Youngsters will have a great opportunity this weekend to get up and get out into the fresh air of Idaho by participating in a special Youth Pheasant Hunt.

    This is a youth-only hunting event, for youngsters aged 10 to 15 years, and will take place on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Access Yes property near Robin, Idaho. A similar hunt was held on Saturday, November 10, but youngsters will have another opportunity this Saturday to participate.   

    Three groups have come together to sponsor this event that gives young hunters an opportunity for a successful experience hunting pheasant. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game and its Access Yes program, in conjunction with Pheasants Forever, have come together to give youngsters this chance for a great hunt in the great outdoors.     

    Access Yes is a program by the Idaho Fish and Game designed to improve sportsmen's access to private land, or go through private land to public land, by compensating willing landowners who provide access.

    Pheasants Forever is a national organization dedicated to habitat conservation for pheasants, quail and other wildlife through improvements, public awareness, education and effective land management policies and programs. Local Chapter No. 145 of Pheasants Forever is instrumental in organizing Saturday’s hunt.  

    The Idaho Department of Fish and Game released the following details about the hunt:

    “This hunt is a self-guided hunt, although there may be some volunteers willing to mentor youth or provide dogs. Hunters will need to coordinate that in advance. Hunting licenses are required. Hunters will be responsible for being safe and ethical and are reminded to hunt away from other groups of hunters. Those who wish to participate simply need to show up to the property and start hunting between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Only youth (ages 10-15) may hunt during the special events.”

    Fish and Game authorities also note that the Access Yes property concerned will be closed to hunting prior to 9 a.m. to allow the organizers time to safely stock pheasants. Everyone participating, including mentors and observers, will be required to wear at least one article of hunter orange clothing for safety. For those who need them, orange hats will be available at the Fish and Game vehicle located at the property.

    Thirteen-year-old Ben Asbury participated in a similar youth pheasant hunt on Oct. 6 in Preston. It was the elementary school student’s first experience with any kind of hunting, and he said it was a positive one for him.

    “It was really fun, and I’m glad I went because now I can go hunting with my dad,” he said.

    Asbury, who practiced for the hunt by skeet shooting, said he would recommend the experience to other young people.

    “It’s a good chance to try to try hunting,” he said.        

    Jason Beck is the Landowner Sportsman Coordinator for the Idaho Fish and Game, and is also the Chapter President of Southeast Idaho Pheasants Forever.

    “We are all about habitat,” he said. “We’re about making sure there is habitat for upland birds.”

    Beck commented that hunting pheasant is a good place for young hunters to start to learn the sport of hunting, and he explained why.

    “When they come up, you can hear their wings flapping, and they cackle when they come up,” he said. “They don’t fly as fast as some of the other upland birds.”   

    Beck has been involved in the Southeast Idaho chapter of Pheasants Forever for about six years. The chapter covers Bannock, Caribou and Oneida counties and has about 200 members, approximately one third of whom are youth. Preston also has a chapter with an additional 100 members.

    No pre-registration is required for the Youth Pheasant Hunt, but all interested parties who may need assistance or have questions about the hunt can contact Jason Beck at the Idaho Fish and Game at 251-7438, or email him at jason.beck@idfg.idaho.gov.

    For general information and driving directions to the hunting property, contact the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 1345 Barton Road in Pocatello, telephone 208-232-4703, or see their website for information at fishandgame.idaho.gov. Click on the Access Yes logo at the bottom of the home page.

    For information about Pheasants Forever call toll-free at 1(877) 773-2070, or see their website at www.pheasantsforever.org

    An experience like the youth pheasant hunt can help youngsters learn about the sport of hunting, and connect with the great outdoors.

    “I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to get our youth outdoors and connected to our outdoor resources,” said Jennifer Jackson, Regional Conservation Educator for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.  “If they don’t love and appreciate it, then they won’t know that it’s important to take care of it.”

    “It’s all about growing up and wanting to be a good steward of the things that you love,” she added.