Waterfowl Hunting with a New Hunter

Typically, there is no age requirement for taking someone on a hunting. If that person is going to be holding and shooting a firearm there will be state and provincial laws that dictate how old the hunter must be. If you were hunting in Saskatchewan with Tiger Hills Outfitting, the person would have to be at twelve years and older and hold a valid hunter safety course. Then they can purchase a license to hunt waterfowl. In Saskatchewan you must hold both a Federal Migratory Bird Permit as well as bird license from the Ministry of Environment.  I would not recommend taking children out younger than twelve unless it is going to be just you two or maybe one other person. Accidents can happen and children tend to get excited and that is never a good mix when firearms are involved. Make sure the new hunter is old enough to understand the rules of hunting and the rules of the blind.

 

If you go with a reputable outfitter in Saskatchewan like Tiger Hills Outfitting they will make sure this is the least of your worries. They will supply transport to and from a scouted field and then set you up in the perfect spot in that field to maximize your success. They will provide you with top quality blinds and decoys to make sure the hunt is a memorable. They typically don’t supply firearms so you should consider the age of your hunter and what caliber they can shoulder. Most teenagers and adults can handle the kick of twelve-gauge shotgun by maybe a sixteen or twenty gauge would be more appropriate for a young hunter. You don’t want a new hunter to be scared of a shotgun after his first time out. You’ll need to check out the weather for that day. Nothing makes a hunt more miserable than sitting in the rain or wind and not having the proper attire on. Dress in layers incase the weather changes and you can adapt. You don’t want to be running back to the truck for a jacket when the geese are circling the blind!

 

You will want to put the new hunter in a position to have the most success. Typically, that is on the end of the blind that will get the first shots at the geese. There is nothing worse than being a novice shooter and only seeing tail feathers after the shooting starts. Also the end of the blind will be the safest for the other hunters especially if the newbie gets excited and moves out of his lane to shoot. Remind him before the shooting starts where his shooting lane is and being at the end of the blind will naturally stop him from straying from his line. If you’re a seasoned hunter like myself I tend to get more enjoyment from watching a new hunter knock down a bird than me doing it. Often I will just watch and let some pass to see the joy on his face. Plus, you’ll have more stories to tell at the end of the day of the ones that were so close that panic set in on the hunter and all the birds managed to fly away or the one so far away not the most experienced hunter could possibly hit but he managed to. Today is about making memories and getting a newbie hooked on hunting so enjoy the experience not the number of dead birds.

  

If you follow the steps we’ve laid out they will thoroughly enjoy themselves. If you hunting with an outfitter like Tiger Hills Outfitting they will make sure that experience is even more heightened and will take a lot of the stress off your shoulders. They’ve seen old and young, new and seasoned hunters so they will know how to make sure the hunt is set up so everyone is smiling at the end! Speaking of smiles don’t forget to take lots of pictures before during and after the hunt! There is not much better in life than going back and looking at pictures, reminiscing about your first hunt.