Youth Hunt teaches kids the basics
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/09/2010 (5604 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Even at the tender age of 14, Tyson McRae knows a responsible waterfowl hunter is one who respects the delicate balance between their sport and the natural environment that surrounds them.
"You don’t shoot (birds) that are getting close to extinct," he said. "We don’t want to endanger more animals. We want more for future generations to hunt."
McRae and more than two dozen other youth from across southwestern Manitoba learned the ins and outs of participating in safe, ethical hunting this weekend during the Sixth Annual Alexander Youth Hunt.
Split between the Brandon Gun Club and an outdoor hunting site near the community of Alexander, the event aims to teach young hunters smart, responsible ways to hunt for wild game.
"I’ve learned how to hold the gun properly so I don’t hurt and people around me don’t get hurt," McRae said. "But for me, it’s just fun to spend time with friends."
Hunt captain Kim Poppel says not only is the weekend an opportunity for fellowship between hunters, it also serves as a fun way to drive home to the younger generation the responsibilities that come along with hunting.
"Hunting is a privilege," she said.
"The opportunity to continue to have that privilege rests with our young people and it rests with being responsible, ethical stewards of the resource.
"This is a safe, ethical, fun experience that exposes people from 12 to 17 years old to waterfowling."
After sitting on the sidelines of last year’s event, 12-year old Katharina Knipping was excited about being old enough to be part of the weekend’s shoots.
"(Hunting) is something that I was always against when I was younger. But it’s a big thing for me know. It’s something that I can do with my dad and my brother," she said.
"Here, I’ve learned a lot about conserving wildlife and making it fair for both sides."
After lessons in the areas of bird calling and retriever training and a few rounds of skeet shooting for practice, the weekend event culminated Monday in an early morning hunt south of Brandon.
The weekend event is run each year by qualified hunting mentors, with support from Manitoba Conservation, the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Delta Waterfowl Foundation.
Sept. 1-7 has been set aside this year in Manitoba as a mentored youth hunting week for waterfowl, wild turkey and muzzleloader deer.
The regular season opens on Wednesday.