Teaching the grandkids about enjoying our outdoor heritage

[akcabin]

I get to hang out with the grandkids a lot. Teaching them about hunting, fishing, trapping, shooting sports, foraging, plants. The outdoors. Even just starting a campfire. It's easier because our kids always enjoy the bush.
It's winter here now. Getting ready to take grandkids out ice fishing. Easier than dealing with 3 fishing poles in a canoe. I'll build them a nice sledding hill. We have family burns. Having the kids gathering firewood is the campfire is great.
I've got half a dozen snogos ready to go so we can go riding. I spent a lot of hard hours hauling freight so we could build a cabin. I'm hoping to have the whole family out there for a Christmas party. There's hundreds of miles of trails to ride. But I kinda like to just cut off n go. You can ride and not have to see anyone else. I like to scout out tracks for trapping or mostly just fun. Target shooting off the front porch. Go have the kids go chop down a small tree and decorate with popcornn cranberries. And homemade decorations. Ol school
We're blessed to be able to walk out the door n go. Jump on a snogo n ride. Or wheeler in the non frozen months. Biggest worry around here is the moose that are hanging out for the winter. But being able to have them learn about moose watching them in the yard and me being me. Teaching them how to do moose calls. Grandson could do a great cow in heat call before he could talk. And they all have lots of opportunities to go out hunting or camping or fishing or picking berries n foraging. Archery n safe knife skills.
I'm a very proud Papa so I could go on for a bit. Just wanted to mention how important it is to teach our next generations about our outdoor heritage. And how to be comfortable out in the bush. I've been blessed to be able to live where we do. Bought this land 45 years ago and built our family. We worked together and were able to build our cabin out in the middle of nowhere Alaska. Foothills of Mt McKinley. And surrounded by mountains.
I enjoy being out in the bush more than just about anything else besides family. Year round. And it's important to me that our next generations learn about the things that matter so much to me. I'm a promoter of take one make one. Kids don't grow up being exposed to being out. Like life when I was a kid.
Got any stories to share about teaching our youth about the things you enjoy ?

 

[survivalistd]

Excellent job right there. I'm in Southern California and alot of my sons friends have never been camping, fishing, shooting etc. We have 5 acres Offgrid east o Yosemite. As they were growing up I always encouraged them to invite them to learn and experience the great outdoors. This was when they were in high-school. My parents where always there. My dad bought the property 45 years ago.

 

[Customweld]

That's pretty dang cool! Help them youngsters carry on in the outdoors!!

 

[TaperPin]

This is wonderful reminder to encourage each generation, even those we barely have any interaction with. Today many kids don’t know how to start hobbies, let alone outdoor ones. Learning how to learn is a skill in itself. I was lucky that had I been interested in some quaint esoteric thing, ma would make it happen. Dad was wrapped up with his world and only helped if it was something he liked, but ma would help figure out anything that sounded interesting to me and was a healthy thing for a kid to do.

When a kid shows interest in something I’d much rather spend time and money helping dig deeper into that than just being an old guy adding a new video game to their pile of games at Christmas. There is a specific type of fly fishing that I have never tried and don’t really care to, but I’ve helped a kid get geared up, talk to the right people and his first time out hit the ball out of the park. More importantly he learned how to go about figuring out something new.

I’m also the family rental store if someone needs to borrow anything. A loaner 243 is always ready to go with a box of ammo. If someone is interested in a specific caliber, I have a pretty good selection a barrels for the switch barrel gun.

Camping and backpacking gear is hard for kids to come up with who aren’t in camping families. It doesn’t take hardly any time out of my day and can be the difference between a kid going outdoors with their friends or not.

I’ve never met a kid who enjoys the outdoors that doesn’t think learning the 10 essentials and putting together their own survival pack isn’t cool. Learning woodcraft is like teaching young kids to swim, or defensive driving for teenagers.

Every year a kid will surprise me with something they learned that I knew at the time went in one ear and out the other. The what and how we support kids has a big impact on what and how they will support kids in the next generation.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I have introduced the my daughter, her friends, and our grand children to outdoor sports, from camping, fishing, salt and fresh water, hiking and hunting. They have really taken to it and very much enjoy it all. They mostly enjoy camping next to a running river filled with fish and sitting around a nice camp fire on a chilly night. I have gotten much enjoyment watching them learn about the outdoor activities and, at times show me a thing or two. They have thanked me many times for showing them what a great experience the outdoors has to offer.