When is too young
Whitetail Deer
My son just had his 6th bday on Monday . I was already out in the woods with my uncle at that age but I know times are very different. He wants to go sit with me but has the attention span of a fly with adhd. I want nothing more than to get him in the outdoors but don't wanna push too hard and steer him away
Get a pop-up and dedicate a little time to him. The pop-up will cover a multitude of movement and a little noise too. Just don't expect too much. My youngest killed his first turkey from a pop-up at age eight.
Thank you both!!!! I'm not at all worried about my success as much as I don't want it to be a detering experience. I'm thinking just take him and if he's getting bored just go before I push too hard. I pushed way too hard with my young cousin and now he wants nothing to do with it.
Take him, but it's not really hunting when they are that young. It's more of an outdoor adventure. Be prepared for your "hunt" to last less than an hour.
I figured that would be the case! That kid is everything to me and I want so bad to take him everywhere with me especially on hunting /fishing trips. He does great on my boat but it's saltwater fishing so almost constant action. Just don't wanna set myself back. Thanks for your thoughts and keep em comin' I'm all ears
Like those guys said, especially the part about the ground blind.
You may want to set it where you can see a long distance, so you might be able to see deer, even in the distance.
Thanks, at least, for wanting to make him a hunter before he is a killer.
If you want to increase the chances that he'll have fun, "salt" the trail you're walking in ahead of time with a few items for him to find - a shed antler, some turkey feathers, maybe stop and look at some deer tracks...
I was lucky, at the age of six our son could sit for three hours and move less than I did. (He gets patience from his mother.)
Keep in mind yours is already one-third of the way to leaving the house as an adult. The years will pass faster and faster, too.
Writer I can't thank you enough for your suggestions ! I remember how cool it was to see tracks or feathers and I'm embarrassed I never thought of that. He's very easily excited and gets so pumped for me when I'm on my hunts that I want him to be a huge part of it. And you're a hundred percent correct on hunting before killing. I was raised in a very strict fashion to understand the kill is the bonus not the expectation. Any minute in the woods is far better than an hour anywhere else
yes take your son with you, do it before it gets to cold. one of my daughters killed her first deer at 7 years old, I was shaking a lot more than her. I would let her shoot any deer , didn't have to be a big buck. she is still hunting today and she is 22. Forrest
I agree with what everyone has said. I may add you do not have to take him deer hunting. Squirrels are just about everywhere and no need for a blind and he won't even have to sit real still. Get him in the woods with the .22 or .410 and see what ya see. I was sitting between my dads legs when he killed a very nice 7pt. I was 5, I was hooked for life. Take it at his pace and enjoy the time with your son, you can never get it back! Shawn
Junkie, I took my boy out at that same age in a pup up blind. He brought books and snacks galore to keep him busy. He had a ball in there with me and I with him. We even managed to see a few deer. Best part about the blind is they have some room to move around and don't need to sit so still. They also bring stuff to keep them occupied while they wait. Just remember to make the hunt all about him and you can't go wrong spending time together in the woods! Success in this venture is the time together, not the harvest.
I remember hiking around out in the desert foothills with my 2 yr old son straddled on my shoulders while I hunted rabbits with a Ruger 10-22. He got to see from a bird's eye view what was going on and he was always so thrilled when we went. Almost 40 yrs later those memories are priceless. Whatever you do in the outdoors, include your son and you will never regret it.
A lot great comments here. Make it fun, expect some noise and definitely a less than ideal killing situation, but remember, you are just starting the fire. Put kinlin on as needed to get the flames goin. Im just starting the journey as a dad with this as my daughter is 5, but i can tell you i remember being the kid in the scenario like it was yesterday. The earliest things i remember as a boy was hunting with my dad. Make it fun and enjoy it.
They are not too young if they WANT to go and if you are willing to leave the woods when they WANT to leave.
As writer mentioned if you divide the kids 18 years at home into thirds it will help you understand the urgency of spending "quality time" (quantity is not as important as quality time).
Some of my fondest memories were lying in our sleeping bags in the camper just talking! Hunting should serve as the excuse to be together. Doesn't really matter if he or she becomes a hunter.Good luck always, we only get one chance to get it right with each child.
I started taking my kids out when they were 4 I think.....just last night I went on a squirrel "hunt" with my 8 and 4 year old daughters. They are WAY to loud and can't see squirrels for crap, but they had alot of fun walking down the creek, tossing rocks in the water, and looking for crayfish.
I agree with what is stated already.....use a ground blind if possible and it has to be fun, so snacks, books, etc are important. The other item mentioned is when they are done.....you NEED to be done too. I think forcing them to stay would end up being bad.
