Learn to Hunt
Learn to Hunt events are a wonderful way for chapters and staff to reach out to their local community. Many people are interested in hunting but lack a clear pathway to gaining experience in the field. A Learn to Hunt event can provide these initial opportunities while fostering authentic relationships between mentors and new hunters – helping to ensure that new hunters are retained far into the future. Learn to Hunt events can be focused on a target demographic (adults, women, youth, people of color, etc.) and should be tailored according to the audience. For example, at a women’s event at least 50% of mentors and instructors should be women and you might include a session on staying safe on public lands and may have shotguns with compact stocks on site for participants to try out.
The full Learn to Hunt Guide, detailing a step-by-step process for planning and hosting one of these events, can be found here.
Goal:
To expand, educate and engage the upland conservation community by providing new hunters with field experience and relationships with mentors that they can lean on throughout their hunting journey.
Our Impact:
Over 330 annual learn to hunt events focused on adults, women, youth and minorities reaching more than 3,000 participants.
Feedback from actual participants:
“This weekend was perfect!! Thank you so much for putting together such an amazing event with an awesome group of women!! Every detail was well-thought out from accommodations to food to instructions to chasing feathers. Looking forward to the next one! Thank you so much!!!”
“This was wonderful and I’m sad it is over. I wish I would have found out about it in my twenties and not in my forties!” “I really think the whole event was amazing I don’t think I would change anything. I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity.”
“Always nice to have more female mentors, i know they aren’t that easy to find! The guys mentoring here were kind, helpful, listened and taught really well. Thanks for making it a safe and supportive environment for women! I’ve experienced LTH events that aren’t that way and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your effort in this respect :)”
Learn to Hunt Event Checklist:
Step 1. Form a Planning Team and choose a species to focus on
» If the event is for adults, submit a grant application at least two weeks prior to the event to receive reimbursement for 50% of event expenses up to $500
Step 2. Create Event and Recruit Participants
» Create an online event within our national system using your chapter portal and share it to social media
» If this event is for women, use our Women on the Wing Brand Guide for all printouts and advertising materials
Step 3. Insurance
» Submit completed Volunteer Insurance Coverage Form to insurance@pheasantsforever.org at least 24 hours prior to the event
Step 4. Host the event!
» Collect participant information and complete
» Everyone at the event must sign a
» Have fun and take lots of photos!
Step 5. Report the event through your chapter portal or at: pheasantsforever.org/eventreporting
» Number of participants
» Number of volunteers
» Total volunteer hours
Email photos and/or videos to huntingheritage@pheasantsforever.org
Congratulations and thank you for guiding new hunters into the field!