Idaho Outdoors

Life is Always Better with an Outdoor Adventure!

Hunter’s Safety for Children

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Hunters Safety for Children
Teach your kids hunter education, and show them the value of hunting in the great outdoors.

Hunters Safety for Children!

With hunting season just around the corner, thousands of people across the country are going to be gearing up to participate in this classic sport. Many people who are not familiar with hunting may perceive the sport to be quite dangerous due to the use of weapons. However, hunting is one of the safest sports that someone can engage in as long as the proper safety measures are being followed. There are far less injuries in hunting than in a sport like football. This means that introducing your children to the sport is fine as long as you teach them how to hunt safely.


Before jumping straight into the woods and handing your child a gun, there are a few important restrictions to think about enforcing in your own life:

  • Children under 15 who are shooting should have a state hunting license, undergo a hunter safety course, and always be with an adult – preferably one who is certified in hunter safety.
  • Do not leave a child alone in the woods when you are hunting.
  • You and your child should wear florescent orange to lessen the chance of an accident.

Once you and your child are out in the woods and ready to hunt, there are a few more things to think about. Your child needs to be aware of the safety measures that have to be taken any time there is a gun involved. Injuries and deaths only occur when someone doesn’t follow some of these basic safety measures:

    Recent Hunter Education Graduate!
    Recent Hunter Education Graduate!

  • Always point the firearm in a safe direction and never at anything you are unwilling to destroy.
  • Always keep the finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
  • Always keep the firearm unloaded with the ammunition stored separately until you are in the hunting area and ready to shoot.
  • Be sure of your target-and that means what might be beyond or behind that target.
  • Make sure that any animal you bring to your vehicle is dead before loading into the car and leaving.
  • Do not bring small children with you to hunt.
  • Do not let your child climb down a tree or throua fence with a loaded gun. Make them hand the gun to you before climbing to down the tree or through the fence.
  • Make sure that your child knows to never shoot at a sound or a movement. They need to see the target at which they are aiming.

Hunting is one of the oldest sports known to man, and it can be enjoyed with people of all ages as long as the proper safety precautions are being followed. If you are an experienced hunter, do not be afraid to introduce your child to hunting.

There are valuable life lessons to be learned in this sport, and children are more receptive to rules and guidelines than we sometimes give them credit for. Be clear in your instructions, and model the proper behavior so they see you are taking it serious as well.

The Pledge to Protect Our Sportsmans Heritage for Our Youth!

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What is the Sportsman Heritage?

The sportsman in me was nurtured and developed from the age of four. That was my first memory of dad spending time with me in the woods, at the river, or at camp.  I believe that all who live this way of life have an obligation to pass the sportsman heritage to their children if they are interested.

Sportsman Heritage
My Son’s Elk 2006

My father is a great man; he spent many years punching the time clock, always trying to figure out how to make that extra buck. His motivations were always pure he loved spending every second he could with his family. If he could spend that time with our family hunting, fishing, or running around new country, well that was even better.

My best memories from childhood include running around with dad whether we were fishing, hunting or just at elk camp hanging out.  Some of these memories are the same ones my children cherish to this day.  I made it a point to take them to some of the same places my dad and I visited when I was a child.

Heritage: Anything that has been transmitted from the past or handed down by tradition, a way of life!

The realization that our sportsman way of life was actually our sportsman heritage did not hit me until my children started hunting and fishing with me. Whether we were teaching them how to tie a hook on or watching them pull in the biggest bass of the trip. By empowering them to succeed in our outdoor adventures, we have taught them valuable lessons that will benefit them for a lifetime.

The principles of our sportsman heritage flow into our everyday lives. They empower our success, free us of fear, and help us overcome adversity.



Should we practice good Conservation?

Sportsman Heritage
My mom with her grandchildren 2010 elk hunt.

For years many of my family considered conservation environmentalism. After serious reflection and discussions we have decided this is not necessarily the case.  As stewards of hunting, fishing, prospecting, camping, or whatever it is you like to do. We need to take care of everything we touch.

Many of the outdoor clubs have put conservation practices in place. For instance the Geocachers practice the Cache In Trash Out (CITO) motto which means they go find a geocache and leave with some trash. By following good conservation practices like cleaning up a campground, or picking the pop can out of the river we are keeping the resources that our children will want to use some day clean.

That is not environmentalism that is good common sense.

I know making a pledge to our youth is a little corny.  However I would rather be a little corny and have the resources to teach my grandchildren to hunt than not.

The Pledge to protect our sportsmen heritage for our youth!

  • I pledge to protect the resources so my children and grandchildren can use them as an adult.
  • I pledge to teach my children and grandchildren the ways of our family’s sportsman heritage..
  • I pledge to be kind to help my children and grandchildren be self-confident and firm to teach you respect for others.
  • I pledge to pass on the rich sportsman heritage that our family has passed down generation to generation, so that my children and grandchildren see the value of harvesting wild game for their table.
  • I pledge not to harvest, more than our family can eat.
  • I pledge to teach fair and ethical behavior in the field.
  • I pledge to protect these rights that were inherited from my father so my children and my children’s children can enjoy them.
  • I make this pledge not only to my own children and grandchildren, but to any child, grandchild, adult, or group that is interested in learning about being a sportsman.

Please take the pledge pass on the sportsman heritage, allow our youth to enjoy the same rights and heritage that we have. Mother Nature created the great outdoors for everyone.