It's always great to see a kid in the field. At various points, Field & Stream has celebrated that fact with different stories on introducing young people to the sport. The most ambitious effort was in the December 2005 issue, when an entire cover package was devoted to kids and hunting -- it was full of stories about kids, expert opinions on dealing with topics such as morals and death, and a poll in which kids shared their views on field sports.

     In Field & Stream's current December issue, there's a different kind of coverage on kids -- although, this time it's not about tips and advice. It's portfolio called Young Blood by photographer Erica Larsen. Erica is a fantastic person, who's infinitely curious about human nature, and endlessly respectful of all field sports. She spent over a year going on hunts with kids and capturing images of what young passion for hunting is all about.

    Whether you have kids or not, it's impossible not to be touched by the images Erica collected--and encouraged about the future of our sport. There are almost 40 images at the link above, so when you have a few minutes, or need a little pick me up, feel free to click through them -- it's a very special photo essay on a topic that's near and dear to our hearts. --K.H.