You're never too old to learn a new skill. That's something I absolutely abide by. Yes, it may be harder to comprehend or to internalize, but humans—no matter your age—are capable of learning new things. It's why I took up hunting at age 36.
Most folks who hunt grew up hunting with their parents or grandparents these days. But those people are quickly dwindling. And it's become rarer for new hunters to enter the field. At least, it was until the pandemic hit a few years ago. Folks wanted to get outside, get into the field, source their own food, and be more reliant on themselves versus the institutions and systems that were shown to have weaknesses. But to get into the field, they were presented with a steep learning curve, as hunting is hard.
That's putting it mildly, to be honest. Hunting, and being successful, is hard AF. As I can attest.
YouTube University can only get you so far. It can teach you the basics—how to setup a bow or rifle, which backpack is the most durable, the basics of using something like onX to e-scout, how to bugle, etc, etc—but you lack the practical and hard-worn knowledge that would've been passed down from prior generations. That means you make mistakes. A lot of them. And a lot of mistakes, or a lot of blunders, can mean the difference between success and failure, as well as getting too bummed out and leaving the hunting world behind.
That's why Greg Ray of Outdoor Solutions built his company. That's why he started the Built to Hunt Summit—the first in a new series of classes—where he takes young and old new hunters, or those who've never been in the field, and teaches them the basics of what hunting is to get them on the right track of being successful.
And I'm going to the Summit, and you should come with.
"It can be very intimidating, especially out West," Ray tells me. Ray and I recently met up at the Western Hunt Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah, where we spent about an hour chatting about my trials and tribulations—along with success—of my hunting journey. We talked at length about how that learning curve is steep and a true barrier to entry when you don't have a parent or grandparent teaching you the ropes. Ray added, "During the Built to Hunt Summit, you will have the opportunity to receive decades of knowledge from industry experts. It's the perfect way to jump start your hunting experience."
Despite me hunting quite a bit over the last two years—this will be my third year—I've only been successful in harvesting two animals. And the first nearly went poorly. That's to say, I still don't know a lot about what I don't know a lot about. Ray tells me folks should be ready, "To be immersed in outdoor hunting information. This is NOT a "relaxing weekend." You will be jumping from seminar to seminar, each one with nuggets of information for you to take home."
There's decades-worth of experience will be on display with Outdoor Solutions' Built to Hunt Summit, where we'll be taught about e-scouting, navigating through the backcountry—both by UTV and on foot—how to apply and draw tags with the help of Huntin' Fool, rifle selection and shot placement, wild game processing and cooking, survival techniques—cause things can go wrong in a hurry—and just getting out there, having fun, and being successful.
Over the last two decades, Outdoor Solutions has trained thousands of new and would-be hunters, as well as experienced hunters who want to get better in all aspects of hunting.
The Summit's inaugural class will be a 4-day session held in Preston, Idaho. Participants will be able to camp or snag a cabin, and all their meals will be provided. You can bring your own rifle—here's my tease that I have something special in the works on that front—and you'll want to bring your own backpack, along with ear and eye protection. Rifles, however, will be provided for those who don't have one or want to try out Outdoor Solutions' array of firearms to see which feels the best to them.
I need them to start a bow class, too.
"This summit is for anyone passionate about the outdoors and looking to enhance their skillset in hunting and backcountry exploration," says the company, adding, "If you’ve ever dreamed of mastering the mountains, perfecting your shot, or learning the art of field dressing and cooking wild game, this event is for you. Whether you're a beginner or a veteran, you’ll leave with invaluable insights and a renewed confidence for your next adventure."
Honestly, I'm stoked about going to this. Again, you're never too old to learn a new skill, or get better at one you've already attained. The class will set you back $1,950, which isn't bad considering the cost of most academic classes these days. Plus, you get out into the field and learn from the experts.
I'm personally going into this with a note pad and pen, along with the understanding that I, like Jon Snow, know nothing. But I will at the end of this.
