This Idaho man’s mission is clear: His foundation is creating more hunters across the U.S.
Even before Rick Brazell retired as supervisor of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest in 2014, he knew what his next steps would be.
Although he started small, his ambitions were sky high — he wanted his idea to blossom into the largest boots-on-the-ground hunting mentoring organization in the nation. Eight years later, his First Hunt Foundation is well on its way.
“Our mission is just to create hunters,” he said.
Brazell sees that mission as critical to ensuring hunting survives as a cherished activity and important conservation tool. He points to data that shows the average age of hunters is about 60. In a decade or less, many of them will no longer participate. If they are not replaced, state wildlife agencies dependent on license revenue to manage and conserve wildlife populations will be in rough shape.
Brazell’s program continues to grow exponentially and now operates in 38 states.
“We’ve got over 800 volunteers that are out teaching people and we get four or five more every week,” he said. “We will have over 1,000 in probably six months.”
Brazell, a lifelong hunter, started the foundation out of his home near Kamiah. At first, he catered mostly to local kids who wanted to learn to hunt. But soon, often through the connections he’d amassed during his more than three decade career with the Forest Service, word started to spread.
“I had friends who were hunters in other states (and) they said, ‘Can I do it here in this state?’ We said ‘sure’ and we became aware we could build this thing across the nation.”
Now the foundation teaches people of all ages and backgrounds. While kids still make up the bulk of the students, adults are common and some of the first time-hunters have been in their 70s. The foundation now has a women’s program and one that focuses on military veterans and first responders.
“Women are the fastest-growing component of new hunters in the nation,” he said. “A lot of times, women and young girls would rather go out with a lady than an older guy.”
In some ways, the growth of the organization has outpaced its internal infrastructure. Although it operates in 38 states, Brazell said there are only seven state directors. That has him putting in more than full-time hours. He recruits volunteer mentors, helps connect people who want to hunt to instructors, organizes events and, of course, he raises money.
“Our big issue is finding funding. We have to pay liability insurance and we give $15,000 worth of caps away each year and we don’t have any paid staff. Nobody, including me, gets a penny. We are all-volunteer.”
The money is coming in. The foundation’s mission has resonated with other organizations and businesses. Brazell said First Hunt has gotten about $100,000 a year from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and support from the National Wild Turkey Foundation, Pheasants Forever, the Boone and Crockett Club and the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. It has also partnered with state fish and wildlife agencies like the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and private companies like Vortex Optics, King’s Camo and Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls. Some of the companies offer discounts to mentors, a small perk for the volunteer service.
Brazell and other volunteers are now working to grow its recently established Hunting Heritage endowment that is housed at the MidwayUSA Foundation. The endowment was started with grants from the NRA Hunter’s Leadership Foundation, Vista Outdoors and the MidwayUSA Foundation. Brazell hopes to withdraw 5% of the endowment annually to help with expenses while continuing to grow the principal.
More information about the First Hunt Foundation is available at firsthuntfoundation.org.
This story was originally published October 25, 2022 at 4:00 AM.