Roberts family aims for fun; creates new hunting traditions

Athletes thrive on competition, but hunting is one of those sports where the less competition, the better. There’s nothing quite like being out in nature, alone, knowing the next animal in the field or in the air could be yours — as long as you can snag it.

But hunters are a dying breed, so to speak, with older hunters retiring from the sport and not quite as many young ones to replace them.

That’s why it’s refreshing to see families who include their children on hunting adventures, passing on the tradition to the next generation.

Derek Roberts might not be the avid hunter he is today if his dad hadn’t taken him on his first hunt in Montana at 12 years old. Since moving to Holyoke in 2009, he’s honed in on deer hunting in northeast Colorado and elk hunting near Craig, Colorado, with some bird hunting sprinkled in — all while teaching his kids about the sport he loves.

Grace Roberts, age 16, and Luke Roberts, age 14, both grew up eating lots of game meat, learning how to shoot guns and tagging along with Dad on hunts. Being in nature is second nature to them now, and when they each turned age 12, they were finally old enough to experience their own big game hunts in Colorado.

“I was so stoked for it!” said Grace.

She’s already been on two elk hunts and has shot four deer in her four years of deer hunting, with some bird hunting here and there, as well.

“Some people are very surprised because I’m more of a girly girl,” said Grace, but it was clear the way her face lit up that she loves being outdoors and isn’t afraid to handle a little bit of blood. “I love the adrenaline! It’s so exhilarating,” she said.

While she’s known how to shoot a gun almost her entire life, her next challenge is to master the bow and arrow. That is, if Dad approves of the bow she’s picked out and has been admiring on her smartphone.

Luke also has a knack for making challenging things look easy. On the first morning of his first elk hunt, he got one with a muzzleloader, which is harder than with a rifle, said Derek. He’s also been bird hunting and has credit for one deer kill.

But the Roberts family admits that hunts aren’t always successful. “It teaches you a lot about life,” said Derek.

“The main thing is just to get out with your kids,” he said. Get out and enjoy God’s beauty, because sometimes you see more than what you’re looking for, he added.

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