September 24, 2010
Full Circle: A Family Rediscovers Waterfowling
Cameron Tait with his kids Madison and Brennan.
For Cameron Tait, waterfowling is a tapestry of relationships. The award-winning chef and father of two sees connections everywhere…with the outdoors and the birds, with conservation and a deeper connection to our food. Most importantly, he sees his children connecting to the time-honored values of waterfowling.
The Tait kids, 15-year-old Brennan and his younger sister Madison, are recent graduates of the Manitoba Mentored Youth Hunt, held annually at Delta Waterfowl’s research facility on the south shore of Lake Manitoba. Taking a break from cleaning birds, Brennan has little difficulty summing up the Labour Day weekend.
“I think it was awesome,” he says. “The weather was great, ducks were coming in. It was just fantastic.”
The elder Tait shares the enthusiasm. The youth hunt, he says, plays a vital role in connecting his family to the outdoors and to each other.
“It was an incredible educational experience,” says Tait. ”The mentors talk a lot about safety and etiquette. They talk about giving back to the resource, and they talk about having lots of fun.”
The first day covers safety, shooting, decoys and hunting ethics. The morning of the second day, the Tait’s set up in Delta Marsh for their first ever hunt in the reeds. Brennan has a memorable morning, killing seven ducks.
Back at the research station, the young hunters pitch in to clean the birds. Cameron instructs on proper technique. As one of Canada’s most accomplished chefs, he knows his way around a cutting board. He won gold as a member of Team Canada at the 2004 World Culinary Olympics. He is the former Executive Chef at the Glendale Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg and now teaches culinary arts at Red River College.
“As a chef instructor, I teach my students every day about respecting what we have and making sure we always make the most out of it. It’s all about respecting the animals, conservation, and only taking what you can eat.“
Hunting birds for the table brings the chef full circle, back more than thirty years when he rose before dawn to hunt with his father. As often happens, those days were pushed aside by the demands of growing up. The arrival of his own family helped Cameron reconnect with some of his fondest memories.
“It’s about being together with my kids, being in the outdoors, canoeing, and training our dog,” he says. “It’s about just having the total family experience.”
The Manitoba Mentored Youth Hunt, now in its 11th year, is jointly sponsored by Delta Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, Manitoba Wildlife Federation and Manitoba Conservation. Over the years, hundreds of volunteers have helped hundreds of kids.
This fall more than 30 mentored hunts are planned across the country. With the precipitous drop in the number of Canadian duck hunters, from half a million to less that 150,000 in thirty years, the youth hunts are seen by many as key to the future.
It may well be working. Canadian hunter numbers have started to inch back up. Scott Terning, Delta’s director of recruitment and education, says providing a safe, successful experience is critical in recruiting new hunters.
“The best part is seeing each and every youth with us this morning smile from ear to ear,” says Terning. “The hooking point is to have a quality and safe hunt for everyone involved.”
The mentored youth hunt helped bring the Tait’s back to waterfowling. They are now a family committed. Cameron has even convinced his father to join them on their hunts. Three generations of duck hunters. Full circle. Connected.