Youth Waterfowl Hunts

[FLDuck Biologist]

Sorry I didn’t put this out sooner, but I wanted to publically thank everyone who participated in the youth waterfowl hunting days. I brought my 10-year old daughter out to the TM Goodwin hunts, where on Saturday she pulled the trigger about six times and let me know she was done, despite the fact that we had ducks and coots raining on us all morning. It was a sight to behold. On Sunday she opted to pass on hunting and decided to go fishing instead. It was her weekend, so I let her make the decisions.

These are special days set aside to remind us adults that it is important for us to get our kids outside. I know there are 60 other days to let them tag along for ducks, but it IS nice for them to have a day that is just about them.

So if you took a kid out hunting during the youth waterfowl hunting days, thank you. If you helped organize one of the special events like at Merritt Island, TM Goodwin, the STAs, or any other place around the state, thank you. If you helped secure donations of food or door prizes for these events, thank you. If you donated to these events, thank you. If you showed a kid the difference between a ring-necked duck and a blue-winged teal, thank you. If you high-fived a kid because they shot their first duck, thank you. If you hugged a kid and said, “you’ll get one next year,” thank you. If you just took a kid outdoors, thank you.

Sincerely, thank you.

Jamie C. Feddersen
Waterfowl and Small Game Program Leader
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
8932 Apalachee Parkway
Tallahassee, FL 32311
850-488-5878

[bman]

The last two days my dad took one of his good friends grandsons out to a buddy's pond and they had a blast.

Not a lot of ducks but some nice drake redheads.
Made they boys season and they shot very well.

There are not any organised hunts up here like in central or South Florida- at lest not that I know of.
Sure wold be cool to have something like Camp Blackbelly near us.

[Steve Sutton]

Barry, reckon there's enough interest in that area to warrant one?

Dani and I would be more than happy to help if you thought it was something that would be of interest

Steve

[bman]

I have no doubt-- build it and they will come

[Steve Sutton]

Well then we'll have to plan one for next year.

Is there a strong Delta chapter in the Panhandle that we can tie into it?


Steve

[sabalo]

They have had youth duck hunts at Beau Turner in years past. I'm not sure if they continued them or not. I never participated as I saw how they basically lined up way too many kids around a pond and called it a duck hunt. They did have lots of kids come out though. No shortage of demand from what I saw, but looked like a dangerous setup when I saw it a few years back.

[mrbigglesworth]

I'm glad you took note of how they did it and decided not to participate. As a former youth that learned how to duck hunt in leon county, I strongly disagree with teaching kids to duck hunt by setting them up on a corn pond. Sure it might grab their attention, but they will be let down when they go to a non baited lake and have to work to kill a few birds. I say try to find some kids to tag along with some experienced duck hunters in some of the local public places and teach them more about the hunt. Not just the shooting.


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