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Date: February 18 2021
Episode: 41
Title: Finding a Hunting Mentor with the First Hunt Foundation
Guest(s): Rick Brazell
Show Link: Watch YouTube Video Here or Listen to the Podcast Here.
Blog Link: You can find our Blog post for this Episode Here
Brief Summary of Show:
In this episode of The Silvercore Podcast, Travis speaks with Rick Brazell, founder of First Hunt Foundation in Idaho USA. Brazell talks about his passion for hunting and how it lead to him starting the foundation to help get new hunters out there with the help of mentors. He speaks about difficulties experienced, as well as memories created, listen to this podcast to hear Rick’s truly inspiring story.
If you have a story that would be of value to the Silvercore audience, or know someone who does, email us at podcast@silvercore.ca. We would love to hear from you!
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I'm Travis Bader
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properly covered during
your outdoor ventures.
Today, I'm speaking with
Rick Brazell, who spent
36 years in the US forest
service, managing land
and in 2015 started the
First Hunt Foundation.
Where he and his team
of volunteers provide
mentorship and guidance
for those wishing
to get into hunting.
Rick, welcome to The
Silvercore Podcast.
Thanks, Travis.
Really enjoy being here.
So specifically I want
to speak about the
First Hunt Foundation,
how it got started,
what it does, as
well as some of the
challenges and successes
that you've had.
But first I'd like to get
a little bit more into
the background on you.
Like where did you grow
up and what ignited your
passion for hunting?
Oh, wow.
That's a great one.
I grew up in Texas, so
I'm a long way from home.
So if you hear a little
bit of a southern
accent, that's because
I'm from the south.
And I grew up
in the country.
I went to a little
school that had like 85
students, K through 12.
So we're talking small.
Wow.
Yeah.
You know everybody,
and their parents.
And so you can.
No kidding.
Get by with anything.
Of course, and my dad
was the bus mechanic
for the little school
so I lived on a city
block surrounded by
fields and farmland.
And so I just had an
interest early on to
hunt, to go get a BB gun,
go out and chase things
and the poor metal arcs
back then weren't safe.
And I look at it now
going, I shouldn't
have done that, but
when you're a kid,
sparrows and metal
arcs and anything
else, it was fair game.
Sure.
So I just had an
interest in hunting
for a long, long time.
And my dad wasn't a
hunter, which was kind
of, made it hard for me
because I didn't have
somebody to train me.
I mean, he had a
shotgun, but he
didn't really hunt.
And so I had to learn
it on my own basically.
That's a tough
way to do it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It was, it was tough.
And so when I was about
in the eighth grade
and my buddy of mine
at school, he wanted
to be a hunter too and
his dad didn't hunt,
so we kind of figured
it out on our own.
We got our own guns and
it's a little bit like
the Christmas story.
I got my first deer rifle
when I kept, saving up,
had a Mason jar, had duct
tape on it so I couldn't
get into as a kid and
it had deer rifle on it.
My parents got a kick
out of that because I put
every little coin I could
or ever a little bit of
money I made because I
was going to buy my first
deer rifle with that.
And then I was going to
get an old British 303
because it was cheap.
Yeah.
And my dad and my mom
were smart and one
Christmas after we opened
all the gifts, the said
well look behind the
tree and there was a deer
rifle behind the tree.
It was pretty,
it was great.
Wow.
My parents supported
my passion and I was
in the eighth grade,
I remember that.
And so now I had had
a 243 and watch out
world cause here I come.
Well, you're a
bit of an anomaly.
Most people don't get
into hunting unless
they've had a family
member, mother, father,
aunt, and uncle,
somebody to kind of
get them into it.
Yeah, exactly.
And that's part of the
reason the foundation's
there because I found
there's a lot of,
especially youthm and
we're finding a lot
of adults now too,
but especially youth
that would like to get
into hunting, like I
want to do, but their
parents or nobody in
their family hunts.
And then they're looking
for somebody to teach
them and that's kind
of where the foundation
started and it's like,
let's find these kids
and help them out.
And what happened, I
was in Washington state,
living in Washington
state working for the
us forest service.
And I had 20 acres there
and it was surrounded
by alfalfa fields and
in the evenings the
deer would just go to
the fields, but they
wouldn't go to my pasture
because it was just
grass, pasture grass.
And so in Washington
state, you can
put up feeders.
So I'll put up a feeder
and I had deer coming.
They would stopped
to my place before
they go the alfalfa.
And I set up a stand and
I made a deal with any
kid that wanted to shoot
their first deer, they
could come to my place.
I had seven kids come
with their parents or me
setting in that stand.
And they all were
successful in getting
their first deer and
years later, I mean,
years later they
would come up to me on
the street and thank
me and say, Hey Mr.
Brazell, I remember
shooting my first deer, I
just wanted to thank you,
I'll never forget that.
And it hit me.
What if I could
duplicate that feeling
of excitement, thousands
of times, instead of
just these seven times.
And so I played with
that in my head until
I retired trying to
figure out what am I
going to do with my
life when I retire?
I thought I don't
want to create an
organization that
gives those first hunt
experiences to thousands
and thousands of people.
And that's kind of
where it started
was those seven kids
getting their first
deer on that 20 acres
in Washington state so.
Wow.
So when did you retire?
