Although I knew long before I was old enough to hunt that I would love it, it became etched in stone once I harvested my first deer. That moment, I became a hunter, and it was because my father took me hunting. Unfortunately, not all who would like to try hunting have a family member or friend who can help them get started. And then, their desire to hunt creates a void that is often filled with something else, and often that something else is a road that leads nowhere good.
Our world is full of choices, and influential people have the opportunity to show others something positive. As hunters, our opportunity is in the form of introducing people to hunting. But, it’s easier said than done, and not everyone is cut out be a mentor. But, if mentoring new hunters sounds like something you want to try, run through the following list of traits to see how you measure up. If you have most or all of these traits, then chances are that you could make a solid hunting mentor.
1. Having Patience
If you’re a seasoned hunter or at least have some hunting experience, taking a new hunter can be frustrating. New hunters usually don’t have a sense of woodsmanship right off the bat. I’ve had new hunters move at the wrong time. They coughed or talked loudly. Or, they became impatient because the animals weren’t moving. Yes, those things can be frustrating, but the surest way to push a newcomer away is to throw a fit when they make mistakes. Remember: You likely made those or similar mistakes when you were a beginner. Mistakes create learning opportunities, so cut them some slack.
2. Prioritizing Safety and Hunting Regulations
Nothing in hunting is more important than safety and following hunting regulations. As a mentor, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your mentee clearly understands how the firearm, bow or crossbow operates and to become proficient with it prior to hunting. It’s also your responsibility to make sure that he or she handles said weapon safely. It doesn’t matter if the gun is loaded or not. You must not dismiss careless handling. And, if you hunt from treestands, always make sure to have lifelines installed and a harness on both you and your mentee. These and other safety measures cannot be forsaken.
Next, don’t break the rules, and don’t ask your mentee to do something illegal. The goal of mentorship is to introduce people to hunting the right way. If you teach them that it’s OK to break the rules, they’ll likely take that mindset into their future outings once they hunt on their own. So, follow the regulations to a T, and hammer home the importance of knowing and following hunting laws with your mentee.
3. Owning the Right Gear
One of the biggest mistakes mentors make, especially parents taking their children hunting, is outfitting them with a gun that doesn’t fit or has too much recoil. I’ll fess up that I did this with a couple of my mentees years ago. One example is my nephew Timothy. I had him use my 12-gauge shotgun for turkey hunting. I had him shoot field loads to minimize the recoil, but it was still a bit stout for him. When he got his shot, he flinched and didn’t get the tom. Later that spring, I put him behind a .410 bore, and he shot a jake with one shot. He wasn’t scared of the recoil, plus the gun fit him much better.
Another common mistake is hand-me-down clothing, particularly for bowhunting. Drawing and shooting a compound bow requires maximum dexterity, and even slightly bulky or restrictive clothing can hinder good shooting. There are a lot of apparel companies that make good quality camo apparel that is affordable. Spend a little bit of money to buy apparel that fits, because bulky or poor-fitting clothing can hinder shot placement and the mentee’s overall hunting experience. The clothing also must be suited for the conditions that the mentee will be hunting in, otherwise, they could get too cold or too hot and not enjoy the experience.
4. Being Aware
As a mentor, you must be attentive. Consider the following example. Once, I was preparing an at-the-time-11-year-old boy for turkey hunting. He had been enthusiastic about hunting, and his parents bought him a turkey tag. But, after he shot the shotgun a couple of times — he shot it very well — I could tell that something wasn’t quite right. However, he wasn’t saying anything. I took it as my cue to ask if something was wrong. He shed a few tears and explained that he changed his mind about going hunting. I didn’t push him one bit, and I also didn’t exhibit any negative connotations. I simply told him that if he ever changes his mind, I’ll happily mentor him.
5. Caring For Others
If you’re taking someone hunting only because you just can’t get enough of it, that’s not a very good reason. A mentor must have a specific purpose for taking someone else hunting. My purpose for taking others is to show them that they can provide meat for the table, enjoy the outdoors rather than video games and bumming on the streets, and play a vital role in conservation.
Another way that mentors must care for their student hunters is to make the experience comfortable. Bring enough snacks. Don’t make them keep hunting if they get cold and want to quit. Discomfort can hinder their desire to go hunting ever again.
Another caring thing you can do is talk with them during downtime. Learn what other things they like to do. If it’s a kid, ask how things are going at school. Do they have good friends? Get to know them, and that will help you create a friendship.
6. Being Respectable
Anytime you’re in a leadership position, people are watching you, and whether you think so or not, you have the power to influence people, be it positively or negatively. While discussing mentorship with Ray Howell of Kicking Bear Foundation — an organization that puts on camps for kids and also offers mentored hunting opportunities — he gave some examples of things to avoid while mentoring other hunters.
“When you’re a mentor, people are looking up to you,” he said. “Especially kids. You’re setting an example for them to follow. We can’t be chewing, smoking or drinking. We can’t be swearing. We have to be positive examples if we expect them to respect us.”
7. Maintaining Positivity
It’s easy to be negative about cold weather, windy conditions, slow deer movement, another hunter walking through our area and an array of other things. How we respond to negative factors is important. If we get mad, it will overflow onto those we’re mentoring, and they’ll share in our negativity. If you want to instill positivity in the next generation of hunters (and you should), then you must be positive amidst negative factors. A positive attitude goes a long way, and you’re likely to keep the air clear when you foster positivity, even when circumstances are less than ideal.
8. Having Instructor/Teacher Qualities
When you’re taking someone else hunting, you’re constantly in a classroom (figuratively, of course). The outdoors teem with teaching opportunities for you and learning opportunities for your mentee. Point out a buck rub on a tree and explain what it is and why bucks rub trees. Stop underneath an oak tree and point out the acorn shells leftover from deer feeding on them. Show them things related to nature, like a natural spring coming from a hill or the different species of trees and how to identify them. The only way for new hunters to learn the outdoors and hunting under someone’s mentorship is to be taught how it all works. Invite them to ask questions, and be eager to answer them.
9. Offering to Take Someone Hunting Again
Once you introduce someone to hunting, they’ll most likely want to do it again or not care that much about it. One of the worst things you can do is take someone hunting for the first time and then not offer to take them again if they had a good time. If they have a burning desire to hunt again, then you have the responsibility to take them again. You lit the flame, and you need to keep the fire going.
