Maine’s Authentic “Sporting Heritage,” Recruiting New Outdoorsmen
OutdoorHub 07.23.12
Remember the first time as a kid when you went target shooting, hunting, fishing or boating with your family? The woods were alive, the fish were jumping, and there were so many things to see and learn.
You probably have vivid memories outdoors with your dad, uncle or brother — even more vivid than how many targets you hit, the wildlife you saw or the fish you caught, and certainly more vivid than the last TV show you watched.
Have you ever shared those outdoor experiences with your spouse, kids, or friends? Have you shown them all the joys that the Maine outdoors can offer — Joys that make up Maine’s “Sporting Heritage?”
“We created the Sporting Camp ‘First Steps Outdoors’ program so people can share their first steps into Maine’s sporting traditions and create lifetime memories together,” says John Rust, president of the Maine Sporting Camp Heritage Foundation. “Sporting camps make ideal places to share these experiences with others. After all, that is what sporting camps have been doing for over 150 years!”
Studies about outdoor recreation by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and others have shown that the support and involvement of family and friends contributes a major part of the satisfaction people enjoy from outdoor activities, and are especially important for traditional activities like hunting and fishing.
The program makes it easy to do just that. The “First Steps” theme includes expert introductory instruction in firearms safety, fly fishing, motor boating, wildlife, conservation, woods-craft and others. Everyone gets to take their “First Steps” at shooting a rifle, handgun and shotgun, casting a fly, running a motorboat and maybe even seeing a moose up close.
Where & When — August 3-5
The next “First Steps Outdoors” program will be held during a two night stay at Tim Pond Camps, beginning on Friday August 3 and ending Sunday August 5. Tim Pond Camps is a 150 year old sporting camp located just north of Sugarloaf Ski Area, slightly over two hour?s drive from Portland.
Children, couples and single adults are all welcome. The instructional program is free. Lodging in private cabins with all meals and use of boats is $342 per adult. Special children?s rates are $171 for ages 5 to 15, but free for one child age 5 to 9 per each adult; all children age 4 and under are free. Pets are $10 per visit. Reservations and a 50% deposit are required, as space is limited. Private cabins sleep from 2 to 6 persons, and each has a full bath. State sales tax and gratuities are extra.