I retired now, about six
years ago and started the
foundation immediately
when I retired.
Yeah, I was just
doing the math there.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And it didn't realize
it was going to be so
successful that it just
blossomed and took off.
And now we're operating
in 28 States and have
almost 500 volunteer
mentors, just about
10 shy of that, in
those 28 States that
are taking people out.
We did like 4,000
days last year.
So 4,000 days of
people getting out on
their first hunts, our
training, we count the
days of training as well.
Cause you can't just
go out, usually without
learning how to hold
a gun, shoot a gun,
that sort of thing.
Right.
All the things that
the hunter ed course
doesn't teach you.
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And we don't do the
hunter ed stuff.
That's the state's
responsibilities
down here to do that.
We tell folks, well
what do we gotta do?
We'll say, take your
state stuff, get that
done and we can even
help them figure it out.
And then we take
them from there.
We're the next step.
Right.
Yeah, we've got, of
course in Canada,
hunter ed courses differ
province by province,
similar to in the States.
And the most common
concern or complaint that
people come out of it
with is it didn't really
prepare me to hunt.
It teaches me the
laws, it teaches me
regulations, it teaches
me identification.
And there's all these
important pieces around
hunting that you, a
new hunter should know.
But the big part of
it, the learning how
to hunt isn't covered
in hunter education.
Right.
And it's actually with
the pandemic it's got
a little bit more lax
and I understand why.
But in our particular
state, they don't even
do a field day now for
now, they did in the
past, you'd have to do
your course and spend
a day in the field.
And they said, because
of the pandemic, you
can take it online
and never even meet an
instructor face to face
and get your hunter
education certificate.
So there's, in my
opinion, a massive
disconnect between
hunter education,
training and hunting,
and that disconnect
would be mentorship,
something in between.
And we live in a society
now where the younger
generation they're on
Facebook and Instagram
and Tik Tok and their
social connections
are done virtually and
by and large and I'm
seeing a trend towards a
desire for, I guess, more
intimate connections,
more real connections
with other individuals.
And I'm starting to
see organizations like
the R3 movement, right?
The R3 movement is
the, what is that?
The retain and recruit
and re-introduce
or recruit, retain,
reintroduce hunters.
Yep, and we're
big into that.
We didn't start out
that way, R3 wasn't
even around when we
started, or at least
it was in its infancy.
And we were involved,
the foundation was
involved in going to
early on meetings,
trying to figure out
what it was about.
And but it does stand for
recruiting new hunters
and retaining those
that are thinking maybe
they're losing interest.
And then re-engaging
those that have
left the hunting
and get them back.
And we do all of that.
Our foundation, we're
chasing, getting mentors,
take new people out.
We're are keeping people
interested by giving
them something to do.
And we're re-engaging
folks that have left.
A lot of people
say, well, my kids
are all gone out
on hunting anymore.
And we say, well heck
we'll find you a kid or
help you find the kids.
Some people joked about
it, rent a kid, you
know, it's not really,
it's like, we'll find
you a person to take
hunting and then that
gets them back into
the sport, which is
a whole nother thing.
It kind of bothers me
to call it a sport,
but it's been called
that for years.
Sure.
I think people know
what we're talking about
when we say sport, but.
Right.
Yeah, I mean, just this
last year, my son got
his first deer and 11
years old, 10 years old,
got his hunting license.
That's all he wanted.
He says, I want to walk
in, I want to do my
exam, I want to go to
the government office.
I want to, and in
British Columbia, we
call it a Fish and
Wildlife ID card, so
I want to get my FWID.
And the first year he was
going out and learning
about the species coming
on hunting trips, but
he was getting to carry
around a rifle and
get used to what that
feels like unloaded.
But he didn't harvest
any animals and we've
got something called
waterfowl heritage days.
So a week prior to
harvesting his first
deer, a couple from the
local sporting goods
store out here said,
Hey, tell you what we
got access to land,
we've got a dog, we've
got the blind, we've got
all the decoys and gear.
Would your son like to
come out on waterfowl
heritage days?
And these guys get
nothing out of it, other
than the enjoyment of
reintroducing, and I
shouldn't say they get
nothing out of it, but
obviously there's a lot
that mentors get out
of it, but it is geared
around the new hunter.
Anyways, my son got
his first duck and at
the end of the day,
he was very thrilled,
so proud of himself.
And he says to me
afterwards, he says,
I didn't know what
it'd be like, and
obviously you don't
until you've been there.
But now I know, now
I'm confident I can
go out and I can go
hunt that deer cause
he had a limited
entry draw for a deer.
So that whole mentorship
process is invaluable
for new hunters, but
it's also like, you're
pointing out, a very
valuable tool to hunters
who've been doing it for
a long time and they want
to pass their knowledge
onto somebody else.
Well, you know, it's
so fulfilling to
see somebody else
learn and grow.
A lot of our mentors
tell us that.
And I personally would
say that last year,
not the pandemic year,
the year before I
did 50 something days
of taking youth out.
Wow.
And then 30 something
days of me hunting.
So 80 something days in
the field hunting, and
I'm thinking, I think I'd
died and went to heaven
because that's kind of
what I love doing, but.
You're living the life.