I also like to do something after we are done that we don't normally do......they get a kick out of just stopping at the gas station on the way home and me letting them pick out a candy bar and drink! May sound dumb, but its something that you get to do when you are hunting and if anything makes it seem like more fun, they are more likely to want to keep going.
Right, it's an adventure for a kid that young--I started my grandson at the age of 3-- I brought some color crayons and let him draw on the walls of the box stand and watched over the food plot-- he drew a food plot and a box stand with him and I in it-- I will never forget that day-- he tagged his first young buck that evening-- it really depends on how quick they want to get involved in the shooting-- don't rush or force their first shot--
didn't mean to post the first pic-- this is the pic I wanted to post
My daughter at 5, last year. She begged to go, spooked nearly every deer in the woods including the one I was after, just seconds before drawing. After that she remained still watching a forky for nearly 30 minutes:).Went hunting Monday before she got home from school, she was ticked. My 3 year old is all ready hounding me to take her. Just make sure the weather is nice, the sits are short, your someplace you'll see critters and be ready to spook deer. This might even mean going someplace you know there is not a shooter. It's worth it to spend time with your kid and start honing their skills.
I really don't think age has as much to do with it than does some kids just have innate desire to hunt, fish, or both, or be in the outdoors.
Some don't.
I say take 'em, show 'em, explain things, answer their questions(and there WILL be plenty :-)), make it fun, and the rest will take care of itself.
Enjoy!
Funny story about my boy the first time we went out together in the pop-up blind. A small buck came out in front of the blind and came VERY close to the blind, maybe 4-5 yards or so away. Well the boy thought he wanted a better look at him so he snuck up to the window and popped his head out. About the time he popped his head out the buck decided he needed a closer look at the blind and took a couple steps closer. The boy popped his head out and the buck was maybe 8-9' away looking directly at him. I'm not sure who scared who more! The buck blew and spun and ran off, my boy spun and ran and literally jumped into my lap screaming "He's going to charge!". I predictably about wet my pants I was laughing so hard. It's a memory he still talks about now and we'll have forever. The time the buck "charged" him in the ground blind.
My son and 7 year old Grandson with his first deer. He's 15 now and shot a nice black bear with me in BC 2 springs ago.
Me and my grandson same spring at 7 years old with his first turkey. He had a good year!
I wouldn't trade those memories with my son and grandson for ANYTHING!
Start them as young as you can!
Here's the formulas for success:
1. Take him and realize this is his hunt and not yours (even though you are hunting). 2. Sit for 2 hours max. If this seems too long for him than 90 minutes. 3. Let him play on your device if things are slow. This is 2015 - kids play on devices. It will make it more fun for him. When it gets 30 mins to dark then turn it off. 4. If he is done, then you are done. It rarely happens but it might. Don't sweat it he will remember the day as a great day. 5. If you can make a day of it where you do other things like fish, shoot their kid bow, bb gun, watch tv, etc.
Those are big keys I found very helpful for bringing kids. I have been taking mine sine they could walk.
Here's my daughter back in 2010 who wanted a pic with her bow and a deer I killed.
Make it fun for your son, try not to burn him out early... If you ever take him fishing, make sure you can easily catch a bunch of bluegills... Don't matter how big they are just as long as there is lots of action...8^)
Would never do long sits on deer stand with a child that young...
I burnt my kids (2 daughters) out when they were young, even carrying them in the woods in diapers, to the point where (now in their 30's) they could care less about hunting, although my youngest fishes a lot...
Although they don't hunt, both of their men hunt a bit so they are still around it, and the grandkids are growing and absorbing it...
Learning from past experience, told myself I would not burn out the grandkids on hunting, and am kinda sitting back allowing it to happen natural... If they wanta go, great, if not thats okay too... (Yeah, I spoil them...8^)) Whatever we do, I'm going to try to make it fun...
My oldest has two boys, both are 3 and only three weeks apart, (one biological, one adopted) and they are all boy, rip roaring ready to go, luvs guns, bows, and the outdoors, even at this early age so I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time in the woods with them... We've already done some shed hunting and jaunts in the woods...
Had to laugh, just the other day while watching from afar outside my house, one had his fireman's hat on (wants to be a fireman...8^)) while dragging a toy longgun in one hand and a plastic kiddy bow in the other heading up the hill...8^) Guess he was going to go find him something to shoot...8^) By the time I ran inside and grabbed a camera and ran back out, he'd dropped the weapons...8^) Their attention span isn't that long...8^)
My youngest has a 5 month old baby girl and also my oldest grandchild, a little girl who just turned 8 years old last month... A couple years ago she hadn't much interest in going hunting and hanging with grandpa until recently when I got her a bow and we started shooting in the yard... She's a natural gifted athletic, good in sports and a natural shot... She is now asking to go hunting with grandpa, so we're gonna spend some time in the woods this weekend...
