Youth hunting day lost to target practice

Before my son turned 5 years old, my wife and I purchased my son a lifetime hunting and fishing license. At that age, you don’t really know for sure if hunting and fishing will be something they enjoy doing once they get older. Over the next couple years, though, it became apparent to me that he may share my love of the woods and water.

At 10 years old, he was able to start hunting with me. At this time, I had one thing I could count on moving forward for the next six years: That would be youth day. The Saturday before resident hunting season starts in Maine is the day set aside for our youth to hunt, accompanied by an adult. I spend months preparing for this day. Scouting, setting up stands and trail cameras in hopes that he will have an opportunity to take a deer. Last season, he was fortunate enough to sit in the stand for only 30 minutes before he found success and put his first deer in the freezer. Now, he is hooked.

This past Saturday was youth day this year. Again, the scouting was done, the preparations were made, the gun was sighted in and we were ready to go. No luck in the morning sit, but I had high hopes for the afternoon. No sooner do we get sat down and settled in for our three-hour sit, we hear a gun shot probably a half-mile away. Then another and another and another. Seven hundred to 1,000 shots later, they finally stopped ”“ five minutes before sunset. This shooting was taking place in a gravel pit off of Route 111. It not only affected our hunt, but there were several other fathers and sons or daughters hunting in our area. I’m also quite sure there were others hunting on the Andrews Road.

So for all the fathers and youths who were affected by these inconsiderate target shooters, I would like to say thanks a lot for ruining one of our six youth days we get, before our children go out on their own.

And to the gravel pit owner, we ask for your help with this. Could you please put a stop to this during hunting season? We’re not allowed to hunt on Sundays, let them shoot then.

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