Yeah, I had more fun
taking those youth out
and teaching them and
they get their first
animal and it could be
a doe, but they were so
excited that it could
have been a 30 inch mule
deer buck or whatever.
But to them it was
just, they should just.
And then there's folks
that don't have money.
I mean, there's one
lady, that's a widowed
grandmother raised
three of her grandsons
because the parents
didn't do well in life,
I won't go into that.
But she's having
struggles, and when one
son got a deer, that was
food for their table.
And they cried when
she thanked me for
helping them, not only
teach their grandson a
skill and get him out
doing something besides
being on a computer,
but they had lots
of meals out of it.
And they were so excited.
That to me, when, when
that happens, it's
like you've changed
somebody's life.
You're not just
giving them a one
day experience.
You're changing
their entire life.
You really are.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You really are.
Well, I should
imagine, and it looks
like you just came
on like gangbusters,
you've already got
500 mentors across the
country in a relatively
short period of time.
How did you get
this started?
Well, we knew we had
to find people mentors.
I mean, locally, we
found a bunch of real
quick, cause you talked
to your friends and
that sort of thing.
And then we started
thinking, well,
let's figure out how,
where do we go to
find these people?
We could advertise
of course, but where
do you advertise?
And we started thinking,
let's go to the big
outdoor shows cause
there's a lot of those
down here in the States.
And some of them have
like 50,000 people
go and all those
50,000 people are
going to those outdoor
hunting shows because
they're into hunting.
And so we put up a big
booth and people's, we
kind of grabbed them
when they come by and
try to get them to come
over and talk to us.
And we were starting to
sign up mentors that way.
And before you know it
we had 50 and a hundred
and of course they talked
to their friends and
buddies and go, Hey, you
need to be part of this.
And then we would
get more that way.
One of the kind of,
I don't know if it's
a, call it a catch,
but it was fun.
We created a simulated
Nerf hunting range,
not a shooting range,
a hunting range.
So we had these Nerf
guns and we had this
background that had
deer and elk and bear
and moose and ducks,
instead of rounds
and black circles,
which most target
things have for kids.
And then we had these
little Nerf guns that
had scopes on them.
They looked like
a gun, except they
were bright colored
and we've had over
7,000 kids go through
that at the shows.
And so when the kids come
over and they're shooting
and we celebrate, Oh, you
got an elk, what are you
going to do with all that
meat versus, Oh, you hit
the bullseye and they're
grinning from ear to ear.
The parents are grinning
from ear to ear.
And then we kind of
hooked the parents cause
they're probably hunters
and say, Hey, how about
joining our organization?
So they're seeing
their kid have a good
time that we provided.
And some of them it's
the first time they ever
thought about, and some
of them aren't hunters
and then they shot,
never even shot a gun.
They don't even know how
to hold a plastic gun,
let alone a real gun.
And then we're
not training them
to be hunters.
We're just saying, Hey,
here's an experience you
could could build on.
You could actually go
out in the world later,
maybe shoot a real deer.
And so anyway, 7,000
people went through
that, but again, with
the pandemic, it's a
pretty much of a germ
fest when you got all
these plastic guns laying
on the table and you've
literally got four kids
and four behind them.
And you know, it's
like, Oh, you can't
keep it clean.
No, everyone's rubbing
them on their faces.
Oh yeah, I've seen them
their sleeve, their nose
sleeve and then pick up
the gun and just kind
of, and we wipe them.
We did wipe them down
before the pandemic, but
now I'd be kind of scared
to put them out there.
But anyway, it was
a great experience,
it was a way to get
the parents there.
And we, we recruited
a lot of people from
those kind of things,
as well as raffles.
Yeah, just boots on
the ground, work at
the different shows.
So I should imagine,
now you guys don't
charge anything.
You guys don't charge
anything for a person
to come on their first
hunt with you do you?
They pay their own
way for whatever it
is and, but you're not
charging any extra on
top of that are you?
No.
We don't allow any
charges at all.
In fact, we've told
our mentors that if we
find out that you're
even accepting money
for gas, then you won't
be a mentor anymore.
And the reason for
that is, several
reasons for that.
One is we're a nonprofit,
we're doing this for the
cause and for the good.
And even though there
is expenses, people
are willing to donate
some gas for a day
or shells or gun.
And most of these new
people don't have any
equipment, so they're
having to use the
mentors equipment.
The other thing in
the States anyway, for
a lot of States down
here, there's a lot
of rules on guiding.
And so we don't even
use, we don't even allow
the word guide to be
used in our vernacular.
It's just because it has
a legal connotation that
if you're not a licensed
guide, that you can't do
it in certain States and
some people would say,
well, you're guiding.
No we're teaching.
We're not guiding.
We're not just
taking them out
to get an animal.
We're trying to teach
them conservation
and how everything.
Hunter ed, kind of
all of the above.
Whereas a guide would
just take you out
and shoot the animal.
Right.
And that was where
I was going with the
question, essentially
did you receive pushback
from any of the States
or any of the guide
outfitter organizations?
No, we haven't, not yet.
And I hope we don't.
Partly the reason I don't
think we will is because
the R3 we mentioned
earlier, the States are
just like, how do we
implement this thing?
When they hear about
us, they go, Oh my gosh,
here's a nonprofit doing
what we want, let's
put her arm around them
and help these guys.
