Hey THF Members,

I want to take a moment of your time to tell you about an organization I've been involved with about 15 years as well as inform all the parents and youth as well as the landowners of this wonderful opportunity unique to our great state of Texas!
This program has been around since I was a kid and probably longer. This is a program put on by the Texas Wildlife Association TWA. and The Texas Parks and Wildlife. The Program in short a program for Texas Resident Youth ages 9-11 that have taken a Hunters Education Course. This program is private landowners volunteering their land and animals to allow youth who might not typically be able to hunt every year. It’s sponsored by many volunteers and certified hunt masters who volunteer their time to helping youth experience the outdoors including inner-city, under-privileged and disabled youth hunters. The membership is $12 a year I believe and the hunts have a $50-75 fee to help cover food and other expenses, however the can find sponsors and money is never an issue If you take all the steps. They have made it very easy to apply now you can go straight to their website and apply online. TEXAS YOUTH HUNTING PROGRAM
At the end of every hunt each youth must write a thank you letter and the things these kids write are heartwarming.

To share my personal experience with the program in short. I was born in September and November I was in a blind hunting with my father. I got to look through a scope at a deer my father shot at age 3.When he passed when I was 6 I hunted with my grandfather at his lease in Rocksprings until they lost it, and shot my first deer at 7 using his truck as a blind. When they lost the lease I had no place to hunt. i trapped raccoons and opossums on our 2 acres until My grandfather got me involved in the TYHP. I hunted in the program for 3 years until my mother married a Rancher and I had all the land in Texas to hunt. Later we convinced my step-father to volunteer his ranch for a youth hunt and we've done at least 1 every year for many years now. We even did a disabled youth Turkey hunt that was sponsored by the NWTF and Academy and NWTF sent a few world champion callers down to call for these kids and Academy gave them all Ice chest full of gear. I try to get as many youth as I know to join this program and have sponsored 1. So if there is anyway ya'll can get involved with this program I believe you'll find it very rewarding!!!
Thanks for your time!!!

I went on my first hunt with this program this past March. I was just a guide on a youth turkey hunt and let me tell you it was a very enjoyable experience. Matter of fact I enjoyed it so much I have since signed up for the Huntmaster training so next time I will be able to be more involved with the hunt and experience.

High level view of the hunt, IT IS ABOUT THE KIDS. Great efforts are made in making sure it is a safe enjoyable experience for them. There is a post with a lot more on that hunt in the Trukeyhunting forum here.

Excellent program. I've guided upland youth hunts for several years. Great kids and they are very respectful.

Yup. A BIG thumbs up for the TYHP!!!

I love to hear about these programs and I just signed-up to be a volunteer. Our sport needs all the help we can get these days.

I try to do the Super Hunt they have each January in Stonewall - fantastic organization and many dedicated volunteers working toward one goal, reaching out to our youth and giving them an opportunity to hunt throughout the state for various species. Really great team work at each and every one I have assisted and the smiling faces on both the youths, their parents and volunteers says volumes!

Kids are the future of the sport!

Couldn't agree more!

New huntmaster workshop has opened in North East Texas.

https://www.tyhp.org/huntmasterworkshops/

Hope at least a few youth get signed up from this post!!!

I've been volunteering with TYHP for the last couple of years and plan on getting the huntmaster certification some time soon. John Miller is our Jakes coordinator on My NWTF committee and has been a huntmaster for TYHP for the last 10-15 years.

We started doing an NWTF/TYHP youth turkey hunt at the Boerschig Ranch in Brackettville and this spring was our 2nd year. The director/founder Jerry Warden came out and attended and shared with us around the camp fire after the Saturday evening hunt.

We have made a lot of great friends including Scoop, Kmon1, and Stephen Irwin from here on the forum to name a few when they came out to help guide. I hope that some more of the forum guys can come out to help out on next year.

This year we took a lot of kids from ages 9-17 out on their first hunt ever and I can say confidently say that although not all got their bird they are all hooked! The youth turkey hunt has become an annual event and are also hoping to locate a places where we can host some deer hunts in the fall.

I also encourage you guys to get involved with TYHP. There are so many kids who have never seen a wild animal in its habitat …let alone set foot out into the county. I’ll never forget the excitement of the young man I hunted with after he heard his first long beard respond to a call. After the experience I saw a change in the faces of some of these kids that I can’t even explain. I'm definitely in it for the long hall!

I just joined this forum with the hopes of connecting with other parents who have kids who hunt (or want to hunt). Just last week I learned about the Texas Youth Hunting Program, and I am interested in getting my son, who is 9, involved.

I'm actually looking forward to being involved with him. I have been deer hunting in the past - but unfortunately have never seen a deer during deer season. So my experience is extremely limited - and I am hoping that by being involved with my son in the TYHP, we can both learn more about hunting opportunities and have something that we can both do to share time and memories.

Right now, my son says he really wants to go hog hunting. I'm going to be signing him up for a hunter's education class that I will attend with him (I've already been through numerous hunter education programs in different states - and in TX I was grandfathered in due to my age).

I've been trying to find a gun that he could use for everything. I was in the back shooting my 12 gauge, and I asked him if he wanted to try. At first he wasn't sure - but then said yes. He is of average size for 9 years old, and has a problem with standing straight and holding the barrel still - so I set the shotgun on an overturned plastic barrel. The first shot knocked him back a little - and he was surprised (having only shot .22lr in the past). I figured he was done - but he asked to try again, saying he wasn't expecting the kick even though I had told him what would happen. He took another five shots (all with #7 1/2 shot game loads), hitting the milk jugs each time. He said he really enjoyed it and the kick didn't bother him - 'it just made a lot of noise'.

