Wildlife funding problems emerge as fewer people learn to hunt in the NW

Fewer people in the Northwest are learning to hunt, which causes funding problems for state fish and wildlife departments. To solve the funding problem, experienced hunters are teaching newbies how to get involved in the sport.

For more than an hour, Keely Hopkins barely moved an inch. Clad in camouflage from head to toe, a small oval cutout for her eyes showed the only bit of skin.

She scanned the horizon of rolling hills, searching for a wild turkey to come home to roost for the evening.

Before this hunt, Hopkins confessed her nerves. Would she remember what to do? Would her aim be true?

“I have never been around turkey hunting before,” Hopkins said. “I came in not knowing a whole lot about what to expect from the hunt: the different ways to call them in, how you go about hunting and staying hidden.”