And it's the state's
usually that would be on
the other side of that
with the Outfitters and
guides, because they
control the outfitter
and guide boards.
So, so far we've not
had that, I suppose
it could happen.
You know, if some
Outfitters felt like,
well, you took a kid
bear hunting that they
would've paid me to
take them, but you
took them for free so.
Hmm.
Now, do you guys
keep metrics on the
individuals coming
through sort of maybe
whether they're a country
kid, city kid, gender,
demographics, any of
these sort of things.
Do you guys kind of
keep an eye on that?
Yeah, we did.
We didn't at first, but
as we first couple of
years and we started
thinking, well we needed
to keep track of this.
So we started tracking
youth, whether they are
youth, first of all.
Eight, less than 18
and then we started
tracking whether
they're male or female.
So we know how many boys
and girls are there.
We started tracking
gender for adults as
well, but we didn't,
we don't track specific
stuff like a species.
One of the things
we've got to, we're
working on an app.
We hope that, that the
app will help us collect
more data and people
can do it in real time
because, well, let me
tell you one of the
issues with this thing.
And it's been, it's
like pulling teeth is
to get the mentors to
give you data because
at the end of the year,
we contact them and go,
Hey, how many people
did you take out in
all these categories?
And less than half
of them will respond.
And then it puts the
burden on us to call them
and say, please, would
you give us this data?
And it's kind of like,
it's not that they're
negative against it.
But they're like
everybody else, they get
inundated, I don't want
to do another survey.
And so getting
that data is hard.
So we're working on
trying to get an app.
And if we had anybody
that helped us develop
a phone app, that'd
be even better.
So you could do
it in real time.
So literally get on your
phone and go, I'm doing
a training day, I'm
doing it with a 12 year
old or male or whatever.
And then boom, it's done
because what happens
now at the end of the
year, we hit them up
and they're sitting
there and going, Oh my
gosh, what did I do?
I got to look back into
the entire year and try
to remember what I did.
You know, how many days
and who I went with.
And we used to
give out a little.
And nobody wants to
do that paperwork.
Nobody wants to do that.
And I used to give out
a little hard copy book.
And I was spending a
lot of money printing
it, which had all
that information in
it, plus their miles
that they could put
on taxes and nobody
was filling it out.
They'd tell me, Oh,
I forget about it,
I put it in my glove
box or jockey box and
I never remember it.
So we're trying to
get, that's kind of
one of those deals.
If we could just
figure a way to make
it simple for people,
we could get more data.
So one thing that we've
noticed up here is there
seems to be a renewed
push for people to get
out in the outdoors.
I mean, COVID has
locked everybody down
and we're seeing a
lot more interest.
And in the shooting
sports, we're seeing
a lot more interest in
just being outdoors, but
hunting in particular,
we're seeing a lot
of interest there.
Are you finding the
same thing with the
First Hunt Foundation?
Yes.
Yeah, we are.
We getting a lot more
adults this last year.
Oh, it's been a great
increase in the adults
coming to us wanting to
do it versus the kids.
I mean, we're still
doing mostly youth, but
I've been surprised.
We had a 73 year
old lady contact us.
She called me up one day,
I was actually helping,
trying to find a deer
for a kid that lost it.
And she said, I want to
hunt and I bought a gun
and I'm a real good shot.
And my buddies, I
called three of them
and they said, they'd
take me and none of
them will take me.
So I heard about you,
will you take me?
And we said, sure,
we'll take you out.
And so we took
her out and she
subsequently missed.
And so the mentor
said, well, let's
go shoot your gun.
Well, the gun
was way off.
So she never did sight it
in, she bore sighted it,
so she thought it was on.
And so we had to, we
took a step forward and
had to take two steps
back and took her out.
I took her out with
another guy and
she missed a couple
of hard shots.
And so we'll take her
out again this next
year and get her.
But anyway, we're so
we're getting a lot of
the older generation
adult folks that
are coming to us.
And they're a little
bit embarrassed to ask
like, well, I don't know
what to, who to ask.
It's a little bit
humbling to say, I
don't know something.
Kids don't care, they're
like sponges just teach
me, you know, but adults.
Just put it all on you.
Yeah.
Adults have a little more
ego that we have to deal
with, but it's happening.
Just a tad.
Yeah.
It's awesome that we're
getting that done.
Well from the adult
perspective, I mean,
I guess one could say
that introducing a
youngster into hunting
can ignite a passion and
can point them down a
path for later in life.
But hunting's expensive,
it's a time commitment
and they need to have
other people in their
family or in their
friend group who share
that same interest.
Otherwise the chances
of them continuing
down that path, get
slimmer and slimmer.
Mind you, if you get
an adult who's got more
discretionary means and
the ability to actually
get out and hunt,
from a generating new
hunter's perspective,
I would think without
having looked at the
numbers, but I would just
think that the efforts
into the adults would
pay huge dividends.
It does because one,
they can afford, one
of the big deterrents
that get into hunting
is buying gear.
That's just huge.
I mean a gun, just a
simple gun is going
to cost you, a used
one 250, 300 bucks and
way more if you get a
new one and same with
bows and other things.
So adults usually have
the resources to do
that, where kids may
not ever have that until
they start working.
And their parents may
or may not want to get
that gun and put it
behind the Christmas tree
like my folks did so.