I know this is off topic - but if he says he likes shooting a 12 gauge, should I just get him one? I'm thinking of getting one of the collapsible stock turkey guns so that the stock can be shortened weigh up for him to fit him better. Then get an improved cylinder choke and have him shoot reduced recoil slugs for deer/hog etc.

Anyway - thanks for posting this topic - it is actually one of the reasons why I joined the Texas Hunting forum. Thanks also to everyone involved with the Texas Youth Hunting Program - it seems like an excellent program to get youth (and possibly even their parents) involved in hunting.

First to the forum.

The TYHP is a great way to get kids and their parents hunting IMO. To go on a hunt a parent or guardian is required to attend and not just the hunt location but the hunt as well. The hunts are conducted in a safe manner and at some very good hunting locations. The youth parent is involved in the hunt and with the youth and guide in the field, some good learning opertunity for both. Also the youth is to shoot their hunting weapon and provide a target displaying proficiency.

For the gun a 12ga could serve your son for many years but also a 20ga can as well. Right now the wight of your gun sounds like a little issue unless supported on something. And if get him a lighter gun the felt recoil will increase. Slugs will work for deer and hogs but a lot of the time you will be limited in range due to accuracy of the sights choosen and accuracy of the gun with slugs. The most accurate slug guns are the ones with rifled barrels generally speaking.

make sure your son has good hearing protection when shooting, one to protect his hearing and two the noise can cause flinching to start just like recoil can.

A little NEF .223 would be perfect and their cheap

If you have a youth or know a youth ages 9 through 17 that hasn't hunted or doesn't have a place to hunt, or looking for a different type of hunt the TYHP is a good program to look into. Hunts are offered through out the year with most occuring during deer season but there are other hunts also, summer is the slow time though, but now is the time to be getting ready for it. Hunts conducted for Dove, Ducks, Deer, Hogs, Turkey, quail, pheasant, varmits and some exotics.

The Texas Youth Hunting Program TYHP is a coorporation between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department TPWD and the Texas Wildlife Association TWA. It is an almost all volunteer orginization with 4 employees. The rest of the "staff" are volunteers. A few of the hunts take place on public land but most are on private ranches that donate the place to conduct the hunts. The accomidations on these hunts are dependent on what the landowner has and allows us to use, we are prepared with tent camps if needed. A major goal is to leave the ranch and any faciltities used in equal to or better shape than before the hunt.

Primary goals are to have a safe enviroment and hunt. While teaching not only hunting but life lessons of safety, ethics, responsibility and respect all while trying to have as much fun as possible. There is a zero tollerance of alcohol on these hunts.

Prior to ariving at the hunt the youth must have completed Hunters Edcuation and some range time wittnessed by their adult and bring a target displaying proficieny that is defined and available on the website. It is also expected the youth can demonstrate how to check that the firearm is unloaded and made safe as well as how to load and unload the firearm. An adult is required to be with the youth throughout the hunt this is usually one of the parents but can be another adult with propper paper work from the legal guardian. Also if the youth does not have a firearm one can be provided but in that case unless they can get out with the same type of firearm to provide the the range proficiency the Saturday morning hunt may be missed for that youth to qualify. If we can we would do that Friday afternoon if not Saturday morning.

At the hunt there will also be a little range time with one or more TYHP staff as RangeMaster. The adult has chores and duties duting the hunt just as the youth does. In keeping things safe what ever is being hunted the youth is in charge of the gun while going to and from the stand and while actually hunting. Their adult is in charge of ammunition only one bullet is given to the youth at a time. If the adult is not comfortable as acting as the guide there will be a guide for both provided. Some of the ranches use their hunters or ranch staff as the guides ensuring the game targeted is the game taken.

It is on the web page but cost of Youth hunts through TYHP is $110. This covers food and lodging for the youth and adult Friday night through Sunday about Midday when the hunt concludes. That does not cover half of the costs to the program but the rest is picked up by the TPWD and TWA. Insurance is a large part of the cost. volunteers have to also be fed and housed which is covered by the same orginizations.

When not hunting, eating, or sleeping there are other activities to keep the youth and parents busy. Skills trail, Game Warden Visit, TPWD Game Biologist visit, and landowner or represenitive visit are some of the things plus chores, cleaning policing, someting for the landowner if we can etc. The hunts can be a great bonding time for parent and youth.

Signup for youth and volunteers is through the web at http://www.texasyouthhunting.com/

I spent this past weekend getting certified to be a TYHP Huntmaster, one more step to go to complete the certification process, be an assistant Huntmaster on a hunt. There are several huntmasters per hunt. One in charge of the whole hunt, range officer, guide officer, cook, game care, activities....

My son and I did one of these last year. It was nice. He was at the top of the age allowance and had killed a few deer over the years but the operation was a class act. The food was delicious and it was educational and informative. I would recommend it to anyone who has a youth that is interested in hunting. Especially those who may not be hunters themselves but interested and getting into it with there child.

Kmon1 thanks for being this back to the top! I really hope we have some THF's signing their kids up or even sponsoring a youth they know after all it's only $12 a year and you can have the hunt fee sponsored as well by a local buisness or outdoor store

Actually I was already eyeing this program. My daughter shows some interest in shooting and hunting. Dont want to spook that interest, thus progressing step by step.
After spring turkey hunt we had a funny conversation. When I got home, daughter wanted to see turkey immediately, so we took some pictures, went thru some explaining.
Then my wife asked "Isn't is sad to kill animals?"
My daughter thought for a several seconds, then said "yes, it is sad. But it taste so good!"

Now I am starting rifle and pistol training with her.