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Lucas Riddick and James Putman
YOUTH WATERFOWL HUNT
There’s a long list of reasons why old folks yearn to be
young again. One of those will be this weekend when the Youth Waterfowl
Hunt, a special weekend set aside each year, arrives.
It’s a two-day season earmarked for kids ages 6-15 years of age. The
youngsters must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years of age. The
adults cannot shoot ducks but may participate in other open seasons such
as those open for snow or speckle belly geese.
The objective of the special weekend is to help introduce young boys and
girls to the great sport of waterfowling by giving them a season of
their own. Hopefully, adults will accompany the youngsters to warm and
comfortable blinds where heated stoves help chase the chill.
A big part of the hunt will be the smell of bacon, sausage, biscuits,
sweet rolls, and perhaps a slab or two of country ham from these outside
kitchens floating on water or perhaps in the duck or goose pit.
Early morning wake-up calls and spending time with friends and family in
the waterfowl setting are ingredients in the recipe of fellowship that
comprise a morning in the duck blind. It’s more than shooting and
harvesting ducks.
Sure the shooting is part of it and all the kids and parents hope to see
ducks and perhaps expose the kids to patience and pursuit of the weary
waterfowl. Seeing ducks work over decoys and respond to calling are
likely to stimulate a lot of questions from the future waterfowlers too.
Odds are they’ll have a duck call of their own and emit some unusual
sounds as they attempt to mimic the old folks. From gun safety to
general hunting skills, the kids will be like sponges and absorb any
examples set by adults so it’s important to get things going on the
right foot.
Tennessee joins several other states across the region that offer the
special hunt for kids each year. Several years ago the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service offered the special two-day season to flyway states and
it has been a successful and popular venture.
Locally it appears cool weather will return for the weekend. The
statewide season closed last Sunday so the ducks and geese have had a
week off from hunting pressure and may have returned to some popular
hunt areas.
It was a tough season overall for most waterfowlers but perhaps the
youngsters can end on a good note. It doesn’t take a sky full of ducks
for kids to have a good time. A few shots here and there will suffice.
Hopefully a shot or two will find its mark and maybe a youngster will
bag his or her first duck. Maybe a young Labrador retriever will be part
of the hunt too as kids and dogs seem to go together and bond.
It’s a special weekend for special people to share a sunrise in the
great outdoors where time spent together is important.
Here’s hoping you offer that guiding hand to a kid who will lean on your
mannerisms and follow your lead. Remember when you were young and in the
same spot where boots were too big and the cold penetrated your pajamas
worn beneath britches.
That first impression is important so make it a good outing for all
concerned.
The Tennessee statewide youth waterfowl hunt will be February 6th and
7th. Then the next weekend, February 13th and 14th will be the Reelfoot
Lake Zone waterfowl youth hunt.
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