But they do
some of them do.
And some of them
can't afford it.
I mean, a lot of them
just cannot afford to the
gear to get into it so.
It's not cheap.
No.
And the clothing,
just the clothing.
I have two examples
that happened to me
early on, I go pick up
a kid at their house.
They'd walk out, course
in tennis shoes and
holding a Walmart bag
with a Gatorade in it.
And that happened twice
with two different
kids and that was
their hunting pack,
was that Walmart
bag with a Gatorade.
That's all they had.
They didn't
have anything.
So I'm kind of looking
at it, I'm like, well
okay, we're not doing
any major hiking today.
And so getting
gear is a big deal.
Right.
You know, and people
can get really caught
up in the gear thing.
There are some
necessities, there
are some things that
you definitely need
to get out and hunt.
It doesn't have
to be the latest,
greatest name brand
camouflage clothing.
I think more animals
have been taken in blue
jeans and plaid shirts
than any of the latest,
greatest camouflage
out there, but there
are some essentials.
And even those
essentials aren't cheap.
No, they're not, we're
looking at programs of
people donating use gear
and trying to get it out.
But again, that takes the
logistics and we've been
toying with the idea of
how would we pull that
off because there's lots
of stuff in people's
closets that they're
not using anymore, that
somebody could use.
But getting back to
your other topic.
I want to go back to that
about recruiting people
and you know, one of the
key not dynamics, but
the group that we want
to get to is the women.
Because if you can
get a mother, if you
can get a mother into
hunting, well, she's
going to teach her kids.
That's right.
I mean our dad too,
but for sure the women
are, I mean, that's
just seems like we've
been very successful.
If we can get a lady
into hunting that most
of her kids are going
to be hunters as well.
So that becoming
an outdoor woman
or BOW program.
And I've see it's in
a number of States
as well is, is huge.
And then, you know,
my wife went on a BOW
program up here in Canada
and she had a great time.
And, she's part
of a women's fly
fishing group now.
And she came from a
background of wanting to
live in the city to, and
working as a chef at some
high-end restaurants and
that love of cooking.
Naturally went into
gardening and went
into where does
my food come from?
And it led to hunting
and fishing and these
BOW programs, I think
women are the fastest
growing demographic in
all of hunting in the
United States and Canada.
And the secondary thing,
I guess, on that would
be the food aspect.
When you start
introducing like where
the food comes from,
because there's for
a number of years
now, there's been
a, and I forget what
the term was called,
it's not locavore.
It's something like that.
Yes.
Like, yeah, it was
like lacovore or
something like that.
I've heard it as well.
Yeah.
basically where can I
find, and whether it's
foraging for mushrooms
or plants and whatever
it is, or fishing and
all of these things
tend to naturally
lead down to a path of
hunting and learning a
sustainable food source.
I think those are two of
the huge areas that are
being exploited right
now that are introducing
so many people into
the world of funding.
So one of the things
we're working on is
trying to recruit as
many women mentors as
we can, because a lot
of the spouses of the
hunters there, it's
kind of interesting.
They're standing there
at the outdoor show
and of course the
guys talking to us
and the mom hunts too.
And so we're talking
to them, trying to sign
them up and we look at,
always look over and
say, what about you?
And she kind of looked
at us if we need
more women mentors to
especially take out
young girls, they feel
more comfortable a lot
of times with a lady
than they would a crusty
old guy, you know?
And so we're seeking
hard to find good
women mentors, and
we've got a lot.
We've actually got a lot.
So if somebody wants
to be a mentor with
your program, what
do they have to do?
How do they first, I
guess they go to their
website and they,
they read about it.
But what are
the next steps?
Well, yeah the
website has a 'our
programs' component.
You look under our
programs under mentoring,
and there's a mentor
sign up sheet and you
sign up on the web
and it comes back here
to our headquarters
and, which isn't my
loft here in my house.
Yeah.
It started on the
kitchen table.
It's kind of funny.
And then my poor wife
lost her sewing room
and our next step will
be a brick and mortar
building as we grow.
But anyway, you sign up
and yeah, it comes back
and we do a criminal
background check, which
is basic and online
to see if there's any
criminal history there
or anything like that.
And I've had to turn
a few people down, but
and then once you do
that, you're basically
become a mentor.
That's that's our
criteria is, have
you met the state's
responsibilities
to be a hunter?
And then we try to try
to get them hooked up
with some other people
locally and get a chapter
going that's our goal is
to get chapters going.
Cause if you have say
10 people in one area,
then you got one of
them that's a duck
hunter, and one them
that's a bow hunter.
And so according to the
top of skill needed,
you've hopefully got
somebody to shift
it off too, but
that's what it is.
You go to the website,
sign up and it
comes in and we do a
background check on you.
So, and this might be
a complete aside being
a Canadian, I've heard
of these programs.
I think there's one
in Washington, I
believe there's one
in Oregon called a
Master Hunter Program.
Yeah.
Does that include any
level of mentorship
with those programs?
Are you aware of
those programs?
Oh, am I aware of
those programs?
Yes.
Okay.
Fair.
No.
That was great.
Educate me.
Question.
No the Master Hunter
Programs and they do have
one in Washington, they
have one in Montana and
what they do is of course
allow those people to
have some other options
for hunting, draw hunts,
depredation hunt, other
things that they have.
