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Letter Re: Learn to Hunt Through Outreach Programs
JWR:
SurvivalBlog articles have thoroughly covered just about every conceivable angle to the concepts and theories to preparing for TEOTWAWKI situations, from theory to specific skills covering everything from farming to firearms procurement, security, food preparation and storage, water sanitation, just to name a few. I spent some time contemplating whether or not I personally had anything of value to add, and came across a few articles from the perspective of women who were doing their best to prepare despite numerous setbacks. They might be divorcees, raising children by themselves, with limited financial means, for example. Or perhaps they had very limited experience with firearms but were determined to learn how to shoot, to acquire a conceal carry permit, and take every step possible to give their family every chance to survive. I was encouraged to note that many women had taken great strides and were not wilting daisies waiting for some man to help them—a valuable attitude that is true to the spirit of our American “settler stock”.
But I had to acknowledge that many people, and especially some women, are clearly at a disadvantage. It is a sad but true fact that many girls were not taught to shoot and hunt as children, even while their male siblings were encouraged to do so by their fathers. And statistics today prove that the numbers of hunters is dwindling, so we are potentially losing a valuable skill set. Sadly, many families have no one who hunts to pass down the skills.
And it is quite clear that in a TEOTWAWKI situation, hunting skills could make the difference between life and death. I was one of those people whose parents hunted but they never taught me to hunt, so I had to learn on my own. I then taught a friend to hunt, and he became so fascinated he volunteered with a local division of wildlife outreach program to teach women and youths to hunt. Soon, I too was volunteering and working alongside other extremely experienced and talented hunters, which was a fantastic opportunity for me to help share what I had learned while also learning from more skilled hunters.
I therefore wanted to share some information to encourage individuals who would like to learn to hunt, but don’t know where to start. Really, there are very few obstacles to getting started, as I will explain.
First, it is incredibly important to clarify that merely owning a rifle and being able to hit a target at a range is simply not enough to become a successful hunter when the need arises. There is a reason it is called “hunting” and not “killing”! No matter how much every hunter wishes it was otherwise, God’s creatures do not simply wander out and make themselves easy targets. They have evolved over millions of years to avoid being an easy meal, and any experience hunter will attest to this fact and will have dozens of stories to share about failed hunts. Target shooting is a prerequisite starting point for anyone wishing to learn to hunt, but after that, there are many skills to be acquired, and it should be done in a safe and educational manner.
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