Foreword: I don't usually preface Field
Evaluations but I
have to here. Our sport and our kids are under a constant avalanche of
anti
hunting rhetoric from the media, teachers, friends and a wide
assortment of
other ill-informed people. This book is a huge step in the right
direction to
capture a young child’s attention and to teach them the good things
about
hunting and building a bond with a father, or brother, or uncle. It
also has
some subtle lessons along the way about the ethics of hunting and the
responsibilities that go with it. The cost is
minimal yet the rewards are incalculable. You can spend twice as much
on a new
Arrow Rest, video game or a lunch for two at some burger place but if
you have
a child under 12 in your family there will be no better spent dollars
than
buying and sharing this book. Conner’s Big Hunt is about us. Share it
with the children in your life. You can’t give a better gift this year.Rich Walton
CONNER'S BIG HUNT:
a book review by Dave Conrad
This year I had the thrill of taking both my young ones
hunting.My soon to be six year old made
an early season trek with me.It was a
great experience as he sat in the treestand with a backpack full of markers and
a notepad.He would draw pictures of
animals he saw which passed the time as we waited for the evening deer movement
to unfold.In early December a unique warm
spell found me and my four year old daughter sharing the same treestand.We watched as birds would perch close to us
in the tree and she was very inquisitive as to the different sounds we heard.A couple of noisy neighbors on ATVs cut our
hunt short, but it wasn’t before we tried to put a stalk on two mature
does.The memory of my daughter
struggling behind me in coveralls, her brothers, a couple sizes too big will
always bring a smile to my face.
These precious memories will last a lifetime and they came
back to me just last week as I shared a book with both of them called “Conner’s
Big Hunt” by Shawn Meyer.Jacob and
Rachel both could relate to the story as numerous times I had to place that
familiar hand on their shoulder to remind them to be still.Just like Conner I could sense the excitement
build and see it in my sons face as we had a very close encounter with a doe as
she came directly below our treestand.He whispered to me as she was walking off,” Are you gonna shoot her
Daddy?”After a short silence he
reaffirmed himself saying, “Oh yea I forgot you are after a buck with big
horns!”The book was as though I wrote
it myself as the author goes into details that mirror every child’s first hunt.
Conners Big Hunt is a must for all youngsters to listen to
or to read themselves.My now six year old
even helps me read it as he begins to recognizes words.He is beginning the wonderful journey of
reading and this book is a great one to help on that road.
Both my children enjoyed the challenge of finding the hidden
birds or other animals throughout the book.Conner’s Big Hunt is an adventure within a story, a seemingly true to
life story about a hunter’s role in the woods.Not only is it about the skill and woodsmanship but the importance of
passing the heritage on to our future hunters.Too many kids today think an adventure begins with the unwrapping of a
new video game.Our roles as parents are
to have them explore nature while at the same time take on the responsibility
associated with the pleasures in life.
This book does an awesome job of relationship between a
hunter and land owner.Yes sometimes we
are rewarded but it is more than that.It is teaching the gift of doing what is right and taking on
responsibilities like portrayed in mending the landowner’s fence.
This book truly was written by a bowhunter for
bowhunters.I applaud Shawn’s effort in
bringing the realism off the pages.The
detailed descriptions bring out the memories of past hunts that I have been
on.The dew on the grass reminds me of
several hunts to a favorite stand where the tall grass would also soak my pants
above the bootline.The illustrations
are excellent and keep both my little ones turning back and forth between pages
to make sure they didn’t miss anything.
I look forward to what I understand will be a series of
books on hunting from Shawn.There is
also a web site www.huntwithakid.com
where discussion questions can be downloaded.I rate this book a true 10 in all categories as I do the author.I spent an enjoyable few minutes with Shawn
on the phone.A conversation, although
short, told me we both shared the same feelings about the importance our
children play in the future of hunting and the times we share afield.
