Learning to survive

The Bartlett Boys: Jack (9), Matthew (7), Charley (12) and Lachie (13). Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Dean Bartlett is teaching his boys valuable life skills.

He takes his four boys – Matthew (7), Jack (9), Charley (12), and Lachlan (13) – to participate in the Te Puna Hunting and Fishing Club's Take a Kid Hunting and Fishing competition every year.

'It's just something that we do regularly – we go fishing and hunting – so it's a good compulsory way to go and do something for that weekend.”

The annual competition encourages parents and guardians to get their kids outside in the fresh air and learning a cardinal skill – how to hunt and gather their own food.

Dean says he and his boys usually use what they catch – with a few exceptions.

'We always eat what we catch, unless it's pest eradication,” says Dean.

'We don't eat possums, but if times were tough we'd eat them.”

In the four years Dean has entered his four sons in the competition, he says they've slowly improved and become more experienced with the hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

'They're a lot more boat savvy and they're quite onto it little kids, and they're safe with the guns.”

'They're willing to help and learn to tie their own knots and help launch the boat and clean up afterwards, which is great.”

It doesn't always work out great, says Dean, trying to sneak around the bush or stop pitter-patter toes in a boat, but he manages.

'It's hard with four kids trying to have that stealth factor and share the time in between them; and it's hard having four kids on the boat.”

But Dean says the competition has brought about a few proud dad moments.

'Last year my boy Charley caught a kingfish and it won the competition; it was the only kingfish caught in the competition so he was rapt.”

'We normally do quite well; we've had quite a few firsts, so it's been quite good.”

'They love it, they thrive on it.”

The Take a Kid Hunting and Fishing competition starts on Friday, March 10, and is open to little hunters and fishers aged three to 15.

For more information, visit the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/tepunahuntfishclub

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