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New hunters are going afield by the tens of thousands, thanks in part to programs like Families Afield.
Click to Download Photo Courtesy of the National Wild Turkey Federation |
NWTF Helps Give Youth A Shot At The Outdoors
By Burt Carey
Courtesy of the National Wild Turkey Federation
Despite an era of slow change, when bureaucratic red tape seemingly takes forever for even minor modifications in how, when and by whom wild turkeys are hunted, a recent tide change has helped open the doors of hunting to youth as never before.
Mentored hunting and eliminating age barriers that prevent people from hunting are key components of the Families Afield program. A partnership of the National Wild Turkey Federation, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance with assistance from the National Rifle Association, Families Afield uses data from the Youth Hunting Report to help remove youth hunting barriers across the nation.
To date, 27 states have passed some type of Families Afield legislation. Data from those states that have tracked youth license sales show that apprentice hunting programs have already introduced more than 131,000 people to hunting.
Among those 131,000 beneficiaries, are the following five youth hunters, all of whom were accompanied by their parents on successful spring turkey hunts in 2008.
Click on a name to read their story:
Jonathan Creed | Susan Missal | Audrey Sullivan | Jacob Wasser | Hunter Batten
For more information on hunting safety data and the Youth Hunting Report, log on to www.familiesafield.org, or call NWTF Headquarters at 800-THE-NWTF.
