R&S Youth Hunt '09

[THE GOB-FATHER]

Good day fellow Racks & Spurs Club members! This year, the Racks & Spurs Club would like to start commemorating the annual hunting seasons we all partake in by documenting our personal involvement with the youth of our sports. Each year, newly introduced youngsters get the great opportunity to get involved in the great outdoors. Whether it be hunting, fishing, scouting, going out with dad or mom in the field etc... it's all a part of "Passing On The Tradition"... something of which we here at the Racks & Spurs Club strongly support!

It is in these great new experiences that we would like to dedicate a portion of our online outdoor community to the youth of our sports! That being said, we'd like to encourage all of our members and family of the Racks & Spurs Club to take a youngster out in the field this year. Introduce them to God's Country! Teach them the principles of good safety, strong moral ethics, and most importantly... good sportsmanship afield! In doing so, we'd like to ask our members that we "capture" these great moments by taking pictures and providing stories to go with the events and place them on the site for all to enjoy and witness. And even more-so, get a youth to join our community so that they too can enjoy what the site has to offer in terms of encouragement, safety, tips and strategies to becoming more successful in the woods etc. We're all here to help and encourage them to take the torch in which we pass unto them!

I know that here in New York, we have a Spring Youth Turkey Season, in which pre-selected days prior to the opening of the regular turkey season is dedicated to opening an opportunity for the youth to get out and hunt those spring gobblers! It's instances like that in which we'd really like to see some pictures and documentation of the event on the Racks & Spurs Club forums!

I've created a BRAND NEW board on the site titled "Generation Next... Youth In The Outdoors" in which we'd like to support this movement in. Please help contribute in building this board with us from the beginning! It will be located here: racksandspursclub.com/index.cgi?board=youthhunting

So in closing, as elders of the outdoor heritage and our online community of sportsmen and sportswomen alike, we encourage you all to take a young boy and/or girl out into the field this year and post their experiences on the site! Let's pull together on this and responsibly pass on the tradition! Thank you.

-Keep God In Your Life & Meat In Your Freezer!

-Jason Collins
AKA "The Gob-Father"
Owner/President
Racks & Spurs Club
www.RacksAndSpursClub.com

[Huntinbuddy]

Great idea there Gobfather. I know I'll be posting with Robbie and Heather and the Scout crew. The youth of today are this countries future and every way we can show them that we care and they are a part of every aspect of our daily lives the better off we all will be as they grow into adults. Again great idea and I know it will see plenty of posts with the class of people here on Racks and Spurs.

[Wing~Bone]

That's great! I'll make to post pictures and stories! What better way to keep this going!

[THE GOB-FATHER]

Hey Huntinbuddy, I can't take all the credit for the idea, this has been an ongoing request from several of the great members here who want to see more youth involvement within our community as well as I. And you're right, it's a great way to see how we're getting the deed done by passing on the tradition to the upcoming generation of hunters. Isn't it great! ;D

[Hunt4Ever]

Hey GOB this is great, like i know im a youth but i think its great that this is going on.

but i got maybe a stupid question lol, can i post pictures if a youth (being me) takes out a friend? and introduces them into hunting??

H4E

[unclejer13]

i called my nephew and told him we was doing this and he asked me right away .... well when you taking me back up to the cabin .... lol ... he is all ready togo

[LongSpur39]

I think taking out the folks and their kids every year is probably the most gratifying to me. Along the way you open up the eyes of the adutlt as well as the child. The facial expressions are priceless,when they hear their first gobble. Good idea for sure GF.

[captainkb]

One of the biggest services that we can provide is to take a child hunting. If we all think back to the time that we all first started hunting with either parents, or friend of the family, it should bring back fond memories. We have the responsibility to our sport to continue this on.

This is also a great way for all of us to raise money for our favorite local charity. I personally donate 3 "guided" hunts every year. The only stipulation I put on these hunts is that it must be an adult and a youth combo. The parent or adult must accompany the child and take part in the hunt. Typically, I will do a one day hunt, and depending on the level of giving, I feed them, provide stuff to drink, and then do a tail mount of their bird. Now, I am no "professional" guide by any means, but I do know how to hit that "hearbreaker" box call and make those Toms gobble their heads off.

In the state of Washington, there is a ton of good private ground that is REALLY tough to get on. You will be amazed at what happens when you go knock on the door, and explain that you are taking a kid hunting for the first time!! I have literally had landowners who previously said no way to hunting their land, open their door, invite me in for coffee, and tell me how happy they are to hear that I am taking a kid hunting. In all of the BS that exists in our world of X-box junkies, and obese un enthused kids and parents, this can be the experience that might make a difference in a kids life.

So, if the level of giving is $500 or below to the charity, I take them out, hunt hard all day, feed them a good sandwich and a couple of Mt. Dews at lunch time, and then hamburgers and chips after we are done. If the level of giving is above $500, I will feed them the same lunch, but give them a good steak dinner after the hunt. At the end of the day, they head home with a bird for the kid, a great experience, and a full stomach! The best part is, that the charity of your choice gains the much needed funds.

The last auction that I donated a hunt to brought in $1,380 for Cancer research. I will spend at the most, $100 for food, drinks, gas, and the tail mount. The acution before that raised $425, and I spent about $35.

If you are going to be in the woods anyway, why not share that experience with a kid and the parent who will hopefully carry on this heritage?

If anyone would like some more information, please contact me, and I will be happy to send you examples of gift certificates, letters to your charity of choice, and some guidelines/rules that I put in place.

Good hunting and good luck.

CaptainKB