FilledTag and First Hunt Foundation

New hunters in First Hunt Foundation's programs get their first hunt plan free with the code FIRSTHUNT. And for every plan anyone buys through First Hunt Foundation's link, FilledTag donates $15 to the foundation.

What First Hunt Foundation does

First Hunt Foundation is a national nonprofit, based in Kamiah, Idaho, that pairs people who want to learn to hunt with background-checked volunteer mentors, so that each new hunter gets a real first hunt with someone beside them. Its mentors are spread across the United States, and it also runs first-hunt events and other programs for new hunters. Its own words for the mission: keep the hunting heritage alive.

If you want a mentor, or want to be one, start on firsthuntfoundation.org.

The free plan for a first hunt

• Who it is for: a hunter going on a first hunt for that species, in one of First Hunt Foundation's programs.
• What it is: one free hunt plan, for any species we plan, in any state where FilledTag sells plans.
• One per email address. The free plans are limited each season, so when they are gone the code says so and a plan can still be bought as usual.
• How to use it: check your hunt on the home page (six quick answers, free). Under the button, tap Have a code?, type FIRSTHUNT and tick the box that says this is your first hunt for this species. On the next screen, give your name and type the six-digit code we email you, which keeps the free plans one per person, then fill in your hunt. Nothing is charged. A person looks over every free First Hunt plan before it is sent.

How a first-timer uses the plan with a mentor

A plan is the map homework for one tag: where to park, where to camp and where to sit for the unit, season and dates on the license, with walking routes, a time to leave camp for each seat, and map files for a phone or GPS. It is built from public maps and records, and every pin and route is checked against land ownership and road rules, so a new hunter is not walking onto private land by mistake.

1. Read it together before the hunt. Each plan says in plain words why each spot was picked and what to check before going. It is a good starting point for a mentor to talk through: the wind, the walk in the dark, where to sit and why.
2. Scout it on the free app. The FilledTag app for iPhone is free. It has topo and aerial maps, public land lines, pins, paths and track recording. Open the plan's map files in it and walk the routes on the screen before you walk them on the ground.
3. Save the area for no signal. Saved areas keep the map and the land lines on the phone, so the new hunter can see where public ground ends when there are no bars.
4. Change it if plans change. Three reworks are included in the seven days after delivery: a new drive, a shorter walk, a different camp or new dates.

Finding the animal, the shot and the pack-out stay with the hunter and the mentor. A plan cannot promise an animal, and nobody from FilledTag goes into the field: it is a planning aid, not a guide or outfitter. Hunters check land status, closures and regulations themselves before they hunt.

$15 to the foundation for every plan bought through its link

Anyone can support First Hunt Foundation by buying their plan through the foundation's link: www.filledtag.com/?ref=firsthunt. The plan costs the normal price, and FilledTag donates $15 of it to First Hunt Foundation for each plan bought that way. You can also type FIRSTHUNTFOUNDATION in the Have a code? box before you pay; it does the same. The free first-hunt plans are a separate gift and are not counted in the donation.

Why we do this

Jax built FilledTag for his own hunts and released it so other hunters could use it, new hunters most of all. The first season is where most people give up: they get a tag and then have no idea where to park, where to walk or where to sit. A mentor and a plan together take care of most of that.