Take a kid fishing and freeze his water, then you have a fishing buddy for life

I am not sure what the official definition of child abuse is but I can assure you my grandfather and uncle both would have been accused of such.  In the late 1980's  they had me on a bass boat in the middle of the Cumberland River in February. It was so cold that they had to take me back to the boat ramp for my aunt and grandmother to pick me up so that I could thaw out and use the bathroom.  Yes, my water froze and now the whole world knows it!

Sabrina with her boys, Youth Turkey Hunt

Over 20 years later and I still remember that day like it was yesterday and it was some of the most fun I have ever had.  If they would have left me at home that day and not taken me, my whole life would be different, that in my opinion would have been child abuse!

Why would anyone like the torture of freezing river water being splashed on them in the middle of winter you ask?  Because I am a male, it's inert to test my limits, my internal workings are not designed to be inside all the time. I wanted to be a grownup like my Uncle and Granddad and most importantly I absolutely LOVE being outside.  I also cried during Bambi after which I went outside and built a fort with my buddy and acted like GI Joe and shot invisible bad guys with our stick machine guns, not sure what the subliminal message behind Bambi was but whatever it was I didn't pick up on it.  See...I was a normal boy.    

Why would I NOT want to defy death just to be a bit closer to nature, it beats being tortured by having to stay inside all the time.

Not all boys were like me but I venture to bet a very large portion of them are. It is not just boys either, girls are meant to be outside and with nature as well.  I am fairly certain Adam and Eve didn't have a HVAC and high speed internet... 

Heather Davis, a great hunt with her dad

It may sound like my outdoor experiences as a youth were a little harsh but never fear, as an adult I still have those experiences.  Last spring I barely dodged a flood hunting turkeys off a kayak on the Cumberland River and this summer I was caught in a horrendous lighting/thunder storm while hiking in the Smoky Mountains,  but for the most part my adventures are safe, at least that is what I tell my wife!

Back on topic; "Take a kid fishing and freeze his water, then you have a fishing buddy for life" This is a perfect recipe to start the process of teaching our young people the meaning of conservation and in my opinion the meaning of life.  Plus you can teach them a little psychics about water molecules while your at it. 

In the latest Urban Hunting DVD you can watch two youth hunts from the Spring of 2013.  These two hunts are arguably the best on the entire DVD, to watch the expressions of the young hunters as they watch the sunrise and listen to the glory of the thunderous wild turkey gobble will bring back memories to those of us lucky enough to enjoy the outdoors at an early age and will spark an immediate interest in all of us to find a youngster and take them on a adventure.

One of the hunts takes place on the opening day of the 2013 Spring Turkey season in TN where Scott Davis invited Christian on his first turkey hunt.

Scott and Christian shared a very memorable outdoor experience with turkeys gobbling to the melody of the spring woods. This experience will forever be ingrained in both of their minds. 

myself and my youngest brother hiking

They shared an experience that sadly not many people are fortunate enough to have any more, that is why it is so important to take an initiative and do our part with the younger generation by introducing them to the outdoors.

Christian was not able to punch his tag on a turkey that morning but he did leave the woods with more than he brought.  He summed the hunt up with one word, "brilliant"!  When I heard that I immediately knew his hunt was a success.  For one he had not been hunting in a quite some time and another he had never been turkey hunting, so this adventure was destined to be memorable.  He also mentioned one other thing that caught my attention and that was the excitement of the chase.  Scott and Christian followed rule number one of hunting, fair chase.  This common sense approach is about respect to the game we hunt and it is also a standard we base our ethics on.

"at the end of the day it was all around a really good time. I was really thankful Mr. Scott invited me, and I'm looking forward to going again."
                                                                    -Christian M.

While talking with Scott about this hunt he brought about a good point, the kill is not part of the ultimate goal;

Christian in a ground blind enjoying nature

  "The goal is to build a relationship around the outdoors, and plant the seed that allows them to grow in that experience.  For the rest of their life, when they see me, or remember me, it will bring that experience back to their memory.  It is another way to impact the future generations in a positive manner.  I hope that when these young people reach decision making positions in life, they will opt to support and cherish our hunting heritage!"

I could not agree more with him, actually my fondest memories afield do not include a kill or catching any fish.  Every single one of them is about the time I got to spend with the ones I love, the ones I look up to and the ones who took the time to make sure I had a great experience. 

Anthony with his first deer

Another youth hunt on the DVD involves two very young hunters, at this age it is very important to make sure they have a great time.  Their attention spans are almost non-existent and all they care about is having fun.

Having a good ground blind and some snacks is trick of the trade.
Lets face the facts, not many of us are good at sitting still and we all get hungry and when you are knee high to a grass hopper sitting still is not in your vocabulary and eating is a necessity!

In this hunt the young hunters actually have a shot opportunity as a boisterous tom comes strutting down the ridge to their blind.  Lets put ourselves in the shoes of a early school age kid ( 5-8 yrs old), you have some crazy thanksgiving turkey that dodged the supper table last fall and he is making his way through the woods in your direction, for all you know he is looking for redemption! At this point you have some serious thoughts going on in your head; 1.) can I shoot this thing before he jumps in the blind with us 2.) I wonder if I dad has any more snacks???? 

The shot was a clean miss, though one could argue it may have been a warning shot to deter the turkey from breaching the walls of the tent - therefore the boys saved the day!

acting goofy in the duck blind

The point of that hunt was not about killing a turkey, heck I am willing to bet the adults in that blind were actually shocked by the fact that they actually even got to shoot at one.  The purpose of that hunt was to expose them to a passion of the outdoors, to wake up that inner wild heart, allow them to share the joys with family and friends and to teach them something that cannot be taught in any formal educational setting.  I promise you a classroom that comes with a early morning sunrise, fresh dew and song birds beats any brick and mortar room they will ever sit in and it is up to us to make sure they have that chance to be there. It is also our responsibility to make sure they get the most benefit out of it.

After watching both hunts I was convinced that the objective was accomplished.  All three young hunters were excited and the adults were equally ecstatic. 

I am now at the age where my focus has shifted to introducing new people to the outdoors, both young and older.  It is an absolute joy to share my knowledge (albeit limited) with them and experience the euphoria they achieve that only a sunrise can grant.  I asked Scott about why this experience is so fulfilling and he described it as a connection with his past.

He mentioned that he didn't quite understand the full extent until later in life but when people took him hunting it was a blessing, I would also venture to say those experience helped shape Scott into the person he is today.

You are never to young to go fishing, just don't let your water freeze

One selfish reason to take a young person hunting is self gratification. Scott and I both agree that taking new and young people afield is as rewarding for us as it is for them.  Keep focused on them, show them a great time, teach them something new and I can promise you that EVERYONE will be rewarded.

If you don't believe me then I invite you to sit around our dinner table during the holidays after a evening hunt.  Stories will be told about the big one that got away but eventually a decades old story will surface about a young man's water freezing during a February stripe fishing trip.  We will all laugh but the best part is we will all relive it like it was just yesterday, my Uncle and Granddad both benefited from my water freezing almost as much as I did!

Take a kid fishing and freeze his water, then you will have a fishing buddy for life