Tony Arneson
Youth Program Director
I was following behind my father with a BB gun through the Grouse woods of Wisconsin when I was just 8 or 9 years old. I started to actively shoot and hunt with a .22 rifle and 12 gauge shotgun when I was 12 years old. The legal hunting age in Wisconsin at that time was 12.
My passion is Upland Bird Hunting. I have been training and using my own hunting dogs since 1999.
When my children reached the age of 12, I attended Hunter Safety with them and apprenticed as a Safety Instructor. Shortly after my second child completed his course I then made the decision to become a Hunter Safety Instructor in 2004. Since that time I have personally worked with close to 1,000 youth between the ages of 10 to 17 on Hunter Safety, Gun Safety, Shooting instruction, Sporting Clay shooting, hunting instruction, dog handling, archery etc.
Currently, I am the Treasure Valley Pheasants Forever (“TVPF”) Youth Programs Director and am directly responsible for the development and execution of our Annual two Day Youth Pheasant Hunt. I am also responsible for developing ongoing educational programs for our youth covering habitat, wildlife conservation and gun/hunter safety. TVPF, as a branch of the national Pheasants Forever organization, is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs. We are part of the only National habitat organization that allows individual chapters to control their own funds. What we raise here, stays here.
Youth Hunts
February 3, 2018
And 
- You should have a Blaze Orange vest and hat we provided you at the last hunt so you need to bring those. (we will have a few extras for use)
- Please bring Safety/Shooting Glasses (we’ll have a few pair for use)
- Bring a good attitude……No Poopy Pants!
- Bring a 2018 Hunting License. (Make sure you have this. No hunting without it. No exceptions)
· 8:00 a.m. Registration. All Waivers signed and collected at that time. Show of hunting license. (Waivers accepted only if smiles are provided from participants)
· 8:30 a.m. Safety Orientation and some warm up shooting – Tony Arneson ( North America’s Greatest Upland Bird Hunter will be in attendance for Q & A)
· 9:10 a.m. Group 1 Head to fields for Hunting (groups will be picked scientifically based on strength of Schedule and full body of work by the TVPF “Picking Committee”. )
· 9:10 a.m. Group 2 Head to Clay range for 5 Stand shooting (See above)
· 10:30 a.m. Switch Group 1 to Trap Shooting and Group 2 to the Field Hunting. ( lets execute this switch in a manner not resembling “cat herding”)
· 12:00ish – LUNCH – Provided by 2C Pheasant Hunts – – Thank you 2C!!! (Yummo! Lets be thanking the staff as they dish up da grub)
· 1:00ish – Pictures – Clean Birds (No need to bring a suit and tie or party dress for these. Huntin garb be fine.)
POSSIBLY More 5 Stand Shooting (-: (We’ll see how things go and an appetite for more BOOM BOOM!)
· 2:00ish – Have a Safe Trip back home (and a fun and joyous one too!)
**PLEASE NOTE** We want folks to plan to be at this event the whole day. Basically 8:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you cannot commit to that than please allow another child to have this opportunity. There are tangible, legitimate reasons for this request we can discuss off line if you wish. But basically we want the kids and parents focused on “the hunt” overall experience before during and after.