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What is the Purpose and History of Youth Field Day?

The purpose of Youth Field Day is to introduce youth ages 9 to 15 years to outdoor sports; such as canoeing, fishing, archery, trapping and hunting. Youth Field Day will provide opportunities for the youth to be exposed to these outdoor sports through closely supervised hands-on activities. Youth Field Day is produced by volunteers from local sportsmen’s groups in association with the PA Game Commission and the PA Fish and Boat Commission. The event is TOTALLY FREE for all participants.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission have been concerned for some time with the shrinking number of youth hunters and fishers. They have spent a great deal of time talking about this problem with sportsmen and conservation personnel.

Many youths today are not exposed to the traditions, which are so much a part of hunting and fishing. This is in part due to the conditions in highly urbanized areas where there are limited opportunities to engage in these activities.

History

Growing out of this concern, a concept was developed to introduce the youth of Pennsylvania to the rewards that hunting, fishing, boating and other related activities can offer. It was dubbed “Youth Field Day”. Area sportsmen’s groups would work together with the Game and Fish & Boat Commissions to provide a one-day event in each county of Pennsylvania where the youth could participate in “hands-on” demonstrations of these activities. It was hoped that providing this opportunity would spark an interest in shooting, hunting and fishing and create an environment for our youth to explore these areas of interest.

This experience began in 1991 in Venango County and the feedback from the youth, parents and volunteers was both immediate and positive. As a result, “Youth Field Days” are now held in every county on an annual basis. Montgomery County began holding “Youth Field Days” in 1997. Through the efforts of hundreds of unpaid volunteers, the future sportsmen and sportswomen of Pennsylvania are being developed and Pennsylvania’s rich outdoor heritage is being preserved.

Only youths age 9 to 15 may participate in the activities of the day, but an adult must accompany all youth participants (an adult may accompany up to 3 youths). Both adults and youth participants must be pre-registered via written application. Participation is limited to 200 youths.

The Day

The event will be held rain or shine. On the day of the event, participants should arrive at 7:30 AM to be registered and assigned to one of eight activity groups. Each youth will receive a Youth Field Day T-shirt to commemorate the day.

The day is free! There will be no charges for any activity, food, beverage or registration. There are no fees associated with the program. Funds for the program are raised through a variety of means. Raffle tickets for wildlife art prints and other raffles are sold at the participating sportsmen's clubs and on the day of the event. Winning raffle tickets are drawn on the day of the event. The winner need not be present to win. Donations are also raised from sportsmen's foundations such as the NRA, NWTF, etc.

Local businesses also participate in funding the event. Donations of cash and/or goods and services are given. The T-shirts that the youths receive carry logos from local businesses and organizations that sponsor the event.

After a brief opening ceremony, each group will be dispatched to one of the eight Youth Field Day activities. The activities are: .22 Rifle Target Shooting, Trap Shooting (Shotgun), Blackpowder Rifle Shooting, Archery, Fishing, Canoeing, a Furbearer Trapping Demonstration and Wilderness Survival.

The Youth Field Day Committee will supply all equipment. This includes all fishing gear, personal flotation devices, bows and arrows, targets, firearms and ammunition. No Personal Firearms are to be brought onto the grounds! For safety reasons, no reckless or careless conduct will be tolerated. Our goal is to have fun safely while participating in the outdoor experience.

As the day progresses, each group will rotate through each of the eight activities. Each activity will have its own staff to welcome and orient the youth to the activity. Participation in any activity is optional, however youths are encouraged to participate and enjoy the day.

Around noon, lunch will be served to all participants (youths and adults). During the lunch break the participants may view exhibits by the PA Game Commission and PA Fish and Boat Commission, watch hunting dogs work, build bluebird boxes and more.

At the end of the day, each youth participant will receive a certificate of completion. The day will conclude at approximately 4:30 PM.