So, you want to hunt?

Now's about the time to get to the meat of this all. We NEED to get other people hunting, and at the very least, we need to get more participants in fishing. Why? For starters, we are raising a generation who are unaware of the natural world around them. minds occupied only by technology and heading towards a society that is incapable of experiencing the natural world.
It shouldn't be this way - and it doesn't have to be. First off, I would like to extend an invitation to take anyone hunting that has done their proper learning and gotten their licenses - I will take you hunting in a safe way, I will teach you any tricks I can, and I will show you what I love about getting out in the woods, marsh or prairie.
All I ask is that you bring a license, a desire to learn, and a willingness to work. If you're over 18, you have a lot of resources available to you to learn to hunt - all in the comfort of your own home. Each state is different for requirements, but it is safe to say if you're under the age of 35 you will likely need some hunter education. I haven't checked on every state, but huntinfo looks a good place to start if you're not familiar with your state's governing agencies.
There is so much to be learned afield - values that are scarce in much of our world: patience, honor, hard work and more. This is not a lament on the state of our society but a call to reclaim what gives us pride. To know that we are a part of this world, more than just a parasite. If nothing else, it is a call to return to something I think is well summed up by Robert Service in the poem "The Call of the Wild":

They have cradled you in custom,
They have primed you with their preaching,
They have soaked you in convention
Through and through;
They have put you in a showcase;
You're a credit to their teaching —
But can't you hear the Wild?
— It's calling you.
Let us probe the silent places,
Let us seek what luck betide us;
Let us journey to a lonely land I know.
There's a whisper on the night-wind,
There's a star agleam to guide us,
And the Wild is calling,
Calling . . . let us go.

It starts with you wanting to see more, to do more. I'm more than willing to take people into the woods, wetlands and prairies. The future relies on conservationists and sportsmen.

Paying to play - the state of hunting in America

One of the goals of this project is to be apolitical as much as possible. Not for fear of discussing the issues, but because in my experience, hunting does not and should not be partisan. Issues do arise, however, that directly affect all of us - and as sportsmen and women we must deal with them.
A recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune talks about hunting costs and the Minnesota DNR's potential need to raise license fees.
Here in MN, I pay about $35 dollars for a basic "Sportsman's License" that includes small game hunting for me and hunting and fishing for my wife. In comparison to other things out there, this seems a drop in the bucket, and in my opinion, well worth it. If you look at it across the board, it does become costly to participate in all seasons available of hunting. Licenses are a small portion when compared against fuel, lodging, equipment and ammunition, to be sure. But one thing we need to be concerned about is how much is too much?
For many of us passionate about the outdoors, there may be no limit to how much you would spend to play, but there is definitely a point at which other parts of your life would suffer for it.
We need to consider everything from the vantage point of barriers to hunting, especially to new participants. Is there a point at which YOU would stop - or alternately, what season would you not participate in because of license fees?