Forkhorn Camp is a great way for youth to learn about the outdoors in Minnesota
Posted by Jesse White on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 Under: Deer Hunting
While many organizations and experts preach getting youth involved in the outdoors in a positive manner, few push that agenda with as much conviction as the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and their partners involved with the Forkhorn Summer Camp programs held each year across the state.
The idea behind Forkhorn camp, which according to the MDHA was started in 1985, is to teach kids between the ages of 11 and 17 the ins-and-outs of the outdoors and hunting through a unique hands-on, interactive experience.
Each summer, week-long camps are held at eight different facilities across the state, including one in our backyard - the Laurentian Environmental Learning Center (LEC) in Britt. Other locations where Forkhorn Camps are held include: Audubon Center of the Northwoods near Sandstone, Minn.; Three Rivers Park District near Maple Plain, Minn.; Deep Portage Conservation Reserve near Hackensack, Minn.; Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center near Lanesboro, Minn.; Kiwanis Boy Scout Camp near St. Croix, Minn.; Long Lake Conservation Center near Palisade, Minn.; and Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center near Spicer, Minn.
The MDHA offers three different levels of the camp including Forkhorn I, Forkhorn II, and Forkhorn III, where kids are taught everything from firearms safety to ethical hunting practices, bowhunting, map and compass navigation, big game ecology, advanced marksmanship and more.
Classes are taught by LEC professional teaching staff that hold Minnesota Firearms Safety Instructor, bowhunting and advanced hunting certifications and the camps include all meals, lodging, instruction and use of equipment, which is part of the appeal of the program considering some youth may not have access to the type of gear available to Forkhorn participants.
The camps normally cost upwards of $400 to participate but here's the catch - The MDHA offers hundreds of scholarships yearly to young campers who are either members of MDHA or an immediate family member to someone who belongs to the organization. MDHA chapters raise money all year long to fund the scholarships through different activities like the Hides-for-Habitat program or yearly banquets featuring auctions for guns and other outdoors equipment.
While membership doesn't guarantee a scholarship, chances are good youth members will get one, which minimizes the cost dramatically.
The following are short descriptions of the three levels of Forkhorn Camp and dates the camps are being offered at LEC. For dates and information related to any other locations, just click on the name above and you'll be taken to their web pages.
Forkhorn II is an advanced Forkhorn Camp that focuses on bowhunting for youth who are graduates of Forkhorn I or have earned their Firearms Safety Certification. It is a more intensive camp that takes students beyond basic whitetail deer hunting knowledge and strategies, and provides them with advanced training.
Students must be 12 years of age or older and have passed a Firearms Safety Training Course to be eligible for this camp and cost (without a scholarship) is $425 per person which includes instruction, lodging, home-cooked meals and use of equipment. Small class sizes for more individual instruction. Enrollment limited to 20 students. Parents may attend with their child at no additional cost. Students may bring their own bow for this program.
Dates at LEC for Forkhorn II include:
You can also get more information about the camps at Laurentian Environmental Center in Britt by visiting their web site HERE or by calling them at 1-888-749-1288.
The idea behind Forkhorn camp, which according to the MDHA was started in 1985, is to teach kids between the ages of 11 and 17 the ins-and-outs of the outdoors and hunting through a unique hands-on, interactive experience.
Each summer, week-long camps are held at eight different facilities across the state, including one in our backyard - the Laurentian Environmental Learning Center (LEC) in Britt. Other locations where Forkhorn Camps are held include: Audubon Center of the Northwoods near Sandstone, Minn.; Three Rivers Park District near Maple Plain, Minn.; Deep Portage Conservation Reserve near Hackensack, Minn.; Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center near Lanesboro, Minn.; Kiwanis Boy Scout Camp near St. Croix, Minn.; Long Lake Conservation Center near Palisade, Minn.; and Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center near Spicer, Minn.
The MDHA offers three different levels of the camp including Forkhorn I, Forkhorn II, and Forkhorn III, where kids are taught everything from firearms safety to ethical hunting practices, bowhunting, map and compass navigation, big game ecology, advanced marksmanship and more.
Classes are taught by LEC professional teaching staff that hold Minnesota Firearms Safety Instructor, bowhunting and advanced hunting certifications and the camps include all meals, lodging, instruction and use of equipment, which is part of the appeal of the program considering some youth may not have access to the type of gear available to Forkhorn participants.
The camps normally cost upwards of $400 to participate but here's the catch - The MDHA offers hundreds of scholarships yearly to young campers who are either members of MDHA or an immediate family member to someone who belongs to the organization. MDHA chapters raise money all year long to fund the scholarships through different activities like the Hides-for-Habitat program or yearly banquets featuring auctions for guns and other outdoors equipment.
