Fewer young people today take part in Maine’s traditional outdoor sports than previous generations. The number of youth hunting licenses, for example, fell 40% from 2002 to 2017. Why is this? We’ll discuss youth hunting, archery, camping and hiking, all of which have a long history and tradition in Maine, as well as what programs are available statewide. Outdoor writer George Smith will call in to share his memories of being a kid experiencing the outdoors and why he feels it matters.
Guests
Matt Dunlap, Maine secretary of state; founder and vice president, Maine's Youth Fish and Game Association; columnist, Northwoods Sporting Journal; former executive director, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine
Katie Yates, recruitment, retention and reactivation coordinator, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
George Smith (by phone), lifelong hunter and angler, former executive director, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine; columnist, Kennebec Journal; outdoor blogger, Bangor Daily News
Ronald Fournier (by phone), director, UMaine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers
John Holyoke (by phone), outdoors columnist, Bangor Daily News
Resources
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
- Maine Youth Fish and Game
- Northwoods Sporting Journal
- What Is R3?
- As youth hunting numbers steadily drop in Maine, lawmakers and state officials grapple with the problem
- Why We Suck at Recruiting New Hunters, Why It Matters, and How You Can Fix It
- George's Outdoor News
- Girl Scouts of Maine summer camp
- University of Maine 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Bryant Pond
- Maine Youth Fish and Game summer camp
- Teens to Trails
- Junior Maine Guides
- Forest Playgroup
- The Ecology School
- My First Hunt: Tapping Back into Nature
- John Holyoke's "Evergreens" arrives this Fall