Meet Greenhorn Hunting
You have discovered a podcast that cares about the future of the hunting tradition. On today’s podcast, you will learn why I created it and what you can expect from future episodes.
Welcome to the Greenhorn Hunting Podcast. I’m your host, Roscoe Hix.
I have been an avid hunter and outdoor enthusiast in Idaho for over 38 years.
As a Hunter Education Instructor for the last 10 years, I have witnessed the continued decline of hunters throughout the US and Canada. A big part of that decline I believe is due partly to a lack of mentorship available for new hunters.
Through this podcast and other resources available at greenhornhunting.com, I will guide you through the challenges of learning how to hunt.
If you are a new hunter looking for a mentor or guide, this podcast is for you.
If you are a veteran hunter that is concerned about the future of hunting and you want to help make a difference, this podcast is for you.
And if you are someone trying to understand why people like me get all excited when hunting season approaches, this podcast is for you.
So stick around, subscribe and please share this information with anyone you think it could help.
Let’s Change the Future of Hunting
Why I decided to create the Greenhorn Hunting Podcast. Did you know that hunters make up less than 5% of the population in the United States? What about Canada? Yes, probably less than 5% also as of 2012 estimates.
This is a true concern for the future of hunting because it continues to decline. As a hunter education instructor, I have people share several reasons why they don’t go hunting even after they complete hunter education. But my experience tells me the number one reason is that they lack mentorship and the confidence and knowledge of what to do next.
I have taught people of all ages from 9 years old to people over 60. Yes, it is not just for young kids. Taking hunter education is easy. Trying to figure out what to do after you buy your license is the challenge.
This podcast is different because I am intentionally focused on helping you learn how to hunt and be successful. But also I want to help you be part of the solution that will promote hunting and mentor future generations. If you don’t have great mentors as I did, then taking the next step after you finish your hunter education class is scary. But this podcast will help you take those steps one at a time.
What Challenges New Hunters Face
What are some of the challenges that new hunters face?
Where can you go hunting? There are really only two choices private property, or public land. We will talk about both in this podcast. You will learn the in and outs of both and develop the confidence to know you are hunting where you should be and not trespassing.
What animals can you hunt and when? We will discuss hunting regulation and learn what you can hunt and when you can hunt it. This book of rules can trip up so many new hunters that they just give up. On this podcast, you will not only learn how to break down the hunting regulation and figure out just what information you need and how to find it.
What should you do after you kill the animal? So often inexperienced hunters let the challenge of taking care of the animal after killing it stop them from venturing into the woods. We will tackle this worry head-on. You will know how to do it with confidence and what steps take if this is one of your challenges.
Some hunters get stuck trying to pick the right weapon to hunt with. You will learn how to decide what one is right for you if you are facing this challenge. And yes we will talk about modern firearms and primitive weapons both on this podcast.
Do any of these challenges resonate with you? These are just some of the challenges new and inexperienced hunters face. Without someone showing you the ropes so to speak, it can be daunting. But Greenhorn Hunting is all about helping new and inexperienced hunters. I want you to have the opportunity to develop a passion for this great tradition so you can pass it on to future generations.
Providing Hunters with Resources
We will tackle these challenges throughout this podcast and offer resources that guide you to learning what once seemed overwhelming. If you have a specific question or challenge you would like discussed, please send me an email to roscoe@greenhornhunting.com.
What are some short term and long term goals of Greenhorn Hunting? Short term goals would be to get you the information you need to get started today.
In the next podcast, we talk all about hunter education. If you still need to get signed up, you should listen to that podcast.
Also, I know that having a guide like my dad was the one thing that helped me more than anything as I grew up learning this lifestyle. So I wrote a 10 step guide that will help you build your confidence and understand what you will be learning as you grow to become a veteran hunter. You can get a copy of this guide at greenhornhunting.com/starthunting.
Along with that guide, I have created the next 10 podcasts to go along with those steps so you can learn in more detail about each step. Each one of those podcasts should be available for you to listen to now.
My long term goal is to create a podcast and other resources that focus on the beginning hunter and their quest to become a better hunter. You can find those resources and the podcast at greenhornhunting.com.