Well, those programs
require some sort
of continuing
education or service.
And so we have made
deals with the state
of Washington and
currently with Montana
that if they sign up
as a mentor with the
First Hunt Foundation,
any of their time
mentoring and helping new
hunters counts as their
continuing education.
So it keeps their status
as a master hunter
doing something that
they love doing anyway.
So it's a great marriage.
That's fantastic.
It's a great marriage
for both of us, for
the States and for
our organization.
Because if I understand
correctly with enough
volunteered time and
efforts into these
programs, these master
hunters are then afforded
a greater land access
or a greater limited
entry hunting access.
Is that, is that
a fair assessment?
Yes, that's.
Am I understanding
that correctly?
As I understand it
because it's not here in
Idaho where I live, but
yeah, there's certain
areas that only master
hunters are allowed
to go, certain draws,
hunts that I think
only master hunters are
allowed to put in for
kind of limited entry
for master hunters.
I think there may be
some depredations kind
of tags that are reserved
for master hunters.
So they get some benefits
out of being a master
hunter and by serving
as a volunteer with
us, it counts toward
their credit hours
that they need to keep
that, they have to keep
that certification up.
They can't just
sign up one time.
They got every year, it
got to do so many hours
to stay a master hunter.
That is fantastic.
Yeah.
It's awesome.
And everything
they do with, yeah.
And then everything they
do with you guys helps
build towards that.
So it's just, win-win
all the way around.
It definitely is.
In fact, in Washington
state, when we met
with those folks, we
had something like
50 or 60 mentors
sign up in a week.
It was crazy.
Woah.
Well, the other
thing, this is what's
interesting is at least
in Washington state,
the master hunters, they
encourage them already to
go out and mentoring, but
the state was concerned
because there was no
liability insurance
provided by the state.
And so by hooking up
with us, they get to
be covered under our
liability insurance,
because we do have
liability insurance
for the mentor.
So if a mentor takes
somebody out and heaven
forbid something happens
and they were to be
sued, then they would
be protected under our
liability coverage.
So Rick, you guys
are in 28 States
growing like crazy.
What's the future hold?
Well, you know, our goal
is of course to be an
all 50 States here in
the US any, any place
that they allow hunting.
Is our goal is to just
get it to be the largest
new hunter mentoring
organization out there.
So when somebody
thinks of mentoring,
they think of First
Hunt Foundation, which
means we do two things.
One is we recruit as
many mentors as we can.
And two is we start
offering programs
and training, which
we're starting to work
on now with events.
And you can't do
that of course 'til
you get organized
with the leaders.
And so you get the
events going where
you have training days
for either new mentees
or mentors and we're
doing that last year.
We did one in Wyoming
where we had 10 new
hunters and 10, I
think mentors go to
the same training.
And at the end of the
week, they actually got
to go hunting antelope.
So they actually got
trained one week or
three, four days.
Wow.
And then went hunting and
harvested an animal, and
then they talked about
processing the animal,
so that's all part of it.
So we want to be kind
of known as the, the
full deal, where we're
providing opportunities
for folks to go
hunting, training
new people, mentors
on how to go hunting
and how to mentor.
And someday have a
certification program
to be a mentor.
I mean, other people
have talked about that.
That would be tough
one to get everybody,
some people don't
want to be certified.
They just, let me take
people out and I'm fine.
And we're okay with
that because it meets
our mission of getting
new hunters out, but
to bring it to the
next level and to get
some highly trained
people that's, would
help everybody I think.
That's our goal.
We've got the first
time out of the way.
What about the
second hunt?
Can people
phone you back?
I mean, do you find
people are just calling
over and over at, Hey,
let's go to another hunt,
let's go on another hunt.
Cause I could see some
people just getting
addicted to it and maybe
not intentionally, but
abusing the process.
Well it, yeah, so that's
kind of a misnomer
when we named it.
First hunt was the
first, giving that first
hunt experience, not
having a first hunt.
And so the first hunt
experience is just
one experience and you
can't train a person
one time, let 'em shoot
an animal and say,
you're done, nevermore.
Right.
I've got one young man
that I've been with for
four years and I still
would go out with him
even though he's a mentor
now and training people.
The real term
of mentoring is
a relationship.
And then their R3
movement, there's a talk
now that we shouldn't be
using the word mentor,
it should be coach,
unless you're going to
really be sticking a
long time with people.
I don't personally
agree with that.
You're mentoring for one
day, you're mentoring
for a lifetime and so.
I agree.
And so that's kind
of where we're at.
So we want it to be a
long-term relationship.
That's the best kind.
And so, yeah, it's
multiple hunts.
The one kid, I took him
on his first deer hunt,
his first elk hunt,
his first bear hunt,
his first duck hunt,
his first coyote hunt.
I mean, there's all
these first hunts and
we give certificates
too, by the way, like
your son, he could have
went online and you
could get a certificate
for the first deer
hunt, mule deer, white
tail, whatever it is.
And then they get a
certificate in the mail.
Unbeknownst to them
that it's coming
kind of a surprise.
Cause the kid gets a big
envelope, missed at a mom
and dad and they open it
up and there's a letter.
Right now I'm able
to write letters,
thanking them.
