Archery Day brings kids to new park

Brock Minton blew his whistle and half a dozen eager students swarmed the archery targets.

Minton’s students were collecting the practice arrows they’d just shot during their first archery lesson at Resaca de la Palma State Park and World Birding Center during the park’s first Archery Day.

Katherine Miller, the natural reserve specialist and lead interpreter for the park, was thrilled to see so many participants. That’s because it’s Miller’s job to bring members of the public to the parks, which they fund with their tax dollars. At Resaca de la Palma, which opened in December, that task has been difficult.

"If we can give them that ‘Aha!’ moment, when they connect with the park and realize the importance of saving it, we can ensure that these parks will have a future," Miller said.

Miller tries to bring young people to the park for events like Archery Day, as well as Winter Texans who often come to participate in birding events.

"The question is: What can we offer that makes our park unique?" Miller said.

One answer is Archery Day, an event that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has never offered in the area.

Minton, who is the hunting education training specialist for Texas Parks and Wildlife in South Texas, says hunting teaches many life skills. Responsibility is chief among these.

"I learned hunting from my father and grandfather," Minton said. "But holing up in a blind and shooting an animal isn’t hunting to me. It’s not ethical. Too many doors have been closed to hunting because of that kind of behavior."

Minton teaches his students to be selective about what animals they choose to shoot. They must consider the weather outside, as well as the distance they will have to travel once they make their kill. If it’s too hot or too far, they risk killing an animal and losing the chance to harvest the meat.

Saturday’s archery lesson may not have taught the lessons of a full-on hunt — participants lined up in rows and simply learned to properly position and shoot their arrows toward a target — but the theme of responsibility was emphasized. When students collected their arrows, they were sure to point the tips downward, to protect themselves and others from getting injured. No one could shoot when arrows were being collected and, when Minton blew the whistle, everyone rushed to collect their arrows.