I hunt a military base that requires a hunter safety certificate no matter what your age is.

I think the decline in hunter interest by our youth is because most are first exposed to big game hunting such as deer or turkey from a stand/blind and truthfully both are quite boring. Today's parent plops his kid in a deer stand or turkey blind with a da'coy spread and basically gives his kid a deer or turkey...where's the sport or chase that keeps ones interest ?

I've always thought small game hunting should be a required apprenticeship for anyone wanting to big game hunt.

I started squirrel/rabbit hunting before I was 10 and now I'm 56 and have never lost interest in hunting.