Stories and Articles
From a teenager on a recent ram hunt:
I just wanted to thank you and Mr. Arnold for letting me join y'all this week on a great life changing trip that I will never forget!! Thank you so much for being tolerant with me and I hope that I was helpful enough! Like you and Mr. Arnold said, I will not be ice but the rock and I know from experience that especially for me that is very, very hard, living with my mother and all, but I will always look at that ram and think of all that I have learned from y'all! And thank you for letting me spend some good time with my father.
As the days get longer and hotter, kids excitedly start counting the school days left till summer break. Late mornings, lazy afternoons, swimming pools, camps and adventures with friends dominate their daydreams.
For many of us, our thoughts turn to Africa, or to preparing for an elk hunt, or getting our deer lease ready for the fall. Of course, if we have children of our own, we also think about the added responsibility of having our kids home 24 X 7 for three months!
As you're making plans for this summer, I want to take this opportunity to plant the seed in your mind that each and every one of us has a role to play in the preservation of our hunting heritage. It's the everyday actions each of us take that will determine whether the next generation of sportsmen has the rights and opportunities to pursue our beloved sport.
Getting kids involved in the hunting lifestyle is not just a matter of taking them out to kill something, and it's not limited to the fall. A huge part of the experience is anticipation and preparation.
Let me encourage you to share these aspects of your upcoming hunts with the kids you know. Your own, your neighbor's, or even the son of a single mom at your office or church. Invest the time to share your plans and daydreams. And take them along to the range, or to Sportsman's Warehouse, or on a scouting trip to your lease.
You may be surprised how much they take to this aspect of the sport. I know I've been taken aback by the enthusiasm with which youngsters attack chores like filling feeders, sighting in rifles, clearing senderos, and such. They get rewards out of the activities even if they're not the ones who will ultimately be pulling the trigger.
You may also be surprised by how fulfilling it is to share hunting with the next generation in such a casual, everyday way. An extra set of hands eager to help with the work isn't bad, either!
It's these everyday activities - the simple, daily details of the sportsman's lifestyle - that make hunting a heritage and not just another hobby. Don't let these opportunities pass you by.
How many does and cull bucks will you need to take off your ranch this fall? It's not too early to start lining up weekends to get the kids of Cross Trail Outfitters to help with the deer management on your property.
With financial and manpower support from SCI-Alamo Chapter, CTO will be conducting numerous youth outings this fall to help ranchers with their deer management.
The youth involved in CTO are well behaved and highly supervised, and always endeavor to leave any property better than it was when they found it. Volunteers are thoroughly screened and trained. Safety is their top priority.
Landowners who participate in the program are explicitly covered as an additional insured by CTO's liability policy. A landowner information kit is available.
CTO youth sportsmen are eager to help harvest cull deer, hogs, varmints - you name it! They'll often trade hands-on ranch work for hunting opportunities.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
To protect and preserve our hunting heritage through wildlife conservation, education, legislative and humanitarian efforts.
Safari Club International is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide.
Contact CTO San Antonio Outfitter Greg Flores at 210-269-6590 or gflores@teamcto.org.