Should have posted this much earlier

I was sitting in my ladder stand earlier this week and thinking about how little I knew about deer hunting when I first started as a 17-year-old kid. My father would have just as well watched the grass grow as to deer hunt, which meant I depended on men who were much older than me to begin the learning process. And because these men were not family members, they showed me more respect than I deserved, meaning they didn't want to treat me as if I knew very little about the sport. You might say that at the time, I didn't know what I didn't know about deer hunting and they didn't know that I didn't know either.

Here's the point. When you come across older kids and young adults who are new to the sport, don't let their age get in the way of making sure they know the basics. A twenty-something may have no clue as to where to aim when shooting a deer but is very likely not to admit his or her ignorance. And you, wanting to show him respect as an adult, will likely not want to ask him if he does. It points to a situation where the right choice of words is needed to address a definite need to ensure the new hunter is adequately prepared for the challenge at hand.

Just something to think about with this being the holiday season when family members often take other family members and friends on their first deer hunt.

Absolutely right. After teaching the grandkids how to hunt, and hunting with them from a blind, when I think they are safety conscious I send them to a stand with one round. Just one. Nobody hunts here unless I am absolutely certain they are safe and have the basics of hunting/shooting.

And when working with the neighbor’s 13 year old girl hunter, I made sure she could shoot and then made sure she knew where to put the bullet. She got her doe and then strutted around for a week. It made me happy.

My brother is now doing the same for his grandsons. One got a spike this week and one got a 12 point. My grandson got a 7 point.

Just keep in mind that teenagers and younger adults will often be shy to admit their ignorance, while you might be shy in challenging their knowledge out of respect and common courtesy. Find the right words to ask so they feel comfortable admitting when they have no clue.

I can remember when I went on my first turkey hunt with my future FIL. He told me to only shoot the gobblers. Heck, I had never seen a wild turkey before, much less knew they had a beard. With he and my wife's uncle calling from a distance, I had two turkeys walk past me. To this day I couldn't tell you if those were hens or gobblers.