Get a little information,
I hear you shot your
first deer with your
grandpa's 30-30,
and they're going,
how did this people
know that, you know?
And they get
their certificate.
So it's like, there's
this anti hunter
group out there
saying you're a bad
person for doing this.
There's our group out
there going, no, you're
a great person for
doing this, put the
certificate on the wall
to remember this event
in your life, you know?
And so.
That is fantastic.
So we do that for
anybody, whether we
mentor them or not,
anybody can go to
our website and get
that certificate
and that letter.
And so that's one
of the things we do
I'm kind of proud.
We've said hundreds
and hundreds of those
out, across the nation.
Love to send
some to Canada.
That is fantastic.
I know his graduation
certificate, just the
paperwork he has there.
He says, dad, can
we make a frame and
frame this and put
it up on the wall?
Not a problem,
let's make a frame.
We'll go into the shop,
made something up.
And, but there's
definitely.
I think you're definitely
onto something here,
Rick, this is a
fantastic foundation.
I'm really liking
everything that I'm
learning about it.
Cause I've been
doing some reading
online as well.
Is there anything
that we should be
talking about that we
haven't brought up yet?
Well, we haven't talked
about the negative
side of things, I
guess when you're.
Well, sure.
Well, it's not a big
it's, we're making
it happen regardless,
but it takes money to
make anything happen.
And so if you build a
nonprofit or anything
from the ground up,
it's like building a
company from scratch.
And currently right now
I can say that we are one
of the only organizations
doing as much as we're
doing that has absolutely
no paid staff, including
myself, no one gets paid.
We're all volunteers.
And you know, I'm
putting in 40 to 60
hours a week and I
honestly am doing that.
And I'm okay with that
because I'm retired
and I have an income
from my retirement.
So it takes a lot to
fund an organization
and so our insurance, we
pay for the insurance.
That's a big bill.
We spend $10,000 in
making caps that have our
logo on it to give out
to kids or new hunters.
I mean, we
give them away.
We don't, don't make
a penny on them.
Going to these shows, you
may be three or four or
$5,000 going to a show
to recruit more people,
to take more hunters out.
So there's a
lot of money.
So we're a nonprofit
and you're always out
there with your handout
trying to find grants,
to fund the cause.
We're going to,
we're going to start
a membership here
soon that, there's a
supporting membership.
So folks who believe in
what we're doing, get
become a member of the
First Hunt Foundation
and they'll get a free
knife, which we had.
Was it, 1500 knives
donated by the
Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation, about
$8,000 worth of knives.
So stuff like that,
that we can try to.
So my goal to keep
this sustainable is to
find a funding source,
eventually, that we're
not constantly having
to chase grants down.
And I don't know
what that is yet.
So we're always thinking
outside the box, what
would, you know, sell a
product, something that
would keep, keep the
foundation going, win
the lottery, you know.
Yeah, yeah.
Just keep buying
those lottery tickets.
Yeah.
So I mean, anyway,
that's an issue.
Yeah.
So if somebody wanted
to donate to the First
Hunt Foundation, is
that just done online?
Oh yeah.
And we get some of that.
Yeah.
You can go online and
there's a donate button.
I mean, and we're going
to start some national,
here locally or in the U
S some national raffles.
We're going to try to
get going for some big
items, maybe a high
end hunting rifle or
something like that,
which could generate
some money as well.
And if we wanted to
kind of group think
sustainable revenue
generation, a model
that kind of will keep
revenue coming into the
First Hunt Foundation.
If somebody wanted to
contact you as all that
contact information
on the website?
If someone listened to
this has ideas and say,
you know what you should
do, they can just contact
you through the site?
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
There's a spot on the
site where you can
contact us and call me,
I think probably the
numbers on there as well.
So I'm always open
to those ideas, but.
So, and I tend to kind
of shy away from the
negative side of things.
Like, I know that the
formula for popular
podcasts would be
controversy, but I always
try to impart some sort
of positivity and a
learning message to each
one of these podcasts.
But you know, if we're
talking about some
of the negative here,
are you encountering
any pushback from any
anti hunting groups?
Not yet, but I'm sure
those days will happen.
I mean, my truck has
logos all over it.
So I have to keep
thinking sometimes
when I'm traveling
across the country,
that I'm going to get
egged or something.
Windows smashed or.
Yeah, windows smashed
or something when I
come out of the motel.
But I have people pass
me on the interstate with
a big thumbs up because
on the back of my.
That's good.
Yeah, on the back of my
truck, it literally has
a picture, you can't tell
it's me, leaning over,
whispering to a young
girl who has a rifle.
You can tell at
a shooting range.
And so it's a message
like a here we're
helping kids learn
how to shoot guns.
It's right on the
back of the truck.
And so when people pass
me, a lot of them are
just big thumbs up,
like, Hey, way to go.
Cause I'm sure they're
hunters or outdoors
people, but I suppose
somebody could
drive by and give
me other gestures.
They haven't
done that yet.
Ahh, you got a couple
other digits on the
hand, but no that's.
So we've covered sort of
where you've been, where
you look to be going.
Some of the difficulties
that you've encountered,
which doesn't seem
like you've encountered
really a heck of
a lot of pushback.
Is that a fair
assessment?
That's a fair assessment.
