New hunter mentor program allows new hunters of any age, young or old, to learn about upland bird hunting from mentors.
Kane Pa.: The Allegheny Chapter (Kane) of the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) has completed their new hunter training for 2019. The New Hunter Mentor Program (NHMP) allows new hunters of any age, young or old, to learn about upland bird hunting from mentors. During a day in the spring and a day in the fall, all attendees learn about shooting, habitat and GPS, bird dog care, and then graduate to an actual hunt for birds with dogs. Experienced grouse and woodcock hunters mentored the graduates for the actual hunt.
Attendees of the RGS NHMP in 2109 were Chuck Venard of St. Marys, Garrett Balon of Ridgway, Logan Mooney of Brockway, Mark Palmer of Brockport, Nate Holt, and MacKenzie Mooney of Brockway.
Instructors for 2019 were Rich Elliott of Brockport, Emily Thomas of DuBois, Jonathan Wirth of Port Matilda, John Bilodeau of St.Marys, Jared Shaffer of St. Marys, Dr. Linda Ordiway of Bradford, and Christine Haibach of Wattsburg.
This training is for all ages of hunters – the only requirement is to have the desire to learn to hunt upland birds. Each enrollee gets one-on-one training through this New Hunter Mentor Program (NHMP) of the RGS. Anyone wishing to enroll in this program for next year should contact Rich Elliott, crawld11@gmail.com, or Christine Haibach, christine_haibach@hotmail.com.
The NHMP takes ten enrollees each year. Six enrollees have already signed up for next year, 2020, so if you have the interest, call now and reserve one of the four slots left. The dates for next year are Saturday, 4/25, and Sunday, 9/20. The NHMP run by the Allegheny Chapter of the RGS is the only NHMP in Pennsylvania.
Anyone wishing to make a donation to help support this New Hunter Mentor Program should contact Christine Haibach, christine_haibach@hotmail.com.
The RGS New Hunter Mentor Program thanks the donors that have supported this program to date:
- John and Bonnie Orr, clay pigeons – McKean County;
- Mary Hosmer, hand traps – Elk County;
- Bill and Missy Mooney, lunches for the enrollees – Clearfield County;
- Inside Out Finishing, financial contribution – Erie County; and
- McKean County E-Sales, financial contribution – McKean County.
The Ruffed Grouse Society was founded in 1961 to promote and increase awareness of forest management and to maintain suitable habitat that supports healthy populations of ruffed grouse, woodcock, deer and many songbird species that depend on forest diversity to survive and prosper.
