Box Elder Wildlife Federation

[bewforg]

I really hate to start this topic, and don't anyone think I'm trying to minimize the importance of teaching youngsters to not let strangers hoodwink them. Nor ex-parents, parent's ex-boyfriend/girlfriend, mommy's live-in boyfriend, strange uncles, or other types who numerically present a danger to youngsters. Just try to think this one out and make up your own mind.
Several years ago we hunted for 8 days for a little girl who wandered away from her family picnic up in the Uintas. Truth was, she hid under the brush or behind rocks every time one of us crossed her path, calling her name. She was afraid of uniforms because all her life her braindead parents told her they were "going to call the cops and put her in jail" if she did something they didn't like. It was all some of us could to to restrain ourselves from charges (too stupid to be parents) on the parents when we found out why we had not been able to find her for so long we figured she was long gone. She was finally too fatigued, thirsty, hungry and wornout to hide from a game warden and he was able to carry her back to a road for transport to hospital.
Likewise, recently hundreds of volunteers and one of the entire Sheriff's Posse in this state hunted for days for a lost little boy. He hid everytime he saw a "stranger", because they did not know the "secret family password" so he could trust them.
This is not going to be a 'how-to' on ways to teach your kids/grandkids to avoid people who would do them harm, as there are other places you can get that course.
This is just to say, for heaven's sake, tell the kid the 'rest of the story' when you say to be aware of stranger's unusual requests or advances. And for crying out loud, tell them if they are ever lost to stop and practice their survival training.
You did teach them wilderness survival since they were little, didn't you?