“Wildlife Agency and Sportsmen’s Organization
Encourage Youth Hunters”

The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge has teamed with sportsmen to draw young Montanans into the sport of hunting. A Youth Day Orientation is set for Saturday, October 18 at Sand Creek Station of the Refuge where US Fish and Wildlife Service refuge managers, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks wildlife managers, and sportsmen of Montana Wildlife Federation (MWF) will team-up to provide a quality education experience
for these fresh sportsmen.

On the average, the age of hunters continues to climb as participation by today’s youth wanes. Throughout hunter circles, sportsmen are alarmed at this lack of interest shown by young people; evidently, single parent
families, electronic games, and a general disconnection from wild lands has taken its toll. Early this year, CMR Refuge Manager Mike Hedrick attended several FWP Commission meetings to successfully facilitate a special youth hunt for elk on the CMR Refuge. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Commission recently passed a measure that would provide a youth combination sports license to all first-time Montana hunters age 12 to 17, so they
enthusiastically approved the 15 special youth antlerless-elk licenses and the special two-day season to accommodate the CMR Youth Hunt.

October 18th was set aside to provide orientation in background skills for the quality elk hunt on the refuge. These young hunters will be introduced to the layout of the refuge, then instructed in the care of game in the field,
general hunting ethics, and firearm care, and, finally, given an opportunity to test their shooting prowess on silhouette targets. Manager Mike Hedrick and Assistant Refuge Manager Bill Berg have enthusiastically pursued this kind of activity to properly engage the youth hunter. “We are looking forward to starting these new hunters out on the right foot. This youth hunt wouldn’t be as effective on these youngsters without a strong foundation
of needed skills and ethics we intend to provide on Saturday,” stated Hedrick.

After Montana Wildlife Federation feeds the group a meal of elk burgers, they will head out to view elk in the refuge. MWF, Montana’s oldest and largest sportsmen’s organization, is and dedicated to hunters’ issues and sees the recruitment of younger sportsmen as essential to the hunting legacy in Montana. Ron Moody, Vice President of Internal Affairs for MWF, long-time Hunter Education Instructor, Ducks Unlimited Green Wing
Instructor, and author of the newest Hunter Education statute passed in the 2003 Montana Legislature that requires ALL hunters born after 1987 to pass a certified hunter education program in order to purchase a hunting
license, will join several MWF staff at the cooking fire. “ The idea that hunters should assertively seek more local programs to involve young people in healthy firearm activities gets my applause.” Moody wrote in his
Nimrod’s Trace Column of Montana Wildlife, the news publication of Montana Wildlife Federation, “This can and should be done.”

Positive sportsmen role models joining hands with the agencies charged with the stewardship of our wildlife resources will attempt to provide the very foundation for a new generation of ethical hunters. This will be a
first collaboration in what is hoped to become a regular annual event at the refuge. One thing for sure, these new hunters will be in good company.

MWF Executive Director Craig Sharpe and Conservation Director Larry Copenhaver will drive from Helena to join Moody and gang to greet students, flip burgers, and help these new hunters combine good food, good
conversation, and sound education into a lifelong ethical hunting legacy.