While membership doesn't guarantee a scholarship, chances are good youth members will get one, which minimizes the cost dramatically.
The following are short descriptions of the three levels of Forkhorn Camp and dates the camps are being offered at LEC. For dates and information related to any other locations, just click on the name above and you'll be taken to their web pages.
o
Forkhorn I is
designed for beginning hunters and provides extensive hands-on
instruction in basic firearms safety and shooting techniques using
rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders and bows. It also provides hunting
tips for both big and small game. Students may earn their Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources Firearm Safety Certification through
the camp. Classes include:
Firearm Safety
Beginning Rifle, Shotgun and Archery
Wildlife Management
Whitetail Deer Ecology
Outdoor Survival Skills
Map and Compass Orienteering
Deer Hunting Techniques
Safe Shooting Scenarios
Hunter Ethics
Students must be 11 years of age on the first day of camp to attend and cost (without a scholarship) is $425 per person which includes instruction, lodging, home cooked meals and use of equipment. Small class sizes for more individual instruction. Enrollment limited to 40 students. Parents may attend with their child at no additional cost.
Firearm Safety
Beginning Rifle, Shotgun and Archery
Wildlife Management
Whitetail Deer Ecology
Outdoor Survival Skills
Map and Compass Orienteering
Deer Hunting Techniques
Safe Shooting Scenarios
Hunter Ethics
Students must be 11 years of age on the first day of camp to attend and cost (without a scholarship) is $425 per person which includes instruction, lodging, home cooked meals and use of equipment. Small class sizes for more individual instruction. Enrollment limited to 40 students. Parents may attend with their child at no additional cost.
- Dates available at LEC for 2013 include:
- June 16 - 21
- July 21 - 26
- Aug. 4 - 9
- Aug. 11 - 16
o
Forkhorn II is an advanced Forkhorn Camp that focuses on bowhunting for youth who are graduates of Forkhorn I or have earned their Firearms Safety Certification. It is a more intensive camp that takes students beyond basic whitetail deer hunting knowledge and strategies, and provides them with advanced training.
Classes include:
Bowhunting
Bowhunting
Map and Compass Navigation
Special Hunting Techniques
Ethical Hunting Practices
Big Game Ecology
Field Dressing
Students must be 12 years of age or older and have passed a Firearms Safety Training Course to be eligible for this camp and cost (without a scholarship) is $425 per person which includes instruction, lodging, home-cooked meals and use of equipment. Small class sizes for more individual instruction. Enrollment limited to 20 students. Parents may attend with their child at no additional cost. Students may bring their own bow for this program.
Dates at LEC for Forkhorn II include:
- July 28 - Aug. 2 2013
- Aug. 4-9 2013
o
Forkhorn III is designed for
youth, ages 12-17, who already have their Firearms Safety Certification
and significant hunting experience. This camp is designed for those
seeking to expand their knowledge on big and small game hunting tips and
techniques as well as hunter ethics.
Classes include:
Firearms Safety Review
Advanced Marksmanship
Beginning Handgun Shooting and Safety
Big and Small Game Ecology and Hunting
Hunter Ethics and Responsibilities
Students must be 12 years of age or older and have passed a Firearms Safety Training Course to be eligible for this camp and cost (without a scholarship) is $425 per person which includes instruction, lodging, home cooked meals and use of equipment. Small class sizes for more individual attention. Enrollment limited to 20 students. Parents may attend with their child at no additional cost.
Classes include:
Firearms Safety Review
Advanced Marksmanship
Beginning Handgun Shooting and Safety
Big and Small Game Ecology and Hunting
Hunter Ethics and Responsibilities
Students must be 12 years of age or older and have passed a Firearms Safety Training Course to be eligible for this camp and cost (without a scholarship) is $425 per person which includes instruction, lodging, home cooked meals and use of equipment. Small class sizes for more individual attention. Enrollment limited to 20 students. Parents may attend with their child at no additional cost.
Dates at LEC for Forkhorn III include:
- July 28 - Aug. 2, 2013
You can also get more information about the camps at Laurentian Environmental Center in Britt by visiting their web site HERE or by calling them at 1-888-749-1288.
In : Deer Hunting
Tags: mdha "forkhorn camp" "laurentian environmental center" hunting deer britt minnesota bowhunting ethics "firearms safety"
A former outdoors writer and reporter for the Mesabi Daily News in Virginia, MN, and the Daily Tribune in Hibbing, MN, Jesse has been in the newspaper business for nearly 20 years. His numerous awards over the past two decades include five first-place awards from the Associated Press; two first-place National Newspaper awards; and a first-place Minnesota Newspaper Association award. He is an avid hunter and angler and enjoys guns and archery.
