Conservation Currents
Hunting
November 2006
by Jim Henderson
Some of my fondest childhood memories are going hunting and fishing with my father. Having grown up on Cape Cod, before it became suburbia, you could say we were blessed to live near wonderful habitats for ducks, geese, rabbits, deer and striped bass.
To say that Dad was an avid outdoor sportsman would be an understatement. Throughout the 1970's he was one of a handful of commercial striped bass fishermen out of the famous fishing town of Chatham, MA. A hard working plumber during the day, each fishing season he would motor out to Pleasant Bay every evening after dinner in pursuit of striped bass and bluefish. Dad taught me how to catch these fish as well as the "bait-fish" we used. I was the only kid I knew who had a live well on the side of their house. It held herring in the late spring and eels throughout the summer.
Whitetail Deer - Buck
Photo: Vermont Fish & Wildlife
Every hunting season was approached with outright seriousness and preparedness. The only dogs my family ever owned were meant for hunting: beagles for chasing rabbits and labs for retrieving waterfowl. Home made decoys and a duck boat were launched for hunting sea ducks, while oversized plywood silhouettes of Canada geese were set up on the marsh for goose hunting. For Christmas each year I could always count on getting a new hunting license, a couple boxes of shotgun shells, and at least one piece of new hunting gear.
Dad taught me much about the safe handling of firearms, nature and biology, as well as hunting etiquette and ethics. We never killed anything that wasn't meant for the dinner table. I remember feeling closest to my dad and probably got to know him best while discussing all sorts of topics as we waited for the birds to fly. However, I don't remember having the dreaded "birds and bees" conversation. That topic was fully understood while Dad taught me how to hunt deer during their mating season.
I remember my two best friends were envious of me because my dad was a hunter and often took me hunting with him. Well, it was Dad (and Mom) who eventually brought all three of us to hunter's safety class so that we all got our hunting licenses together. I hunted with those guys throughout high school. However, I distinctly remember that there was a difference between how we approached the sport. It seemed they lacked the patience, understanding and the instinct to be real hunters. While I became obsessed with the sport, hunting every day before and after school, quite often the weather was too cold or rainy for them. They simply lacked the appreciation that my dad passed on to me. It came as no surprise to learn that both of them do not hunt anymore.
Turkeys - Two Toms
Photo: Vermont Fish & Wildlife, Tom Evans
Certainly not all people are cut out to be hunters, but I truly believe that some people are born with an inherent hunting instinct. These people only need a hunting mentor to expose this instinct and help it to flourish. Most hunters can usually sense this about another person. If you are a hunter and you sense this in a child you know, I implore you to invite that child along with you on a hunting outing. Teach that child to appreciate and understand nature. Help him or her to understand that, for many wildlife species, hunting is a critical component of wildlife management. There are more guns in our country than in any other place on earth. Eventually most people will encounter one in their lives. Educate them about gun safety. For those hunters with kids of your own, unplug the T.V., computer and video games and bring your kid out hunting. You might make some of the best memories of your lifetime - and your child's!
Jim Henderson is a member of the board of the Bennington County Conservation District and is the GIS Senior Planner for the Bennington County Regional Commission. He lives with his wife and three children in Sandgate, VT. Colin, 14, bagged his first tom turkey and came in 2nd place in a striped bass tournament when he was 10 years old. Nathan, 12, shot his first buck during this year's youth deer hunting weekend. Owen, 9, came in first place in a trout-fishing derby and is looking forward to taking hunter's safety class.