If you were introducing someone to bow hunting. Would you rather take them on an outfitted hunt where they were pretty much guaranteed seeing a lot of deer and kill a good deer or take them to your hunting grounds where you really have to work to kill any deer? Personnaly I think getting anyone their first deer at an outfitters where you have to wait until you aren't going to kill 2 deer with the same arrow is the wrong way to learn. It has to spoil them. I would rather make them earn the deer and appreciate it that much more. What if you are the new hunter, which way would you want it?
Id make them do it the hard way. Thats how I did it 9 years ago when I was 12 and fell in love with it even though it took me 3 years of hunting before arrowing one. I had no one to take me and I put my all in! Its a great way to start imo
Earn it, learn something, work for it. Silver spoons never made anyone any better. Initially maybe happier, but in the long run, it only sets false perspectives and ideals.
your own grounds make them work for it but tell them a doe is just as great as a buck. My first deer as a kid was a doe and it still got me hooked.
When I introduced my friend and my wife to hunting, I took them out with me for a few sits. They didn't even hunt, they ran the camera Both saw me shoot deer and both now hunt.
Scouting and learning about deer a lot first, then hunting. If I am helping someone I want to help them learn so they can "walk on their own" and I don't think they would learn much at an outfitter.
I agree with all of you on the earn it idea. It's just that with the 100* temps lately, I've been watching a lot of hunting shows on TV. And I cannot believe the number of new hunters getting their 1st deer at these "Deer Farms" where they have to pass up this buck because he's not on the hit list or he's too big beacuse dad didn't want to spend that kind of money on a deer. Then they have 20-30 deer on the sendero eating corn and can't get a shot because there is always another one behind the deer they want to shoot. While it might be exciting that first hunt. I bet they loose interest fast when they have to hunt in the real world and don't have those 20 deer packed in the sendero eating corn on dads or grandpas back forty.
Earn it. I did this with a neighbor at the Raceway and he missed a buck his first two sits. It got him pumped and into bowhunting and in return he takes me to his family farm in Brown County every year if I want to go. It helped us develop a great friendship beyond that we which we had before.
Make him earn it. The most rewarding parts of hunting have nothing to do with the taking of an animal. Getting skunked a bunch when you start out is what makes those first few the most memorable.
Earn it like I did. I didn't have anyone teaching me and I was hooked. If they still like it after having to earn it then they will be in it for good. IMO. A guided hunt will only give them a good feeling to then have it busted in the real world. Now if you don't want them hunting in the first place sure take them on a hunt like that then take them to public land. That will make them sleep in all hunting season.
"Give it a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for life". Make them earn it.
