Oklahoma’s youth deer gun season is scheduled for Oct. 18-20, 2024, and thousands of young hunters will be hitting the woods in hopes of harvesting their first deer. There are also thousands who would like to go hunting but aren’t able to because they don’t have a place to go or someone to take them.
The Oklahoma Youth Hunting Program (OYHP) has a solution, but help is needed.
The Wildlife Department has partnered with OYHP, a nonprofit organization has taken hundreds of young people and their families on their first hunting trip. This unique approach to hunter recruitment has succeeded in ways that other efforts haven't. The hunting trips educate the young hunter and their family in all aspects of hunting, including hunter safety, setting camp, tracking, hunting, and game care. Also, OYHP works hard to foster relationships among the hunting families who attend, providing the social support that is incredibly important for hunter recruitment.
“Do you want to help pass on our hunting heritage? The Oklahoma Youth Hunting Program might be a perfect fit for you,” OYHP President Darrell Noblitt said. “OYHP can find a place to showcase your passion and talents, be it cooking, storytelling, game processing, setting camp or guiding.”
OYHP has scheduled a training session for all these positions from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 3, at 2214 East Highway 152, Mustang, OK 73064. The training includes lessons learned from introducing more than 600 families to white-tailed deer hunting, and a demonstration of how to feed 40 people from a flattop griddle. This training is required for volunteer guides for OYHP. Lunch will be provided.
“You learned to hunt or fish from somebody that thought you and the traditions were worth the time and effort. Come be that somebody for another generation. They are worth it. It will change your life, also,” Noblitt said.
Attendees at training aren't obligated to be a guide. But OHYP wants attendees to learn how worthwhile the mission is and to get involved at some level.
This year’s hunting dates are Oct. 18-20, and guides are expected at the camps on Oct. 17. Hunts will be at Enid, Geary, Chandler, Holdenville, Drumright, Bartlesville, and Hugo.
Lance Meek, Senior Communication and Education Specialist and hunter education coordinator for ODWC, said, “I’ve been very impressed with the professionalism and passion of this group of hardworking volunteers. They have come up with a great approach to recruiting a new generation of hunters by including the families of the hunters in the camp.”
