing shots with gaining speed and distance. I personally struggle with that shot still after 50 years. They just need experience and confidence. I hope they all stick with it.
 
I’ve helped with many PF youth days and women’s days and really enjoy it. Always in the pheasant field. I agree with most of what’s been written. The kids usually don’t even get a shell til the dog is on point and the handler has it under control. Safety’s been emphasized to each group repeatedly. However, my dog came within a couple of feet of being shot at 10 yards this fall. Had it not been for the mentor shoving the shotgun away a split second before the shot, the dog likely would have been shot. You never know what a person’s going to do when they know there’s a bird there. I’d say 98% of the time that it’s very safe. I’m still happy to help out too.
 
We do our pf hunt like a real hunt. Youth are allowed to carry loaded guns - Handlers and volunteers are there for help with safety. Muzzle directions , guns on safe , staying in line and safe footing. We do plant birds as it's safer then wild flushes and easier shooting. We plant 5 birds per youth and hunt grass and crp if it isn't too thick. Handlers are from our navhda group and only run steady dogs. A few from our group also run there dogs but all have been very well managed .

Our navhda guys help other groups with youth hunts and believe ours are the best experience for all involved. Here is what they say about a couple others.
You put a kid on a hobbled bird being pointed and then give him a shell and load his gun. Shooter is so excited at their turn that it is hard for them to exercize any restraint upon the bird being flushed.
 
Our group is very similar, normally 2 dog handlers per group of 4 or 5 kids. They all have done firearms safety to qualify, and they do a range trip in the morning of the hunt. The dog handlers and parents help the kids with safety and making sure the lines stay straight and kids are being safe. Only well trainings dogs are typically used. We normally plant 2 birds per kid. The birds are not hobbled, they plant a 10 to 20 acre field ahead of time on the preserve and conduct it like a traditional hunt. Some groups run pointers and some groups run flushers. So far it’s been pretty safe each year. I think it’s been a valuable experience for everyone involved.
 
I’ve been a part of several 4-h/FFA hunts over the years and it’s always a blast with the kids. I’m not going to lie there have been some moments I feared for dog safety, low flying birds or cripples in sight on the ground make me cringe. Best to split up kids in small groups or not let them walk beside each other due to competition to kill.
 
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