The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) Outdoor Education Program offers several species-specific youth educational hunting workshops designed to offer youth continuing skill sets needed to successfully go afield and engage in successful hunting endeavors. In 2004, the Outdoor Education Program designed a template for these youth hunting workshops enabling staff and volunteers a simple plan to follow for planning and managing youth hunting workshops. DGIF youth educational hunting workshops promote: youth the opportunity to develop and hone skills related to hunting; ethics relating to the principles of fair chase, and stewardship; habitat, ecology, and game biology education; marksmanship and range safety; and game laws review and an opportunity to meet and question a Virginia game warden. This session gave an overview of conducting youth educational hunting workshops, selecting instructors/volunteers, conducting site evaluations, setting up and planning workshops, and cultivating missional partner organizations. Also included was a discussion of curriculum and the importance of lesson plans for youth educational hunting workshops.
