hunting pressure

Hunting in Colorado is on the decline. According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service national study for 2006, the number of hunters both nationally, and within our own state is decreasing substantially. Hunter percentages, within the Rocky Mountain region, as a measure of the entire population, have dropped from 11 percent 15 years ago to just over 6 percent in 2006.

There is only one way to combat this trend, and that is to take a newbie into the woods. Acting as a mentor and inviting someone new to the outdoors on a hunt, can open a lifetime of activities for them, and put one more good guy or gal on our team.

It’s amazing to me how many friends and acquaintances I have here in Colorado, who have children or who themselves have never known the pleasure of camping, who have never picked up a fishing rod and tried for some trout, and whose only firearm knowledge has come from video games and movies. Seeing an elk or a bear in the zoo is one thing, but having one walk past you as you sit in a blind is a completely different experience. Many times, people who would consider hunting, often do not because there are several, seemingly sizable obstacles to their participation. Here is where you come in:

SHARE YOUR EQUIPMENT:

Getting involved in hunting means getting your gear on. When you combine new camo clothing, a frame pack, gear to fill the frame pack, a firearm, and tags, the cost of a hunting trip can really add up. For new hunters, this financial roadblock is a true stopping point to really getting active in the sport. That is where mentorship on our end comes into play.

Most hunters I know are much like me: they have a spare set of everything. The best way to really introduce the wild is to eliminate the initial financial investment, until those newbies decide “hey I really like this.” By sharing your gear, you not only remove an obstacle, but also can make suggestions on what one might need to purchase in the future. My first hunting trip happened as a result of a random invitation. Luckily for me, the invitee had double of everything, and was more concerned about me having fun, than his own hunt. The only thing that I bought was my tag and some camo pants, everything else was a lender item. By the time the next hunting trip rolled around, I already had the outdoor fever, and was ready to start collecting my own gear. That was ten years ago, and we’ve hike out many elk together since then.

SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge is something you can’t put a dollar figure on. There is not manual or instruction booklet on how to go out for elk or deer. Sharing that knowledge; be it the hunting license application process or tracking animals in the field; is of immense importance if we want to pass on the hunting tradition.

As most of us know, there are lessons that we have learned over the years, that if we were allowed to go back in time, which would have helped us out in many instances. The more time you spend in the field, the smarter, rather than harder, you start to hunt. Carrying a rifle into untracked wilderness, can be a daunting undertaking for someone with little or no experience in the back country. Sharing your knowledge of the forest and of the animals within it, and often accompanying your newbie will make the wilderness much less intimidating.

Mentorship of new hunters is the only way that we can pass on the traditions that we love and look forward to every year. As responsible hunters, it’s our duty to share hunting with others who have yet to experience it. Even after years of enjoying the outdoors, with many racks on the wall, and many full freezers in our past, there is still a legacy that we have to leave. So for 2008, invite a co-worker, drinking buddy, or neighbor’s kid with you on a hunting trip. You just might be the god-father of their new outdoor passion. Good luck and good hunting.

Michael Peceny

01.20.2008

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