Youth Activities

The Idaho Chapter of Safari Club International and the Southeast Idaho Chapter of Pheasants Forever # 145 partnered to sponsor a youth Pheasant Hunt on Saturday September 27, 2003 at The West Desert Preserve west of Blackfoot. Jerry Bullock contacted Mike Bentley and Greg Briggs of Pheasants Forever and together they hatched the plan. Find about 20 kids, recent graduates of Hunter Safety Training, and give them their first pheasant hunting opportunity. The format used by Pheasants Forever for their youth hunts was followed.
The day consisted of a trap shoot to warm-up the shooters and determine if any of the young hunters needed more training or a better fitting gun. A film on the life cycle of the pheasant was also shown depicting the habits and habitat needs of a viable pheasant population and the role of hunter-conservationists in many success stories around the country.
Region 5 Fish and Game and Mike Bentley loaned the traps and film. Greg Briggs and Karl John of Blackfoot each donated a case of 20 gauge shells. Lyle Lambert of A to Z Antiques and Sport in Blackfoot donated shells and clay pigeons. Lyle Soderquist, owner of the West Desert Preserve donated 18 free birds to the hunt and the sponsors purchased 36 more. Dads and moms and siblings came along. We had 9 dog handlers volunteer their time and dogs for the hunt. They were Bob Nelson, Curt Coman, Josh May, Mike Bentley, Richard Wabrek, Bob Naleid, Sheldon Alver, Gregg Briggs, and Lamont Short.
All but 2 hunters harvested at least one bird. Many got two. It was a hot day but that didn’t diminish the wide grins and happy faces of the young hunters. I think the smiles on the faces of the parents and the dog handlers were just as wide. The adults were remembering days gone by when their parent or family friend took them out and they held their first pheasant.
	Each of us can remember that moment. That first pheasant. It is woven into our core fabric along with those other hunting memories of smiling faces of family, friends, dogs, and the smell, sounds, and feel of good hunting country. Depending on your age and circumstance some of those people, dogs, and even the places are gone. And as the time rolls on we realize these memories are more and more valuable. That was the purpose of this hunt. To give these kids a memory that will hopefully follow them to the grave as ours will. AND maybe start a spark in a young life to care about and for wildlife and wild places. It is harder now than ever before to start that spark with society’s distractions pummeling their every sense. It is estimated nearly 40% of hunter safety students never buy a hunting license. Hopefully, these 18 have found the opportunity that will start them on a lifetime of hunting licenses.
Our chapter of SCI plans to repeat this event and even expand it if funds allow in future years. The only hope our fish and game animals have is these kids. Join us and help us succeed in this effort. Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game has an event involving about 40 kids at Sterling every year. Pheasants Forever and Monsanto had an event near Preston this year. Hunters in this valley should be seeing to it that not just 80 or 100 kids but 2,000 or 3,000 kids have this opportunity every year. It takes time and money. Give us a hand. At the end of a morning like the one we had on Sept. 27, seeing all of those kids so proud and dads and moms and the dog men even prouder, it’s worth it.