Helping New Hunters

Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
717
Location
Upper Michigan
How do you guys go about helping new hunters? I’ve had four people, either friends, friends kids, friends of family etc approach me recently about hunting with me. I’d love to play guide with all of them for a year but I don’t have time for everyone and I wanna hunt for myself a bit too. Around here hunting is sitting in a heated shack over corn. All these people asked for my help because I don’t do that. I’d like to help them I just don’t know how without giving up my spots or putting enough time into each of them to where they can get some benefit.

How would you guys handle this?
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
419
New hunter here. Have them start with the local big game/hunting guide for your state. Them understanding how draws work, orange requirements, season dates etc will save you a lot of time.
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2015
Messages
5,606
Location
Lenexa, KS
I've had the same, people asking to go elk hunting with me. I'm from Kansas so elk hunting out west seems like a really daunting task to most people, overwhelming even.

At least for me, elk hunting requires real effort and dedication. It has been at times almost a singular focus in my life. I know that sounds silly but it's true. I'm not really willing to take on people unless they have that same desire, and that is something they would have to prove to me before a trip together. Relentless questions, doing their own research, dropping 20 pounds, stroking a check for a guided hunt. If someone was that serious I'd know they didn't need me. Then I'm not a guide, I'm a hunting buddy who has a little more experience is all.
 

WRM

WKR
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
968
Man that is tough. You weren't enough of a regular a-hole to keep people from asking, so that's on you.

Seriously though, I've got an 8 year old nephew who "thinks" he wants to hunt with his uncle. We've done some ride out day trips for turkey and he does ok (you'd be unlikely to actually kill anything with him). Maybe start with some close to home trips to see how it goes. A lot will lose interest quickly if they aren't used to hunting and it isn't their "thing". Way better to find that out at home versus on a trip that may now be on the skids cause they "wanna go home".
 

WRM

WKR
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
968
Uhm, I respectfully disagree, if it's sitting over corn in a heated shack. Might as well say they shot it from their back porch on a sofa. That's just my opinion.

Make them plan a local(ish) multi day camping trip up there in your lake region and see how they do on that. If they can't hack that, they won't make a trip out west IMO.

And, give them a few "surprises" along the way and see how they react to it.
 
OP
C
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
717
Location
Upper Michigan
Man that is tough. You weren't enough of a regular a-hole to keep people from asking, so that's on you.

Seriously though, I've got an 8 year old nephew who "thinks" he wants to hunt with his uncle. We've done some ride out day trips for turkey and he does ok (you'd be unlikely to actually kill anything with him). Maybe start with some close to home trips to see how it goes. A lot will lose interest quickly if they aren't used to hunting and it isn't their "thing". Way better to find that out at home versus on a trip that may now be on the skids cause they "wanna go home".
I’ve been a regular a hole a long time. I’ve been working on self improvement. Lol that’s what I get. Three of the four have promise, especially one my buddies kid. My buddy is big into fitness, we’re both intense I’m assuming that got passed on by what the kid has done fishing n trapping on his own. The fourth is passed on by my mother in law. Her and my wife know how I am, so no pressure from them. Biggest thing for me…around here I think woodsmanship skills are very low and I feel like if we don’t pass them on they’ll get lost to video games and soy.
 
OP
C
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
717
Location
Upper Michigan
Uhm, I respectfully disagree, if it's sitting over corn in a heated shack. Might as well say they shot it from their back porch on a sofa. That's just my opinion.

Make them plan a local(ish) multi day camping trip up there in your lake region and see how they do on that. If they can't hack that, they won't make a trip out west IMO.

And, give them a few "surprises" along the way and see how they react to it.
All requests have been local. Nobody has asked to travel with me. Point I didn’t think about most people go with me once or twice don’t come back. May work itself out, when they drive 50 miles jump in the truck and go somewhere else because I don’t like what I see
 
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WRM

WKR
Joined
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Messages
968
I’ve been a regular a hole a long time. I’ve been working on self improvement. Lol that’s what I get. Three of the four have promise, especially one my buddies kid. My buddy is big into fitness, we’re both intense I’m assuming that got passed on by what the kid has done fishing n trapping on his own. The fourth is passed on by my mother in law. Her and my wife know how I am, so no pressure from them. Biggest thing for me…around here I think woodsmanship skills are very low and I feel like if we don’t pass them on they’ll get lost to video games and soy.

Now, I fully agree with your final comments-my nephew would just as soon sit in front of an Ipad all day (who are we to talk at the moment). But, I get it. The one who fishes and traps already sounds like a prospect. Your biggest problem may be you take one under your wing and they may all then expect it. That is a tough spot, because you don't want to spend the next several years as an instructor. I think you gotta find a way to weed them out without taking them out west to do it.
 
OP
C
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
717
Location
Upper Michigan
Man that is tough. You weren't enough of a regular a-hole to keep people from asking, so that's on you.

