Ron Stresing is encouraged by the increasing number of adults taking an interest in hunting and finds mentoring novice hunters just as satisfying as hunting himself.

Very little is more contagious than the excitement of a beagle in full cry chasing a cottontail. As my buddy Dale Marson kept track of his dog, our hunter and I moved to a better vantage point to watch the chase. I was going to point out the fleeing rabbit to Catherine, our novice hunter, but she spotted it before I did! The bunny hit some thick brush that slowed its forward progress, and I suggested she try taking a shot at it. Catherine’s 870 spoke, and she cleanly harvested her first cottontail.

I have to admit I was happier to see her success than if I had dropped the hammer on the fleeing rabbit myself. I had actually left my .410 pump in Dale’s truck and carried only my phone and note pad.

Lately, more grown adults than ever are taking an interest in hunting. Many are adults who didn’t grow up in families with a hunting tradition. Yes, you can learn from DNR seminars and YouTube videos, but an actual hands-on mentored hunt in the field is probably the best way to learn. Dale has mentored dozens of youngsters and adult hunters, including his former co-worker Catherine. This charming young lady turned out to be a serious hunter and a good shot.

I retrieved the bunny, and we continued our merry chase through the snow and tangled brush. The area was a perfect example of textbook rabbit habitat: thick, brushy hillsides that bordered an agricultural area.

Within a few minutes, Dale’s dog had another rabbit going. We only caught a glimpse of it before it got down a hole. Another rabbit doubled back with the dog in pursuit, coming head-on towards us. There was no safe shot, as Clay, Dale’s beagle, was down range. Wisely, Catherine never raised her shotgun.

Finally, another rabbit performed according to plan, and made a run for it on the hillside. It paused momentarily to look back and see where the dog was. That was its last mistake, as a load of 6 shot quickly perforated its noggin’.

When a rabbit was jumped, we held still and tried to blend in with the landscape. “The rabbits run, but they don’t run blind. Stay motionless,” said Dale. We ended up one short of a three-rabbit limit, but we deemed the hunt a complete success. Later, I field dressed and skinned the rabbits, and gave Catherine a few of my favorite recipes.

Dale admitted to me over lunch later that he had held the area in reserve for a mentored hunt. “You want the novice hunter to see game and have some success,” he said. Dale’s dog jumped six rabbits that day, and I’m sure if both of us had been shooting, we would have collected most of them.

I asked Dale if he had any suggestions for those adults who wanted to take up hunting, or hunters who wanted to mentor others. He related that earlier that year, he had mentored two adult hunters out on the Richard Bong State Rec Area in Kenosha, and they had never jumped a rabbit in four hours. A good spot situated on private land or a hunt on a private shooting preserve is preferable to one on hard-hunted public land. It’s also better to pick nice weather for your hunt if possible. He also suggested a bell or beeper on your dog, so a novice hunter can keep track of where the dog is.

I introduced my younger son to hunting on a dairy farm, starting with hunting doves and pigeons. After dropping passing barn pigeons with a .410, he had little trouble knocking down Canada geese later with a 20-gauge on the same farm. I’m glad to see more young hunters and adults hunting and taking up outdoor sports. With more hunters afield, our hunting traditions will carry on for future generations.

Want to encourage someone’s interest in hunting and fishing? Start by getting them a gift subscription to MidWest Outdoors, available on our website.