Aug 10, 2003 By Rod Schoener 5 min read

Fairbank Rod and Gun Club and the Tri-County Chapter of Pheasants Forever have joined forces again to co-sponsor a second annual Mentored Youth Pheasant Hunt. The concept of a special youth only mentored pheasant hunt was introduced last year by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

After last year’s hunt, Bob Valente, who coordinated the event for Fairbank Rod and Gun Club, said, “I didn’t hear anything but praise, and I hope we can do it again this year.”

Valente and his committee got everything together again, and this year’s hunt is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Fairbank Rod and Gun Club grounds.

All interested area young people between the age of 12 and 16 are welcome to participate, but due to limitations set by the Game Commission, only 50 youngsters can be accepted.

Participating youngsters do not have to possess a current hunting license, but they must have successfully completed a Pennsylvania certified hunter/trapper safety course.

Each youngster will be required to pay a $5 registration fee, which includes breakfast and lunch.

Youngsters have to be accompanied by an adult mentor – preferably a parent or guardian – prior to and after their turn in the field.

Club members and members of Pheasants Forever and Nixon Gun Club of Brownsville, who will handle the dogs, will supervise the live pheasant hunt.

If everything goes as planned, each youngster will at least get to shoot at two ringnecks.

Valente said, “We’ve been planning this for months, and everything is now in the final stages.”

To keep the youngsters from becoming restless while they await their turn afield, they will have the opportunity to shoot sporting clays, where they went through 65 boxes of shotgun shells last year.

Upon leaving the bird field, the youngsters are invited to stop at the club rifle range, where expert instruction is offered on muzzleloader shooting and safety procedures. The young sportsmen/sportswomen are also given the opportunity to fire the muzzleloaders if they so desired.

Youngsters participating in the hunt are encouraged to take along their fishing rod and some bait to try their luck fishing in one of the club’s ponds.

Last year the fish were very cooperative, and just about every youngster was catching fish, from bluegills to bass and channel catfish.

According to Game Commission fact sheets, mentored hunts came to be as “current trends in small game hunting participation rates and age of participants represent an early warning that the future of our hunting tradition, outdoor heritage and wildlife conservation are threatened.”

While the average number of days spent small game hunting has declined by 40 percent in recent years, the PGC noted that at the same time, 30 to 40 percent of teenagers interested in hunting are actually trying it.

Research shows that the two biggest barriers to recruitment of new hunters are lack of apprenticeship (mentored) experiences and lack of social support, especially by family members.

These mentored pheasant hunts provide opportunities for youth to forge outdoor oriented relationships and connect with nature.

Youngsters will go afield in pairs for the actual hunt.

For the sake of expedience and safety, birds will be planted in a “bird field,” where the hunt will take place.

Prior to going afield, the young hunters will be given a talk on safety and explained the rules of the hunt.

All shotguns will remain unloaded until a dog goes on point.

Once a dog goes on point, one of the two youngsters will be directed to move forward to a position near the pointing dog.

At the same time, he/she will be instructed to load his/her shotgun with two shells only.

The pheasant will then be flushed, giving the youngster a chance to shot at it, but only twice.

After one youngster has a chance to shoot, the second youngster will move to the line and follow the same procedure.

The scenario will be repeated until each participant has a turn in the field.

Last year a light drizzle fell most of the morning, making some of the pheasants a little uncooperative. Some failed to fly, running on the ground instead, and some youngsters did not get to shoot at two birds on his/her first trip afield.

Once everyone had a turn afield, youngsters who did not get a second shot or harvest at least one ringneck were taken out a second time, where most ended up bagging at least one ringneck, thanks to TNT Shooting Grounds at Smock, which donated a crate of pheasants.

Hunt participants must provide their own shells, but Fairbank Rod and Gun Club will provide shells for sporting clays shooting.

All youngsters will be eligible to win door prizes, which have been donated by area businesses.

Preregistration is a must, and youngsters are encouraged to apply early for each participant must complete and return registration, emergency medical authorization and consent and release forms to the club before being accepted for the hunt.

The last day to register for this year’s hunt in Sept. 15.

I attended last year’s hunt, and can honestly say it was a joy to see so many youngsters having fun in that type of outdoor atmosphere, showing off the pheasants they bagged and trading stories about the day’s experiences.

It would be great to see more clubs become interested in mentored hunts, so more youngsters can have the experience of shooting at a live ringneck.

For more information on mentored pheasant hunts, check the Game Commission’s web site at www.pgc.state.pa.us.

Persons wanting registration forms or more information on this year’s hunt at Fairbank Rod and Club should contact Valente at 724-246-9828.

Rod Schoener is the Herald-Standard outdoors writer.