One great way to get ready and excited about the upcoming hunting seasons is to introduce someone to the outdoors! My grandfather introduced me to hunting when I was 16 years old. I shot my first buck with him and shared some great memories just a few short days before he lost his battle with lung cancer. My mother tells me she saw more happiness in his eyes in the weeks right before that hunting season than she had almost the entire time he was diagnosed with cancer and struggling with chemotherapy. Every year, that trip means more and more to me.
So for me, hunting and fishing is personal. And over the years, making memories afield has proven to be a priceless way to spend time with family and share experiences with friends. Not to mention all the joy you can have seeing the wild beauty of nature in Iowa's countryside or the thrill of the hunt when you're in close quarters with some of nature's keenest eyes. But getting started can be intimidating!
The Iowa DNR offers several hunters education and safety courses. I have the link setup on my favorites to the right. The process is quite simple, it just takes a bit of time. You need hunter's safety certification in most states to be eligible to buy a license and this is often the biggest hurdle beginner's need to overcome. So if you're an avid outdoorsman, be sure to help someone out with this process. Here's the link. The course takes a bit of time and isn't offered once hunting season is in full swing (which makes sense because most instructors are avid hunters themselves). Once you have your hunter's education card, you're set for life and only need to pay a small fee if you lose it. Take someone new hunting, and share some of your passion for the outdoors with them. You never know, you might end up with a new hunting partner, and bag a whole season of memories.
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