Hunters are fading away, and the trend is heading downward more quickly than even the most dire predictions of statisticians. One of the GONETWORK's goals is to preserve, protect and enhance the future of Georgia hunting. To do that we’ve introduced SIDEKICKS, a new and innovative youth program of SEEDS and the GONetwork.

SIDEKICKS will not try to compete with existing youth programs of other organizations. Every youth program that does something — anything — to help introduce kids to hunting is critical and merits support. SIDEKICKS will instead focus on reaching a segment of our youth that other youth-hunting programs fail to impact.

How Can We Reach Kids Who Don’t Hunt?
This question has been the focus of countless hours of brainstorming sessions by the GONetwork, and even before the creation of the GONetwork by the editors of GON magazine. Youth-hunting programs, including the SEEDS Growin’ Sportsmen Giveaway, serve a critical need in providing hunting opportunity. However, the kids winning those hunts were, in almost every case, already young hunters.

To really have an impact, we recognized the need to reach kids who have never had an opportunity to hunt. Most kids in this non-hunting group don’t have a parent or close relative who hunts who could introduce and mentor them. However, many kids in the non-hunting group have a friend who hunts. Someone in their class, on their baseball or soccer team, in their Sunday-school class — most have a friend who hunts.

SIDEKICKS gives incentive to young people who hunt to invite a non-hunting friend by offering a free hunting trip to both kids and a parent. SIDEKICKS is not a drawing. While we can’t guarantee the type of hunt or the exact timing of when it will take place, SIDEKICKS guarantees a hunt to both a young hunter and the SIDEKICK that he or she invites.

SIDEKICKS Mission
The SIDEKICKS Youth Hunting Program was established to increase the number of young people involved in educational and safe hunting activities.

SIDEKICKS Vision
To reach out, through invitations from peers who are hunters, to young people who have never had the opportunity to hunt.

To participate, a youth who already hunts must:

• Be 10 to 17 years old and have passed a Georgia Hunter Education Course.
• Invite a peer who has never been hunting to experience the gratification, fun and excitement of hunting.
• Make sure the interested youth’s parent or legal guardian fills out and signs the SIDEKICKS Youth Hunting Program release form.
• Make sure the interested youth completes the Georgia Hunter Education Course.
• Complete and submit the SIDEKICKS Youth Hunting Program application that will include information for both youths — the friend who is already a hunter, and the youth who is interested in learning about and experiencing the sport of hunting.
• Approved applications will earn the hunting peer and their SIDEKICK a hunting opportunity, along with one of their parents.