In fact, at least with
the States, everybody
we've talked to is
excited that somebody is
doing what we're doing.
And I think a lot of
nonprofits don't last
very long, you know,
like businesses that last
a year or two, and now
we're going on our sixth
year and lots of numbers
that we're producing.
The COVID, the numbers
will be down for 2020.
We haven't done
that data yet.
And our name recognition
is getting out there.
So I think that's all
going to help and we
teach conservationists,
not just about
killing something.
It's teaching about
the woods and nature.
And I mean, you got
to take advantage
of that time.
You're out there besides
just teaching a hunting
skills, this talk
about conservation.
Let's talk about, cause
hunting is conservation
in the future.
And that, I mean, I
worked as a wildlife
biologist originally
in my career, in the
forest service before I
became a line officer.
And so I was all
about for fish and
game and critters and
so I love teaching
people about nature
and what's out there.
So that's a big
part of it as well.
And so that's the
white hat part.
I mean, I've gotten
hardcore conservation
organizations that
know me and they were
supporting what I'm
doing because they
think it's a good thing.
Well, so many people
equate hunting, so
many non-hunters will
equate hunting with
the actual process of
harvesting the animal.
When that accounts
for less than 1%.
While you're pulling that
trigger, that's your time
harvesting the animal.
All the other time is
the preparation and the
study and is spent with
animal identification and
learning the environment.
And the whole
conservation movement
is just hugely
ingrained into the
hunting perspective.
A lot of people,
non hunters, they
don't see that.
When I look at new
hunters that are looking
to get into hunting,
they're not necessarily
like you or I.
They don't come from the
same sort of backgrounds
as you or I, we might
have some hipster wanting
to get into the hunting
for reasons that are the
idea of sustainability
and finding a local food.
Are you finding any
difficulties in bridging
the gap between some
of the new hunters
and existing hunters?
I don't think so.
I think we're finding
that most of the hunters,
if I understand your
question, that we recruit
are just excited to teach
anybody about hunting.
And so if somebody comes
in with different ideas
or values or backgrounds,
I haven't ran into
anybody that had an
issue with any of the new
hunters coming in, yet.
You know, it's so
exciting to, for
what we're doing.
I've had several
experiences that
stick with me.
I mean, when you've been
hunting, I'm going to be
67 here, probably in a
few weeks and I've hunted
since I was like the
eighth grade for sure.
And so when I go pick up
a kid to go like Turkey
hunting, and you're
going real early in the
morning, and to me, it's
just like another day
to go Turkey hunting,
I'm excited about it.
But the kid looks at
me and says I couldn't
sleep last night, I was
so excited thinking about
this I couldn't sleep.
And it reminds me, it
brings back that flood
of memories of when I
was a kid and I was so
excited to go hunting
and nobody to take me.
And I remember one time
when my dad's uncle's
came and they were
going to go hunting, I
don't know how it was.
It wasn't very old and
they wouldn't take me
because, you know, I
was a kid and the guys
were going to go out
and do their thing.
And I remember crying,
thinking I want it
to be there so bad,
they wouldn't take me.
And so when I heard her
kids say they couldn't
sleep because they were
so excited and they
were so thankful to
have that opportunity.
I know we're doing
the right thing.
I know what we're
doing matter to that
kid, probably for the
rest of their life.
And that just, that's
what keeps us going, man.
That's, you know,
the organizational
stuff sometimes it's
a pain in the butt.
Cause it's that admin,
you gotta make it happen
to make all these 'those
experiences' happen.
And when one of
them happens and you
feel it and see it,
it's just amazing.
I had another one I got
to tell you, it touched
me where I taught this
young boy for years.
The first deer he shot,
it was raining and
getting dark so I field
dressed his animal.
I said, we got
to get this done.
It's raining, just hold
the light, I'll get it
down and got it done.
The next year.
I took him out again to
have another experience.
He shot us his first deer
or second deer and it was
daylight and I said, Oh,
good, you get to do it.
So talked him through it.
He did all that, I
didn't touch anything.
And the next day
he called me that
night and he says, my
grandfather is excited
about me hunting and
he's never hunted.
Would you take
him hunting?
And I knew him and
his grandfather
fish, I said, sure.
So about two days later
I took him and just
grandfather out hunting,
he'd never hunted
before, he shot before.
And so he shot this
little buck, a little
spike buck, and we
walked over and I was
just about to go through
the process of teaching
him how to do that.
And I looked
over to Jordan.
Jordan was our
number one mentor,
mentee, number one.
And I said, Jordan,
teach your grandfather
how to do this.
And I stood there and
watched the grandson
teach his grandfather how
to field dress a deer.
It just like
blew me away.
It's like, it's not
passing it forward,
it's passing it
back or something.
I'm not sure what it is.
So.
That's just fantastic.
I know!
And I'll never
forget that and they
didn't forget it.
And they started putting
in for hunts and going
hunting together.
And I created two hunters
by creating one and it
was just, it was amazing.
Man Rick, I really,
really enjoy
speaking with you.
I really enjoy your
passion for hunting,
for bringing this into
other people's lives.
It's contagious,
It is.
I tell you that much.
Thank you very much
for taking the time to.
Talk with me on this
Silvercore Podcast.
Well, thanks Travis.
I appreciated
the opportunity.