Juniors-only hunts

[TATAat27]

First off, I want to say that I believe in giving our youth opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and learn about our sport. I think its great to see dad and mom out with their kids. I started hunting at an early age, but it wasn't until I was fouteen that I received my first big game tag. To me, I think 10 years old is a little young for big game hunting but to each there own. I was just wondering why people feel its so necessary to have a separate hunt for them. I hear a lot of people saying they dont have enough opportunity, but look at all the leftover tags and the high draw odds on a lot of good coues deer hunts year after year. I think four general hunts on a unit is plenty and then you add two more youth hunts to the mix not to mention javelina along with them, I just think its going way overboard. I'm just wondering what your thoughts on this are, maybe theres something I just haven't thought of and theres a perfectly good reason for it. So go ahead and let me have it.

 

blessings, Richard

[soazarcher]

They are absolutely the most important hunts in Arizona.

 

With 4 general seasons, we have alot of opportunity, maybe we should give one up to increase the youth draw odds.

[CRB]

In my opinion having a seperate hunt for our youth is great especially for those first time hunters . Hunting with the pressures of overcrowding areas can be overwhelming when trying to teach your sons or daughters respect for nature its just one more obstacle and could very easily deter a youth from enjoying the chance to hunt. Hunting in far less crowded units with fewer other hunters will give our kids a better chance of seeing these animals in there natural environment and enjoying the hunt while giving us the satisfaction of teaching them safety and as I mentioned already respect without having to rush them to the next ridge or canyon in fear of other hunters getting to the buck or bull before they do. nothing good can come from rushing a child into an already intense and exciting situation!

[Redman]

First off, I want to say that I believe in giving our youth opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and learn about our sport. I think its great to see dad and mom out with their kids. I started hunting at an early age, but it wasn't until I was fouteen that I received my first big game tag. To me, I think 10 years old is a little young for big game hunting but to each there own. I was just wondering why people feel its so necessary to have a separate hunt for them. I hear a lot of people saying they dont have enough opportunity, but look at all the leftover tags and the high draw odds on a lot of good coues deer hunts year after year. I think four general hunts on a unit is plenty and then you add two more youth hunts to the mix not to mention javelina along with them, I just think its going way overboard. I'm just wondering what your thoughts on this are, maybe theres something I just haven't thought of and theres a perfectly good reason for it. So go ahead and let me have it.

 

blessings, Richard

 

 

Why do you "think its going way overboard"?

 

Redman

[gotcoues]

Well I think you have a valid point of too many hunts in one unit, but I wouldn't reduce jr opportunity. I have three children that are ten or older and I think the jr hunts are the best thing going in the hunt structure. Lower tag fees and less pressure during their hunts is only fair for younsters. Deer hunting can be a very challenging affair, the youngsters need a little extra edge IMO.

 

Be careful, seems like a lot of youngsters on this site. We've see a lot of "Mob" mentality going on as of late. LOL... They might come for ya

[Switchback]

First off, I want to say that I believe in giving our youth opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and learn about our sport. I think its great to see dad and mom out with their kids. I started hunting at an early age, but it wasn't until I was fouteen that I received my first big game tag. To me, I think 10 years old is a little young for big game hunting but to each there own. I was just wondering why people feel its so necessary to have a separate hunt for them. I hear a lot of people saying they dont have enough opportunity, but look at all the leftover tags and the high draw odds on a lot of good coues deer hunts year after year. I think four general hunts on a unit is plenty and then you add two more youth hunts to the mix not to mention javelina along with them, I just think its going way overboard. I'm just wondering what your thoughts on this are, maybe theres something I just haven't thought of and theres a perfectly good reason for it. So go ahead and let me have it.

 

blessings, Richard

 

 

Sorry TATAat27 but this is the craziest post I have seen on this forum......Do you not have kids???? Get these kids in the out doors no matter what! There is so much BS the kids have to deal with now days from drugs to gangs to you name it. Hunting teaches kids so much more about the outdoors than just killing something it is an experience......I better stop there...

[.270]

we used to always apply my boys for the jr. deer hunts. they never got a tag. they always got deer in the general season tho. but i think the jr hunts are a good deal. need to get kids interested in the sport. and keep em interested. we never applied for the jr cow hunts because they always wanted to shoot bulls. jr hunts are a good thing and i don't think they are detrimental to the big picture. i sorta wish they'd have some kind of a seniors season for elk. let them ol' geezers have a chance at one last bull. but i mean old too, like 75 and older.

