You cannot expect your children to gain an appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors if they do not have opportunities to experience it firsthand.
My wife Lisa and I have literally exposed our daughter Faith to wildlife from the get-go. When we were still in China during our adoption, we let her feed giraffes at a wildlife park and see panda up close.
We recently took her and my Godchildren to the Houston Zoo and it was amazing to watch them smile, laugh and comment about the wildlife there. You do not have to always take your kids fishing and hunting but it is important to keep them with some kind of connection to the outdoors. Zoos and sanctuaries can be a good alternative to fishing and hunting trips, especially if those trips require a higher level of skill than a kid would be able to muster.
Children follow our example and if they see us being conscientious, conservation-minded hunters and anglers, then they will likely pursue it or at least appreciate it. Faith is in dance and has a lot of other interests besides animals and that is wonderful.
I never understood father’s who shoved fishing and hunting down a kid’s throat (or anything for that matter) so they could live their dreams through their kids. My kid is my dream and whatever is safe, Godly and ethical that she pursues makes Lisa and I happy.
I have to admit though the fact that she genuinely loves wildlife does bring a big smile to my face.
