When I was a kid, it was easy to learn to hunt and fish. I had a constant supply of adult mentors who showed young kids like me the ropes, rarely bothered by the mistakes we made as we tagged along.
Once we learned our lessons, we had a tremendous amount of freedom to explore. Fishing was by far the easiest to practice. We’d dig worms in the backyard, grab some lures and a fly rod and be gone for the day.
Hunting was more complicated but not by much. We’d log some time at a shooting range under adult supervision. When we proved that we had mastered gun safety, we’d carry unloaded weapons through the woods with our mentors. After that, we’d get a handful of bullets or shells and shoot when appropriate.
The icing on the cake came when we were awarded the opportunity to hunt on our own. We’d buy a license, grab a 20-gauge and a pocketful of shells, bell a bird dog and head out into the woods.
While we live in a different world today, may folks still have an interest in learning to fish and hunt. To satisfy the demand, a number of fishing and shooting schools are flourishing throughout the country. They’re open to anyone with an interest, and they’re owned and operated by some of the biggest and best names in the outdoor industry…