 

the objective of junior seasons is to get kids interested in hunting by helping them have a good experience right off and giving them an opportunity to hunt without a lot of competition and a time of year that isn't so harsh. and i think 10 is just fine to start hunting big game. i remember when i was kid trying to keep up with my ol' in rough assed country and freezin' my butt off in the morning and cookin' in the afternoon and runnin' outta water and draggin' bucks for miles. i wouldn't trade those experiences for anything, but most kids aren't as tough as i was and having the kind of experience when they first started might run a lot of kids off. especially these little softies i see runnin' around now. Lark.

[GameHauler]

I was always taught that if you don't have anything nice to say not to say anything.

So rather than let my emotions speak I will leave this at that

[ac guy]

Jr hunts also make it possible to hold jr hunt camps, like the deer camps in 20c and 23. These are great places for kids to be around other kids in a wholesome environment. I'd give up all my hunts to allow kids to be in the field.

[wardsoutfitters]

I think the Jr. hunts are a asset to the future of hunting nationwide. I think the minimum age of 10 Is a good starting point although my son has been shooting and hunting small game since he was 5 years old and just this past year he harvested a coues deer in Mexico at the age of 8. My only opposition to the Jr. hunts is the maximum age of a Jr. hunter I personally think that the Jr. max age should be 16 years of age. I feel this way because I have seen on a number of occasions Jr. hunters in the field that were hunting on their own at the ages of 17and 18. I also think that if you are hunting on a Jr. hunt the Jr. should be accompanied by one of their family members such as a parent or grandparent .

[Coach]

I'm a firm believer in the youth hunts. Absolutely love them, and if that means I have to wait longer for "my own" tag, so be it.

 

To answer one of your points about left-over tags. To be honest, most of the leftover tags are in some of the units I would be LEAST likely to hunt with my kids. I'd love to hunt 30A or 30B some time with a group of adults, but there is just too much trafficking going on there to do the father/sons hunt for me personally.

 

I'm glad everyone is keeping it civil - this is definately a "hot-button" issue for lots of us, but admit it - before we had kids many of us may have made the same arguments.

[youngbuck]

I drew a jr elk hunt at 10. Put in for deer as often as I could as a jr, drew it a few times. I also put in for jr javies untill i got a bow worth shooting. I think Jr hunts are great as long as draw odds are good. Kids are less likey to want to go out and bust their butt hunting hard if they like the couch so much. I remember taggin along gettin my but walked in the dirt huntin with my family when I was younger. I could have been happier gettin beat up and worn down.

I also agree with Lark about the senior elk tag. My grandpa was fourtunate enough to draw a rifle tag 2 years ago when he was 84, I think. I think that will not only be one of my most memorable hunts, but fondest memories in my years to come. I will never forget that. I wish it was easier for more people to have that expierience. Make it a once in a lifetime draw for hunters over 70 or 75. How many tags would it take a year?

[TLH]

have to give Tataat27 props here--he is asking a question that is a very touchy one at that. Obviously he wants to find out what we all think and you all have gave him good answers.

 

Here is what i think about youth hunts:

 

Youth hunts get the kids out of the house and around a camp fire--it shows them that there are people who are grown ups that are more than a person who goes to work and comes home (even worst--no Mom or Dad at all at home) they find out what it feels like to really be a human and not just a mushroom that sits in front of a damned video game or watches TV all day long. They know what it is to be out there and i think out there is something kids need!

 

They also find out what the spirit of the hunt is and why we all love it so much--it builds feelings that we all have felt many times over and those feelings will cause them to be our next generation of hunters who will fight the fight and make sure our grandkids and great kids will have the opportunities we have today.

 

Youth camps are set up so the kids know that the hunt will be all about them--kind of like Christmas to some--they wake up with that excitement that only kids can have at that age--they look to the guys that are there to mentor them and teach them and in turn they learn to share the love and build on the passion that must be had if we want to have this heritage we call hunting to continue into the next millennium.

 

We will host a youth camp in unit 23 again this year (we being The Arizona Hunter) last year i was the youth director for the ADA and we had a great camp up there--The ADA will have a camp in northern 23 along with the areas around it and i can tell you that if you can make it to these camps and you can volunteer your mentoring skills to just one kid then you will understand the reasoning behind youth camps..

 

TaTaat27 i would like to invite you to our camp in unit 23 this year--come up and have a burger or two on us and do a little glassing for the kids--it will put a smile on your face and you will know why the game and fish and all of the groups push so hard to make these hunts a possibility for the kids (and for all of us big kids who want to live it again through the eye's of the young ones)

 

[attac

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[DesertBull]

I don't think 10 years is too young. It all depends on the parents and the maturity of the kid.

 

Heck, I know some 40 year olds that should not be within 100 yards of a BB gun.

[Mrs125coues]

The more we can do for our youth's, the better. They are our future!! We do not have children, but our favorite volunteer work is anything involved with the youth. I would give up a general hunt to make sure the youth's get opportunity.