January marks the starting points for our 2015 new year’s resolutions, but unfortunately, many of our resolutions will undoubtedly fail before month’s end. While we certainly begin our years with high expectations and visions of successfully kicking bad habits, losing weight, and earning more, many of us can’t follow through on our resolutions because their unsustainability is directly linked to their selfish motives.
Don’t get me wrong: selfish resolutions – resolutions with outcomes solely focused on the individuals making them – are not altogether bad. In fact, self-improvement resolutions have to be selfish in order for them to succeed. However, many selfish resolutions are destined to fail because their lack of involvement by other parties leads to weak or non-existent support systems. Rather than continuing the tradition of making selfish resolutions that may be difficult to adhere to, make resolutions involving others so that the various levels of accountability provide inherent support systems.
Naturally, the success rates of hunters’ and anglers’ new year’s resolutions should be a bit higher if the resolutions involve hunting and fishing, so I suggest scrapping those doomed resolutions and, instead, resolving to promote hunting and fishing to youngsters in 2015.
In 2014. we’ve learned from Delaware’s Division of Fish and Wildlife that hunting license sales revenues are decreasing. Delaware’s hunting population is aging, and as hunters turn age 65, they are no longer required to purchase hunting licenses. Additionally, fewer young people are being introduced to outdoor sporting activities like hunting, shooting, and archery, so the license revenues lost by license-exempt senior hunters are not offset by new, license-purchasing young hunters.
Therefore, making new year’s resolutions that focus on introducing young people – boys or girls, daughters or sons, nephews or nieces, granddaughters or grandsons, or neighbors or friends – to the outdoors will not only benefit you, but will also benefit the youth involved (as well as Delaware’s overall hunting population). Furthermore, the eager smiles from excited youngsters who have their hearts set on harvesting deer, waterfowl, turkeys, or small game will provide the motivation and support system needed to ensure resolutions are met.
Just like any other new year’s resolution, however, introducing young people to hunting will not be easy. Competing priorities will hinder youth hunting, so be aware that school, homework, volunteer activities, school sports, club (or travel team) sports, and other activities will detract from kids’ free time for spending time in the woods, marshes, waterways, and fields. School, sports, and other activities are unlike they were in years past. Homework requires more time, school sports require five- or six-day-a-week commitments, and practice and games for club sports can occupy any remaining time slots. Combine those pastimes with the Internet, video games, and television, and it’s easy to see how little time is left for pursuing outdoors sports.
Making matters worse, Delaware still only allows hunting Mondays through Saturdays, so student athletes who participate in basketball, field hockey, football, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, or other sports that overlap hunting season are severely limited in the days they can hunt. Homework, sports practices, and lack of daylight prevent them from hunting Monday through Friday, and actual games prevent them from hunting on Saturdays. In many cases, Sundays are the only days on which youngsters can spend time afield, but Delaware law inexplicably prohibits them from doing so.
Therefore, to follow through on your news year’s resolutions of exposing youngsters to hunting, plan accordingly. Bring youngsters to shooting ranges in the summer months, schedule them for hunter’s safety classes in the off-season, and bring them along on hunts during school breaks. Research Delaware’s designated youth hunting days, and try to plan hunts well in advance. If necessary, ask for leeway from teachers and coaches, because some of the lessons learned in the woods are just as valuable as those learned in the classroom or on the sports field.
Also begin contacting Delaware’s lawmakers now about legalizing Sunday hunting in 2015.