Seriously though, I've got an 8 year old nephew who "thinks" he wants to hunt with his uncle. We've done some ride out day trips for turkey and he does ok (you'd be unlikely to actually kill anything with him). Maybe start with some close to home trips to see how it goes. A lot will lose interest quickly if they aren't used to hunting and it isn't their "thing". Way better to find that out at home versus on a trip that may now be on the skids cause they "wanna go home".
Same thing with my nephews. Maybe I'm making this into more than it is. I guess I underestimate the short attention spans of today... Thing is I want them to learn it, and be succesful I'm afraid of going to one of my overlooked spots and seeing a bunch of 20 year old kids that he told. Been there done that, that's why I usually hunt alone.
 
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Joined
Feb 7, 2017
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1,079
Location
NC
I really enjoy taking new hunters out and introducing them to hunting. However, I get really frustrated after I've taken them a few times and they have some experience they continue to rely on me to "guide". Some just flat-out refuse to learn on their own (regs, scouting, duck species....)
 

WRM

WKR
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
968
All requests have been local. Nobody has asked to travel with me. Point I didn’t think about most people go with me once or twice don’t come back. May work itself out, when they drive 50 miles jump in the truck and go somewhere else because I don’t like what I see

I think you are finding out it will sort itself. Really not too many people want to put that much effort in to anything, it seems. So, why the heck the woods so crowded?????
 

WRM

WKR
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
968
I really enjoy taking new hunters out and introducing them to hunting. However, I get really frustrated after I've taken them a few times and they have some experience they continue to rely on me to "guide". Some just flat-out refuse to learn on their own (regs, scouting, duck species....)

As a kid, though I rarely had anyone to take me, I was absorbed in all of it. Couldn't wait to get my hands on the new reg book when it came out or the new Remington catalog with ballistic charts. Never mind that it was unlikely at the time I'd get much, if any, opportunity to make use of any of it.
 

WRM

WKR
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
968
Same thing with my nephews. Maybe I'm making this into more than it is. I guess I underestimate the short attention spans of today... Thing is I want them to learn it, and be succesful I'm afraid of going to one of my overlooked spots and seeing a bunch of 20 year old kids that he told. Been there done that, that's why I usually hunt alone.

That insta culture sucks. Many good spots around here have been ruined by the twenty nothing crowd's incessant posts about what is killed, what they are seeing, etc.

I rarely even tell people what I've done much less show them. I have a turkey "honey hole" that I'd literally wanna hang myself if I gave up the location.
 
OP
C
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
717
Location
Upper Michigan
Now, I fully agree with your final comments-my nephew would just as soon sit in front of an Ipad all day (who are we to talk at the moment). But, I get it. The one who fishes and traps already sounds like a prospect. Your biggest problem may be you take one under your wing and they may all then expect it. That is a tough spot, because you don't want to spend the next several years as an instructor. I think you gotta find a way to weed them out without taking them out west to do it.
I think you are finding out it will sort itself. Really not too many people want to put that much effort in to anything, it seems. So, why the heck the woods so crowded?????
Lol. I think you're right. I already told him I'd take him. I feel like he's worth the effort. Think I'll scout some beavers for trapping with him soon and feel out what he's thinking go from there.
 
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Foggy Mountain

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 19, 2021
Messages
278
Guiding is no good. Give them a fish they eat for a day. Teach em how to fish they eat every day right?
Gotta teach em. We also need to set some time aside for them. They don’t necessarily need to hunt with you. That’s teaching nothing unless you teach as you’re hunting.
Whenever I mentor someone I show why we are doing something. I try to get them to think.
Explain very simple baby steps, hunting the wind and what that entails. Teach what the preferred food sources are at what time of year and how to find/capatilize on it.
As time progresses you can teach about walk phase of rut, rut itself, post rut/food stage.
Right now you just need them to start the beginning stages of learning.
Start small, help them help themselves. That’s teaching hunting. Tell them they can report back and bounce questions off you. When you go pick mushrooms or berries ask them if they wanna come. Don’t go to your typical spots so you don’t get upset if the pick up foraging too, invite them to 3D, etc
While in the woods on those jaunts, you can show the difference in white and black oaks, an old rub line, and it’s significance. Why it’s possibly there.
Use your experience to help them but teach them to help themselves. They need to do at least some of that on their own after you show them if you can’t one on one mentor them.
 
OP
C
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
717
Location
Upper Michigan
That insta culture sucks. Many good spots around here have been ruined by the twenty nothing crowd's incessant posts about what is killed, what they are seeing, etc.
I think we can wait that out, after a few years of not getting the glamour profile pics they'll move onto something else. Double edged sword with more hunters. I don't want more hunters, I want more qualified hunters that represent us well...which is why I'm willing to help
 

WRM

WKR
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
968
Yeah, trapping is already such a "lost art" that if you got a kid doing that, he may be worth the effort. Heck he MIGHT even teach you something!
 

Foggy Mountain

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 19, 2021
Messages
278
If they’re kids also, youth days are perfect to invite one. Often adult season isn’t than and you can one on one mentor but think mentor not guide
 
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