Yesterday I dropped my kids off at the AHEIA camp at Alford Lake, West of Caroline. In 6 days they will get trained in Hunter Ed and Firearms Safety. Also they will receive the International Bowhunters Certificate (whatever that may be).

The kids sleep in 12 basic cabins (walls, bunkbeds, electricity), 6 per cabin, and they have a larger training room with some mounts and rugs of Alberta's big game. Plenty of outdoor space to fool around in.

I ran into Calgarychef, who will be teaching two modules today.

Also ran into a big storm, that made us pull over in Cremona for a little while.

Frans

Frans

When you go to pick the kids up from the camp.

You should stop at the store at the clearwater river and highway 22. If it is still going.

They use to have the biggest/best ice cream cones.

Always a nice treat, I usually made it a point to stop everytime I was through that area.

Sid

quote:

Also they will receive the International Bowhunters Certificate (whatever that may be).

IBEP.. Int'l Bowhunting Education Program. ts a good course. Many bowhunting organizations would like to see it made mandatory for all prospective bowhunters.

See here.

Sounds like a great week for the kids. I will second the recommendation of the ice cream stand. Stopped there a few times on my MANY trips up Hwy 22.

Cheers,
Canuck

As it happens we had some time to kill after registering, and all four of us went had us a cone of icecream from aforementioned establishment.

On their walls were roe buck antlers, unusual for an Alberta rural shop. I asked, and got the explanation the owner is from Switzerland, and he brought the trophies with him.

I sure hope they are having fun. If not, I'll be the dad who sent them to 'that boring camp'.

Frans

The problem with the ice cream is that it is getting so popular, that they keep raising the price. Another worthy stop is Caroline Supplies. Besides Reg's collection of trophies, it's probably the best equipped outdoors store away from the big cities. you need it, they probably got it.
Grizz

I just got home. I had a lot of fun trying to make a blood trail that was hard enough to keep the kids in the bush for the mandatory 2.5 hours. Note to self-next time less blood on the ground and the trees, less blood period. I had a lot of fun and everyone should volunteer sometimes to help these kind of camps. Frans' kids were some of the better behaved ones there. His daughter hates mosquitoes more than I do if that's possible. And his son is way more intelligent than the average kid I run into. Frans tell him to look for more sign and quit thinking so much!!!

the chef

Thanks for the compliments on the kids, chef.
I think I'm in trouble though. We got some feedback by phone from my daughter, and the classrooms sessions were described as very boring. There is almost no free time, and the rules, strictly enforced by the guy who runs the camp, were experienced as rather childish. Summarized, it was "worse than school".

I fear I will have several days of reproaches from the two of them ahead of me. I can only hope that as the week progresses things become more hands-on, and less strict.

Frans

quote:

Originally posted by Frans Diepstraten:
I fear I will have several days of reproaches from the two of them ahead of me.
Frans

My Dad had several different old home remedies for that....and they always involved some form of back-breaking physical labour. Despite being generally well behaved and mature and intelligent beyond my years as a kid, I was usually far too tired to reproach him on anything I disagreed with. And I thought I was the smart one.

Cheers,
Canuck

Frans it is hands on, but the group has to be kept in line or everyone suffers. There are a couple kids there that would eat your kids alive for breakfast!! The seemingly strict rules keep everyone in line in order that all the kids can participate, not just the ones who would be the bullies.

It only seems like no free time to a kid, I think there was about 3 hours yesterday. I could only imagine more free time and the chaos that would ensue. The 1 1/2 hours they had last night was spent by many on the dock trying to catch fish. I spent the time tying on new hooks, untangling rods, unsnagging hooks etc. Finally it was too much and something had to give-one little dude pushed the other dude off the dock. Trying not to laugh I brought them both to Len the camp "boss." I said well I dunno if he's ok with this or not but we better let him know what happened. I wished the perpretrator luck as I walked back to the dock. Len was not ok with it as I thought . I'd rather let him be the bad guy and they worked everything out.

From an adults perspective I don't think the rules are childish and they are very few.

-Treat the place with respect
-Respect others,bullying isn't tolerated- period.
-Others property isn't to be touched.
-And when the adults are talking during class time the kids are to be quiet-that old personal respect thingy.
-Adults have to be present if the kids want to: be on the dock, start fires/chop wood, or go for and extended walk

Seems even better than school where the kids are allowed to do anything they want with no reprecussions. The ultimate threat is to send the kids home and it seems they don't mind using the threat at all with the "bad ones" I remember how we used to behave in camp when I was younger and I'd much prefer to see my kids under these rules.

I still giggle a little thinking about the kid flying off the dock though!!

Chef,

I'm not debating the necessity of rules, sometimes I wonder how kids learn ANYTHING in school. However, it is a pitty that the kids that know how to deal with freedom themselves, who are keen to learn without added pressure, have to be restricted that way.

By the way, don't be fooled by my daughter's meagre frame. Few kids would "eat her for breakfast"!

Frans

I agree totally, but a lot of kids don't have rules at home and therefore have to be strictly controled in these situations-because they don't know how to behave on their own. You and I seem to raise our kids in a similar fashion, well behaved kids pay the price for poorly behaved ones. It's just like the rest of society.

Hot news from Hunter Ed camp:

Both my darlings passed the Firearms Safety Test, with decent marks too.

Word is there is some rebellion growing amongst the three participating girls about the anticipated overnighter in self-constructed 'survival' shelters.

Can't wait to see what happens there!

Frans

Frans I suppose you've picked up the mosquito infested little buggers by now. What's their opinion? I'm going out again tomorrow to help with the next batch of victem er...um kids. Your son really had an interest in wild plants, I wish I had more time to spend with him on that one. He reminds me of myself at that age, going around tasting every plant around.

They're back, everybody passed all exams, 60 more potential hunters!

I think most kids were happy to leave. Even though most probably had a good time, it's a week with long days.

Over the next few days we'll hear some more details on what they like and what they didn't. Rianne liked clay pigeon shooting, and she was smoking with the .22. They called her 'the sniper' at the graduation ceremony. My son will tell us in bits and pieces what he liked, probably take three weeks to do it. Tom missed a day, due a sudden illness, but that didn't stop him from graduating.

I got a colleague to put his son in next week's camp. Hooper is his last name. He's very interested in all things outdoors, so I suggested he'd send him to Hunter Ed... maybe another one for our ranks.

Remember, Chef, less blood on that trail!

Frans

Well I survived my second go around at the camp. This time I was helping the kids with archery. Seems I'm better at shooting sticks than setting up blood trails!! I had fun again, but the real highlight was stopping by a fellers house. Someone by the name of Grizzly Adams...Hans and his wife are nice down to earth people. It was nice to sit down and chat about hunting and see his pictures and not so small collection of trophies. I did a little bit of scouting (driving and dreaming) on the way home. We sure have some gorgeous places in Alberta.

The chef