Editor’s Note: We’re joining 10 children and 10 adults for our year-long Rookie Sportsperson Program in Colorado Springs. Launched in 2015, this program offers mentorship and outdoor skill-building to novices, aiming to kindle a passion for responsible use of Colorado’s outdoor recreation opportunities. This is a regular monthly column from Colorado Parks and Wildlife designed to show how to become an outdoor enthusiast such as a hunter, angler, camper, hiker or wildlife watcher.
While most kids relish the chance to sleep in on weekends, 8-year-old Beck’s excitement was high as he described his weekend adventure: a two-day, 16-hour hunter education class.
Or, as he described it: “the best experience of my life!”
The class kicked off on a brisk Saturday morning, with a mix of sleepy-eyed children and lively adults filling the classroom at Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Southeast Region headquarters in Colorado Springs.
However, Officer Sarah Watson’s introduction of her stuffed raccoon, Marshall, during an ice breaker game instantly sparked the children’s curiosity.
Their favorite part? Sharing tales of their beloved animals, from majestic moose to soaring raptors. This led to spirited conversations with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers, who eagerly answered the children’s questions and explained that the taxidermy displays in the classroom were crafted from real animals harvested by hunters.
This class marked just the beginning of a year-long journey for 10 children and 10 adults selected for the 2024 Rookie Sportsperson Program (RSP) in Colorado Springs. Launched in 2015, RSP offers mentorship and outdoor skill-building to novices, aiming to kindle a passion for responsible use of Colorado’s outdoor recreation opportunities.
RSP participants, including myself—a self-proclaimed “educated novice” despite my eight-year CPW tenure—will embark on a diverse array of activities guided by knowledgeable CPW wildlife officers. Starting with hunter-education training and eventually covering firearms handling, small and big game hunting, fly fishing, basic camping, backpacking, field dressing and meat processing, the program promises hands-on learning opportunities and adventures.
“I found out about this program from a previous applicant through a social media post,” said Glynnis Goldstein, mother of three and RSP participant. “I am looking forward to, as a mother, to be a positive contributor to conservation and overall safety and love the attention to detail with the instructors, the officers. In terms of my family, I am hoping to help raise my sons in a very positive and ethical hunter environment.”
Following introductions and a discussion on hunters’ roles in wildlife management, the class went outside and dove into the interactive game “Oh Deer.” This simulation had the class play the roles of deer, resource, and hunter to underscore crucial survival factors for animals such as food, water, shelter, space, disease, predation, climatic conditions, pollution, hunting, poaching, habitat destruction and accidents while igniting enthusiasm among participants.
Back inside, Officer Ben Meier led a wildlife identification game, revealing the children’s impressive knowledge and engagement. We delved into the ethical responsibilities of hunters, emphasizing the irreversible nature of hunting decisions. Be sure of your target when you take a shot because you can’t take it back.
Next came firearm safety, a paramount lesson facilitated by Officer Tyson Floersheim, whose memorable instruction—”keep your booger hook off the bang switch!”—drew laughs while reinforcing crucial safety protocols.
Day two commenced with a review before delving into alternative hunting methods, outdoor preparedness, small game hunting and hunting ethics. The highlight? Shooting qualifications at CPW’s range, where 14-year-old Chris earned admiration from the officers with some of the most accurate shooting they had seen in a Hunter Education class.
Beck’s joy was echoed throughout the class as we wrapped up the course and everyone passed the Hunter Education test. For Beck’s mother, Glynnis, his enthusiasm signaled a promising start to his hunting journey.
“To hear from Beck that this has been one of the best experiences is amazing. My three boys are very active and it’s a lot to have an 8-year-old sit through a two-day course all day long on the weekend. For him to comment that this is the best experience makes me very hopeful and proud of where he is going as he starts his hunting journey. I am excited to see all of my boys develop more as responsible hunters through this program.”
As the group gears up for their first hunting opportunity, the spring turkey season, Officer Berscheid looks ahead to teaching essential skills like calls, blinds, decoys and shotgun use.
Stay tuned for the next chapter of our “Adventures in the Rookie Sportsperson Program.”
Joey Livingston is a public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Denver. Joey has lived in Colorado for 9 years and loves the outdoors. If you have a question, please email him at joseph.livingston@state.co.us