Couple weeks ago took her to the county fair and she ask if she could try to do the rock climbing thingy... She'd never tried it before, to we let her try... I was drop jaw astounded as she climbed the thing all the way to the top on her 2nd attempt (pix attached)... She drew a crowd, I was proud... She'd just turned 8 years old the week before... Looked like she was in the Xgames or National Geographic...8^) She climbs so good, she is going to help grandpa put up a treestand on Saturday...8^)
Can not start to early IMO. Sit for short periods of time at first and just try to sit where you can see something. They don't care if it is a fawn under the stand or a trophy buck.
I started taking my daughter in the stand when she was 4 and her attention span was as short as they get. We worked through it though and I am not known for my patience. Took her on a cougar hunt when she was 4. Hauled her around in a backpack on snowshoes even right up to the treed cat. Of course she can't remember it but we still look at the pictures all the time and she talks about it often. I won't say there haven't been some big sacrifices and a cross word or two but isn't that part of being a parent or grandparent?
She is 23 now and we have been on many hunts together. There are a lot of hunts that are great for kids to tag along. Turkey and antelope in a blind come to mind. All the dog hunts are great for a young person to get involved and see some action. She was there when I killed my largest elk at a wallow and I was there for here bear and her mountain lion. She shot her first whitetail buck all on her own last week while I was out of town. That was a great milestone for both of us.
Biggest mistake I have seen over the years is watching other parents wait to long for there kids to "grow up a little". Then when they are young teens these parents are shocked when their kids want nothing to do with hunting. School activities and sports program start at a much earlier age than when I grew up and they are way more intense now with huge money and time commitments. Kids at that age want to be with their peers at that point of their life and rightly so. My daughter is normal and went through the same period for a few years. If you have a good foundation that you started before that happens you have a great chance they will come back to it.
Sorry to ramble so much but this is a subject that I think is important and I have watched a lot of guys mess it up IMHO. By the way I am going to pick up grandson after school tonight and have 2 granddaughters lined up for this weekend to go squirrel hunting. Wasn't even my idea but I took them each once last year and they been bugging me for a month to go again this year. Unfortunately as a grandfather I only get to hunt small game with them their dads get to take them out deer hunting.:)
take them when you can cause its not long there gone from home, my oldest is 37 my youngest 32 my uncle told me one time, first your a boy then your a man and first thing you know your the old man there is truth to that I see. enjoy your time with them when there small.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Sure I want my girls to hunt but more importantly I want them to know their way around a weapon and understand that meat doesn't come from a grocery store. Never to young to start ingraining lessons like these.
I agree with most of the comments here. If you really want to take a deer leave the kids home. If you want to take them hunting in the future start NOW. A half hour squirrel hunt with snacks is a great way to start. My mentor started me at age 11. He took me and his son hunting in the morning. We would sit alone in the dark. Little did we know that Dad was watching us. When the fidget factor got high enough he would appear and take us to another spot. We saw a lot of stuff while going from spot to spot. We Always started a fire and toasted our sandwiches at noon. I bet you didn't know peanut butter and jelly needed cooking. Soon we were really on our own. The "old man " listened to our adventures and actually hunted himself more. We kept cooking lunch at least once a season. I remember his last hunt, he is gone now, we walked into the woods about three hundred yards form the car and started a fire. I took a walk hoping to push a deer into his line of sight. No deer, but the fire was warm. We talked of hunts past and toasted our sandwiches. When we got to the car we took him home. I am always thankful for that last hunt. The choice is yours. I know what I chose for my kids.
Pat and Boubound summed it up.
Hunt with them all you can but be sure when they are that young you hunt under their terms and conditions.
I broke my son's hunting spirit at 14 because I pushed him to hard in cold weather.
My middle son simply moved away and only hunts 2 legged doe now
My youngest Morgan my daughter hunts with me she will be 15 in 3 weeks. She would go in the woods with me at age 4. We would walk sit on a log and she would blast the hell out of the grunt tube. I always told her she was an awesome deer grunter and when she got tired or cold I would ask, can you go 5 more minutes? She would say yes everytime. The next time she asked we packed up and went to camp.
I have found that the video game on cell phones called angry birds will keep them in the stand quieter and longer as well :0)
They are kids and let them be that so when they are done for the hunt move on and find them something else to do.
Also as we would go back to camp I would make a game of identifying all the different trees so she would learn that also. Plus I would have her show me saddles, benches, and other funnel points that would be good places to hunt!!!
