Iowa DNR Hunter Education Program Continues Partnership With Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc., To Introduce Shooting Sports Teams To Hunting & Fishing

July 28th, 2023 - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has renewed its partnership with Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors to continue their Shooting Sports Outreach Program that bridges the gap between target shooting and hunting and fishing.

Last year, Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors Iowa Program Coordinator, Steph Lane, with support from the Iowa DNR, organized 126 events that engaged 223 youth and 37 different Scholastic Clay Target Program teams (SCTP). In 2023 thus far, Lane has already coordinated 48 events with plans to coordinate 90+ more this year!

This program model is proving to be successful and scalable across states with vibrant shooting sports populations”, said Brittany French CEO of Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors. “When the program started in 2019, we coordinated 89 events in just one state. In 2022 we coordinated over 500 events that yielded over 1,200 youth learning to hunt and fishing through outdoor mentorship. This program is successful because of healthy partnerships and program coordinators like Steph Lane who are passionate about serving youth in the outdoors.”

“We’re extremely excited to see how Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors will continue to introduce youth to the outdoors in Iowa. This partnership aims to recruit youth from our state’s scholastic shooting sports programs and we’re very satisfied with the results over the past three years” said Jamie Cook, hunter education coordinator for the Iowa DNR.

In Iowa, about 4,000 student athletes participate in SCTP. This partnership will focus on giving these student athletes opportunities to hunt that they might not otherwise experience.

Program Coordinator, Steph Lane said, “I am very proud to see the impact we have made in Iowa so far. Thanks to many mentors, landowners, and organizations here in Iowa that care about passing on the outdoor lifestyle. We are grateful to all of them, they are each making a difference in a big way! I am excited to see what the years to come have in store and how many people we can encourage to spend more time outdoors and out hunting!”

“Our goals with this effort are to recruit new hunters by giving those who don’t currently hunt opportunities to pursue upland game, waterfowl, turkey and deer; retain current hunters by giving those youth trap shooters and their parents who are currently hunters the opportunity to engage in more hunting activities” French said.

To accomplish this, Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors and the Iowa DNR plan to partner with local conservation and nongovernmental organizations and private landowners to provide access and volunteers and mentors who assist with the events. Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors has surveyed a cross-section of the high school SCTP participants to measure their current hunting avidity. Pre- and post-event surveys and follow-up surveys will be used to measure the impact of the program and to provide the data needed to adjust and improve the program going forward.

To learn more about Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc. please visit their website at http://www.outdoormentors.org