Another long term goal is to help veteran hunters find tools and resources to help them mentor future generations. If every hunter took one new person hunting for just 3 days this year. We could double our population from roughly 14,000,000 to 28,000,000. That would make us a strong voice for the future of hunting.
Will the Greenhorn Hunting Podcast Help You?
Who is this podcast designed to serve?
The new hunter who needs a mentor to help them navigate through the challenges of learning to hunt
Hunting mentors who are looking for resources and opportunities to help continue this great tradition
Anyone who isn’t a hunter but wants to learn what causes people to be so passionate about the hunting lifestyle
So I want you to understand that the skills and knowledge you want can’t be downloaded into you like a hard drive and you just all of a sudden have veteran hunter abilities. But you can cut out a lot of human error if you find and follow good mentors. So what is a good mentor?
Good mentors are people who invest in you with a desire to make you better than themselves. Someone who encourages you to try the things you want to achieve in life, but is close by to help navigate you through the challenges as they come.
A good mentor will be honest with you about their experiences hoping you learn from their mistakes so you can avoid making the same ones.
I was a Greenhorn Hunter Too
So I’ll tell a quick story I like to share with every hunter education class I teach.
When I started hunting it was 1981. I grew up in a small town where hunting was a way of life and we counted on the elk and deer meat to feed our family through to the next hunting season. So needless to say my dad was a skilled hunter that was rarely unsuccessful.
But that need for the meat in our freezer meant we could have more opportunity if we hunted separately rather then side by side. So consequently my dad didn’t hunt next to me as I was learning to hunt. We were often ridges apart.
That explanation is so you understand why I shot at 13 deer my first year of hunting and never touched a single one. I was a terrible shot and got deer fever so bad I couldn’t hold the crosshairs on the animal before I pulled the trigger. It was very disappointing that first year of hunting. I was from a family of successful hunters. What made me different? I could hit where I aimed at the target range when we would go practice but I never hit a deer.
The next year I started hunting and once again I shot at the first deer that I saw that season and missed it as well. So after spending a couple of hours with me looking for blood and any sign the I may have hit the deer, my dad told me something I’ll never forget. He said, “Son if you miss one more deer with any of my rifles, you will never hunt with one of my guns ever again.” He had reached his tipping point and being raised the way he was, my dad had to draw a line in the sand.
Now you will hear me talk about my dad many times on this podcast because he was a major reason I learn to hunt and love this lifestyle very much. But mentoring someone through their first shot at an animal was not something he felt was important. He thought I should just make a good shot every time, like him. Sure he missed a few times but it was probably more because he rushed the shot.
As for me and my shooting skills after that shot at my first deer in my second year of hunting, something had to change. Yep, I was afraid that my dad would go hunting and I would be left at home. So that comment has stuck with me ever since. The next deer I had the opportunity to shoot was a completely different situation.
I took my time, made sure the crosshairs in the scope were on the vital area and I squeezed the trigger just like I did at the rifle range. The deer fell down. And my shooting skills have improved ever since. I guess my dad knew what he was doing.
Become a Regular Greenhorn Hunting Podcast Listener
What is the next step for you as the listener?
Subscribe to the podcast and become a regular listener. I’ll look forward to your feedback and any suggestions you may have. This podcast is designed to help educate and inform you, the listener.
If you are looking for a resource to help you dive deeper into the skills a successful hunter must develop, check out the guide at greenhornhunting.com/starthunting. This free resource will get you started in the right direction to becoming the successful hunter you want to be.
So I would like to thank you for tuning into this first episode of the Greenhorn Hunting Podcast.
I hope you will join me next time as we discuss the subject of hunter education. What is it? Why take it? And how do you get signed up and complete a hunter education course?
If you are a veteran hunter who cares about the future of our hunting tradition and lifestyle, you can make a difference by finding someone to mentor.
If you are a new hunter and don’t have someone in your immediate family or a close friend to show you the way, then join me and the Greenhorn community so you can learn from us and experience the joys of hunting.
So a couple of simple ways to do that.
- Subscribe to this podcast.
- Get a free copy of my guide at greenhornhunting.com/starthunting
- Join the community of greenhorn hunters and greenhorn mentors at https://greenhorn-hunting-community.mn.co/
Remember when you mentor someone, you’re making a difference. We don’t need more heroes, we need more guides.