As the Big C told me a few months back (She thinks we're only fishing)
There is a flip side to this coin. My youngest son started " hunting " with me at five or six years. He killed a couple or three turkeys, then a few deer, then lost interest in it a few years ago. He will still go sit with me from time to time, but that's getting fewer and farther between. He's a good shot with a shotgun, rifle, and handgun, but he never warmed up to the bow. He shot over the only turkey he ever tried to bow-kill, and never would try again. No matter what you do, they ain't all gonna make hunters. But, we give it our best.
Dry: That's OK though. It's a hard reality we all need to remember. Not everyone enjoys hunting.
If they don't then don't let that be a wedge between your kids. Not saying it is but I have known guys who just couldn't get over it.
Do things that they love.
This is a great discussion BTW.
Thanks to all of you!!! It's nice to know I'm not crazy for wanting him to start this young. As I said before times aren't what they used to be. When I was a kid yoid have to tie me up to be indoors, now with all the damn games and crazy people the days of the kids playing manhunt through the neighborhood is long gone. I'm trying to give him the opportunity I had as a young boy but don't wanna force it either. As much as I'd be heartbroken if he doesn't want to become an outdoorsman I support him in whatever he wants to do. Lastly I don't care if I come home with anything I spend plenty of time in the woods just want him to see some cool stuff and if he's lucky enough to harvest an animal great!!!! Thx again to all
Enjoy it, treasure it, and embrace every minute you have with your kids and grand kids.
A few years ago my son was stationed just a couple hours from "home" and my wife and I enjoyed every spare minute with them we could squeeze in.
My grandson (10 years old) said he would like to try going hunting with "papa" HOLY CRAP - YEAHOOOOOO. He does not like the cold so I got busy and built a nice big stand 6 x 8 so we could all sit in it (grandma, him and I).
I spent lots of time all summer with him shooting the 22 - my grand daughter also, but she liked to spend time baking cookies with grandma more.
Then on to the lever action 30-30, banged him pretty good the first time but he hit the balloon and that was really cool.
First day - in the stand before daylight - him, grandma, and I.
Half hour after first light a couple deer came through and he dropped the doe in its tracks. Grandma and I got a little noisy and spooked the second deer but it turned around and came right back.
He whispered in a loud voice "Papa can I shoot that one too" (party hunting is legal in MN).
I very quickly had to explain to him that grandma and I can only take antlered deer so we have to make sure it has antlers.
I'll never forget him turning and saying "Papa I saw that it has antlers - can I shoot it now". After I confirmed through binoculars that indeed it was a fork horn. Yep, he killed that one too.
I only got 2 years to spend hunting with him as my son was transferred to HI, then to Italy (where he is now).
I can't tell you how much I miss spending time with him. He just turned 15 and has another year in Italy, then he's off to Japan - that will put my grandson at 18 years old and he's already talking about college in HI.
Spend as much time with your little ones as you can - while you can.
Sorry for long winded - but man do I miss him, especially this time of year.
Inshart, I envy you for the incredible bonding time and you will get to spend more time with him. My uncle had me in the woods at age 4 and no matter where I go or who I go with I always invite him and would prefer him over anyone
Whenever you decide to start to take them, just be sure bring a camera [along with all the other stuff]
Take pics, they are for you and the youngster as time waits for no one.
I took my son and still take my son, and still take pics
Cnelk... Are you looking to adopt? Good lord I thought I was a fortunate youngster! Your boys got quite the impressive collection. All jokes aside, I love to see the youngsters getting into the outdoors and farrrrrr away from those damn video games and social media enough to actually enjoy what's around us.
I started taking my daughter bowhunting with me when she was 8. To make it fun, we developed a sign language so that we could tell each other if we saw a squirrel, deer, turkey, etc. without talking. On more than one occasion she saw game before I did!
She's 26 now, and while she doesn't hunt much (no time or place), she does like to shoot both bows and guns.
And Pat is 100% right......
"The time you spend together hunting is worth more than any booner on the planet"
Great posts,the smiles on the kids faces says it all!!!!The memories are worth more than any booner.
Started taking mine at age 5 for whitetail. Ground blinds are the way to go. Nothing to serious... Just have FUN!. This year he insisted that he was going to join me in elk camp. Proud papa!
You know your kids better than any one else so invest time in the outdoors if they're interested. IMO never to young to start. My two older sons passed hunters ed at the age of 7 and love the outdoors. I think the biggest mistake is waiting to long to invest in them. Have a hunting buddy who waited and know can't get his son out of the city. It's sad to see. I enjoy hunting with my kids far more than any friends for sure.
Take them, lot's of good advice here. I take all 3 of mine, we don't see a lot of game, but we sure have fun. They get mad at me when I go by myself, they are starting to figure out that's when daddy shoots all of the deer! I just hope that someday, they will take me out hunting.
We got our treestand up and had a great time doing so...
