The following is a list of planning tips that will help ensure your event is a success:
Keep it fun and always remember the event is about the Apprentices and their success
Even with a larger land base to hold your event, it is okay to start small until it is ready to grow naturally.
Consider different land bases to hold your event including public land, private land and game hunting preserves.
Consider flushing dogs or pointers for the kids to hunt over.
Although education is a big component of your event, never loose sight that it is also about hunting. Therefore, make sure Apprentices and their Mentors have their hunting licence and Apprenticeship Card.
Involve local businesses and conservation organizations in your event or a sponsoring role.
Commit to an annual review so you can celebrate your successes and develop recommendations to improve your event the following year.
Make sure all your volunteers are prepared for their roles in advance of the event.
Have a couple of volunteers ready to be mentors just in case one of the kids doesn’t have one on the event day.
The dog handlers and field Marshals are the most important to the safety of your event.
Have an emergency plan in place should there be any injuries.
Incorporate different activities to help strengthen the learning experience for the Apprentices and Mentors such as field dressing, silhouette identification, judging distances, retriever demonstrations, wildlife demonstrations etc.
