Teen Hunters In The Field: Kinley And Josiah Share Their Stories

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A 13-year-old sits in a stand for six hours, her phone dead, nerves climbing, and then a black bear finally steps out. A senior in high school buys a deer tag just days before late buck season, practices with a 12 gauge slug, and ends up doing the whole hunt and the entire breakdown himself. Those are the kinds of first-year big game hunting stories you do not forget, and they are exactly what we dig into with teen hunters Kinley and Josiah.

We talk about what pushes a young person to start hunting, from family influence to friends who keep saying “you’ve got deer in your yard, you have to try.” Kinley walks through the full black bear hunt near the beach, from the fear and blanking-out moment to recovery, tagging, photos, and skinning in the dark. Along the way, we hit a critical reminder for youth hunting and tree stand safety: wear a safety harness and make coming home the priority.

Then Josiah breaks down his DIY approach to deer hunting: scouting a clear “highway” trail, choosing a spot with enough visibility, confirming an ethical range, and handling the emotional weight of the shot. We also get real about the social side of hunting. What do you say when friends claim you “murdered an animal”? We lay out the ethics of fair chase, clean kills, respect for the animal, and why taking responsibility for your own meat hits different than buying it wrapped in plastic.

If you care about teen hunting, hunter safety, ethical hunting, black bear hunting, blacktail deer hunting, and raising confident new hunters, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a parent or new hunter, leave a review, and tell us: what was the hardest part of your first big game season?

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