Young Lions

Both the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) have tried to come up with ways to attract young people to fishing and hunting. The commissions have developed numerous youth sporting days to give young people extra chances to enjoy fishing and hunting. Of these, I think the Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day has been the most successful.

Though these mentored days provide young people with enjoyable outdoor experiences, it is unlikely that they draw many youth to fishing and hunting who would not later become sportsmen anyhow.

Having said that, I am encouraged when I see the youth who are drawn to the outdoors. Perhaps there are not as many young people joining the ranks of fishermen and hunters as there once were, but the "young lions" I am aware of are enthusiastic about the outdoors.

In my local church, there are a couple of young people who are outdoor enthusiasts. One young man enjoys a variety of outdoor activities. Justin Brubaker is a successful deer hunter. He has harvested wild turkeys by calling them in. He once asked me if I'd show him how to cast using a fly rod, and a couple years ago I took him out one evening and gave him a few pointers. That was all it took. He has developed into an enthusiastic fly-fisherman and has learned to tie his own flies from watching various videos online and on television. He sometimes procures his own materials, which upsets his mom when she finds a carcass "curing" in a family room. Justin is a true sportsman. On the first day of trout season, he and a friend landed two trophy trout, fish that any sportsman would be proud to catch. They released both fish, one being a 23-inch brown trout.

Another "young lion" is really a lioness. At 15, Kara Lansberry has harvested several deer while bowhunting. In addition, she tagged a terrific gobbler last spring. On this year's Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day, she landed a 20-inch golden rainbow trout.

During an "Emmanuels" session at a recent church service, one of our church members suggested that I needed to take fishing lessons from Justin and Kara. I probably should.

These two young lions are well-rounded teens. Justin was a starting lineman on the varsity football team as a sophomore, and Kara is a starter on this year's softball team as well as being an active 4-H member.

With young people like Justin and Kara entering the sporting ranks, things look promising for the future.