Youth Hunts Pass On Outdoor Traditions

On September 24th, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) sponsored a 3rd Youth Deer Hunting Day in coordination with National Hunting and Fishing Day.  As David Coffman, editor of the DGIF Outdoor Report stated in last week's edition,

...if you took a young hunter out on this special youth hunting day, you created a unique memory and hopefully started a new tradition."

This year's hunt set a record.  According to DGIF, a total of 1,195 deer were checked electronically. DGIF reports that this is up 82% from the 657 check electronically last year. Mat Knox, the DGIF Deer Project Coordinator noted:

"...that after two consecutive years of terrible deer hunting weather on the annual youth deer hunting day, we finally got a break. Saturday was not perfect, but it was much better than the rain of 2009 and the heat of 2010."

DGIF believes that based on last year's final total which includes deer logged at check-in stations, that this year's final total could be 2,000 or above.  Last year the final combined total was 1,124.

2010 Dad and Daughter Hunt

We are in the middle of Early Archery Season and Early Muzzleloader Season is just a couple weeks away (November 5th).  With a little over 15 weeks left in big game season, be sure and take a young person out for a hunting adventure before the seasons end – the future of our sport and hunting heritage traditions depend on passing on our traditions to the next generation.