The 19th annual Darwin Reid Memorial Hunt kicks off today at the Portage Country Club.

Jim Fisher, Senior Director of Canadian Conservation and Hunting Policy, explains the two day event is a way to introduce youngsters to the world of hunting.

"The first day we do all kinds of safety reviews, gun handling, ultimately leading to them actually shooting and learning how to be an effective shot," says Fisher. "We do talk a lot about conservation, we talk about the myriad of ducks and geese that come through Delta Marsh in the fall. We talk about dogs and their importance of retrieving birds, we do calling techniques and decoy setups and all that good stuff."

Fisher says tomorrow morning will be an early start, with the kids waking up before the crack of dawn to head out to the fields or Delta Marsh to try their hand at shooting some birds.

Jim Fisher"If we're lucky, which we usually manage to get a few birds, we teach the kids how to prepare the birds. So how to dress them, marinate them, and then we actually cook them," says Fisher, adding they then have a meal prepared for when the parents come to pick up their kids.

Fisher says it's a magical time as, for a lot of the kids, it's the first time they've procured or prepared their own food. He adds it's really exciting to be able to bring the kids and parents together for that special meal to enjoy mother nature's bounty.