NRA Past President, Marion Hammer Encourages Floridians to Help with Youth Hunting Programs!

Ms. Hammer:

     Thanks for your generous donation of shooting supplies to the Ocala Outdoor Adventure Youth Camp.   All of the items that you gratefully donated will assist our instructors in teaching the next generation how to be safe, responsible sportsmen and women.

The Friends of the NRA helped us purchase some new automatic clay machines for a new 5-stand sporting clays range that was built at the camp earlier this year.  The kids will have loads of fun using the shooting supplies that you donated at that new facility.  Working together, we can make a difference for the future.

I know that getting children involved in the hunting and shooting sports is a subject that is near and dear to your heart, so I want to ask you for another favor.  We need your assistance in getting the word out about the FWC's new Youth Hunting Program.

Our goal with this program is to provide quality-hunting experiences for 12- to 17-year-olds and to increase the number of youths involved in hunting.  The FWC is currently looking for landowners and/or hunting clubs to host weekend youth hunts; volunteers to be trained as huntmasters, hunter safety instructors, cooks or guides; and organizations to help sponsor this new program.

While introducing Florida’s youth to the hunting tradition, the Youth Hunting Program can benefit landowners by assisting them with their wildlife management practices by helping them reduce does, hogs and other species the biologists want to manage on their property. All the landowners or hunting clubs need to do is provide access to their land, and the Youth Hunting Volunteers can do the rest.

The goal for the first year of the program is to train at least 25 volunteers throughout the state to be huntmasters to lead future youth-training hunts. Along with enlisting these volunteers, another goal is to establish landowner relationships and secure additional funding to ensure the future growth of the program.

If you can help put us in contact with individuals who can volunteer their time and expertise to be trained to plan and lead these youth hunts, or landowners and hunting clubs that are willing to donate their property, please have them contact either Alan Busenbark or Bill Cline at (850) 413-0084 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Thanks, for all your assistance in continuing the heritage of hunting for future generations. For further information please visit FWC's youth hunting website at:  myfwc.com/huntered/YouthHunter/

Bill Cline

FLORIDA FISH & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, FL  32399-1600
(850) 413-0084  Fax: (850) 413-7989 Suncom: 293-0084
Visit us at: MyFWC.com