Youth seasons are an amazing opportunity for young people to experience realistic hunting situations. Normally, “youth day” or “Youth season” allows youngsters 16-years of age and younger to participate in a big game or turkey hunt the week prior to the traditional season opener. In many cases the youngster must have a valid hunting license and in some states young hunters can be part of a mentoring program which does not require a hunter safety course. These early starts are ideal for youngsters to see game and experience success as a new hunter. Generally, there is little hunting pressure which provides a natural hunting environment and means that the likelihood of seeing a mature animal greatly increases. Having the chance at an early season slows down the entire hunting process and creates a teaching environment where youngsters can reinforce safety rules, learn about scouting, shot placement, and recovery. With just a few hunters in the area, game animals are often less spooky which allows a newbie to take his or her time at the moment of truth. Mentors often opt for double tree stands or ground blinds which allows coaching by whisper or slight movements that help the shooter make the perfect shot. Technology has helped the youth movement with reduced recoil ammunition and a variety of shooting sticks and devices which help new shooters keep their scopes on target. Shooting from a tripod of sticks has been the norm in African hunting for decades and American hunters are finally beginning to understand the importance of shot support and that carrying shooting sticks can provide a solid rest shot in almost any terrain. Youth seasons can be a magic carpet to some of the best hunting in the West. Whereas you may not be able to draw a deer or elk tag in a particular state, many districts allow tags just for youth. You may not be able to hunt, yet you can enjoy the adventure beside a loved one and share in their excitement and adventure. Here’s the story of a young gal who went hunting with her dad and ended up with a new state record:
Hannah Helmer played hooky Wednesday. She and her dad, Joel, drove to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in Lincoln. It was time to get her monster elk scored.
After more than an hour of measuring by Randy Stutheit, the Nebraska big game trophy records coordinator, it’s official. The bull elk, which the 14-year-old killed Sept. 24 on a Sioux County ranch in northwest Nebraska, is the state record. It will rank in the top 20 nationally for a non-typical rack. “The official score was 430 and 6⁄8 of an inch,” Hannah said. “It’s amazing. I just can’t believe that happened to me.”That was even higher than the 428 1⁄8 net green score done by her dad, an official Boone and Crockett scorer. The rack had to dry out 60 days before it was officially scored for the state record.
