HELPING hunts
New organization looks to introduce millennials to hunting
For many generations, hunting has been an activity that has been passed down through families. Recently, participation in hunting has been in decline, but one new group is looking to help new hunters find mentors.
The Arkansas Outdoor Society was created this year to help the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation raise interest in and awareness of hunting and fishing for millennial Arkansans ages 21 to 45. The group hopes to achieve this goal by hosting exclusive events to help people get “unplugged and outdoors.”
“We feel like there’s a lot of focus and attention on youth hunting and fishing, and that’s great, but there’s not a lot of reinforcement if the parents don’t go hunting and fishing,” said Blake Pond, chair of the Arkansas Outdoor Society. “That’s why we’re focusing on millennials and trying to provide events with low barriers to entry so people won’t feel intimidated by the process.”
Pond said some of the barriers to entry for new hunters might be not knowing where to hunt, not having the right equipment or not knowing anyone to hunt with.
The AOS recently held its first mentored dove hunt at Georgetown Lake near Scott. Pond said about 15 hunters attended, and two killed their first doves. Pond said dove hunting can be a good introduction to hunting because it is fairly social, fairly easy and doesn’t require a lot of gear. He said the group also got in a little fishing while at the lake.
“We’re trying to engage millennials and show them there are easy ways to access the outdoors and engage in hunting and fishing,” he said.
Pond said sales of hunting and fishing licenses have been declining for a number of reasons. One of the big ones is that the older generations of hunters are aging out, but as a result of urbanization and other activities, millennials aren’t stepping in to carry on the sport.
Mentorship is a big part of what AOS is about, Pond said. He said avid outdoorsmen have a passion for sharing the outdoors with others, and having millennials teach other millennials about hunting and fishing can be a great way to pass on experiences.
“I always remember my first deer, my first duck, the first trout I caught — those were all great experiences,” he said. “There’s nothing like taking someone on their first successful deer hunt.”
On Saturday, AOS will host a mentored antlerless deer hunt in Cabot and North Little Rock. The group is looking to pair up seven inexperienced hunters with seven mentors. Mentors will be there to help calm the new hunters’ nerves to ensure a good shot and guide the process of tagging the deer and caring for the deer after the shot.
To be a new hunter in the program, a person must never have killed a deer, have a valid Arkansas hunting license and a hunter education card, be a member of the Arkansas Outdoor Society, practice at a shooting range prior to the hunt, and sign a liability release and indemnification agreement. Hunting gear and firearms can be provided if needed.
Pond said mentors will help the new hunters find signs of deer, such as scrapes and rubs, and if the hunters are successful, how to field-dress a deer, prepare it for processing and properly tag the deer. He said that after the hunt, everyone will get together to talk about what they saw and experienced.
“That’s the best part of hunting, whether you kill something or not,” he said. “It’s being out in the woods, experiencing nature, and being together and talking about it.”
Membership to the Arkansas Outdoor Society is $85 for a single membership and $150 for a double membership, Pond said. For more information, visit www.agff.com/ arkansas-outdoor-society.