CEO Blog: Balance Work and Life By Getting Into The Woods.

One of the biggest revelations from those two hunts was the importance of mentoring, one pillar of the ATA’s strategic plan: We must increase participation in these sports we love. Mentoring plays a role there, but we too often think of mentoring as taking kids on their first hunts. Those are great experiences for both mentor and child, but it’s far from the only mentoring possibility.

I’ve felt intimidated by hunting because I didn’t grow up with it. You know all those second-nature things that lifelong hunters take for granted? They were hard for me to notice, let alone understand. I couldn’t even fathom carving up a turkey on a truck’s tailgate before last Friday. Today? I’m confident I could do it solo, because a great mentor took the time to show me how.

As a guy in his mid-40s who’s just entering the hunting community, I’m shocked by how easy it was to get into the woods and learn how to have some success. We owe it to our industry to share such experiences by mentoring beyond youngsters; beyond the stereotypes. Ask around at your next league shoot. Chat with folks in your small group at church. I guarantee you’ll find someone who’s interested in hunting, but just needs a nudge; a friendly invitation.

And what if you need an additional selling point to coax that 40-something friend to hunt? Maybe mention the added benefits of spending a little time away from the office!

Who mentored you on your first hunt? Have you mentored a new hunter in return? Tell us about it. We’d love to hear from you!