hunting with a youth
Turkey
I am taking my daughter turkey hunting this Sunday. I heard from a friend that the rules in MN are that I would have to have a MN turkey tag just to accompany her in the blind. I can't believe this would be true as she can hunt the entire season and my tag isn't valid for another 2 weeks. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
Thanks
Hitman
If this is a rule it's quite possibly the dumbest rule I've ever heard of. Perhaps the rule only applies if you carry a bow?
its true here in Wisconsin if its the youth hunt and your them mentor
From the MN DNR website:
"An unlicensed adult age 18 or older may assist a licensed wild turkey hunter. The unlicensed adult may not shoot or possess a firearm or bow while assisting a hunter and may not charge a fee for the assistance."
Seems to me as long as you are unarmed, and you should be if you are helping your daughter, then you are good to go. No license required.
Hopefully the next photo will include a bird!!! She has been coming with me since the age of 3. She is now 11 and ready to pull the trigger. She will be using a crossbow until she is competent with a compound! Wish us luck!
Hopefully the next photo will include a bird!!! She has been coming with me since the age of 3. She is now 11 and ready to pull the trigger. She will be using a crossbow until she is competent with a compound! Wish us luck!
Hopefully the next photo will include a bird!!! She has been coming with me since the age of 3. She is now 11 and ready to pull the trigger. She will be using a crossbow until she is competent with a compound! Wish us luck!
apparently I got trigger happy. Sorry for the triple post!
That smile was worth seeing 3 times Hitman! Good luck to you and your daughter! Hope to see her smiling with her bird on the meat pole thread Monday morning!
Her smile=priceless! Great shooting and she's ready to go!!!
Good luck and keep us posted!
Mark
Looking forward to the "rest of the story"!
Good luck to you both!!
Update.....
We hunted the morning with lots of gobbles but little action. We moved for the afternoon hunt. It was a lot of work to carry everything ( including my daughter ) across the river, but we knew we were in the right spot! Everything was perfect including the company. about 2:30 we heard a gobble and responded with a gobble of our own! now we heard several gobbles!!!! We had a hen come in to view. I told my daughter to practice by aiming and keeping the hen in her scope. She told me she didn't want to because she was afraid she would want to pull the trigger.... Before we could discuss this anymore, we had a new target. A beautiful tom in full strut entered the scene!!!! I think I could hear her heart pounding! She struggled to get the bird in her scope as he veered off at a trot a once he closed the distance to the decoy. I told her not to shoot at a running bird, to her credit, she listened, but was feeling dejected. Before we could even stop the tears, we had another 2 toms running in to attack the decoy! She took aim and fired! The shot went a in front of the big tom! We had a GREAT time and I reminded my daughter, that this sport we love so much is has it's ups and downs. This was a tough pill for her to swallow, but by the time we were home and enjoying snuggle time with the whole family, she was letting us all know that she is not giving up and can't wait to go again!!!! Hopefully we will have a different result in 2 weeks when we try again! Thanks for the support guys and we will keep you posted!
Hitman
Awesome Hitman! It may not have ended the way you wanted but it was still an awesome experience for her! The time you spend in the woods with your daughter will be priceless to you both. You'll be amazed at how much you see her grow as a hunter with every trip to the woods. The challenges she faces and overcomes will make that first bird all that much sweeter! My own daughter is still trying to overcome her turkey demons going on 2 years now. She's missed 4 times at toms in the decoys but she's more determined than ever! Check out my thread "Half Pint Turkey hunt", better yet have your daughter read it! Hopefully Kia's turkey hunting struggles will help your daughter a little with her own disappointment at having missed a turkey, it happens more than anyone lets on! Best of luck to you guys!
Keep at it and good luck!
Well, last weekend yielded some results. Although there was a little bit of cheating.... I took my youngest nephew out. Last year was his first year turkey hunting and it was a difficult one at that as he had undergone major surgery to repair his legs from the damage that cp has caused him. We only had one day to hunt and with the terrible weather that day, we didn't see a feather.
This year was a whole new story!!! After another major surgery, Brady is back on his feet and walking pretty well. We used a gun, but with only 1 day to hunt, we were pretty happy with his first big game animal!
Way to go hitman! Beuatiful bird. Congratulations to your nephew!
Hey Brotsky,
Thanks a bunch! Hoping to get my daughter one this weekend! Are you and your daughter going to get another crack? She is one determined young lady! Avery and I wish you both all the luck!
Hitman
She'll get at least one or two more hunts in, we're lucky to have a long season. I've got to kill a bear now! Ha!
Good luck to you and your daughter!
Where are you bear hunting? I used to go to Montana, but I haven't been in years, it wasn't really hunting as I used a gun back then....lol
Manitoba, I leave a week from Sunday! There will be a hunt thread on here if you want to follow along.
Absolutely..... Good luck! Are you going through an outfitter, if so, who are you going with?
Thanks! I'm going with Bear Track...Here's a link to the other thread.
Say " Congrats " to your nephew hitman !
Guys: I like to take youth hunters out. Sometimes they teach us something. My daughter and I went out on the first ever Vermont youth deer hunt. She asked permission to hunt and she and I sat in the pouring rain waiting for a deer. We were visited by a fox at close range and she said it was too bad she couldn't shoot it. I told that she legally could but the pelt was probably not prime. She admitted that she would rather watch it. Success is not always measured by the animals we take but you are not hunting unless this is a possibility. Teach your children well and enjoy. Bob
Here in Wisconsin the mentor has to be licensed, not necessarily a turkey license but licensed so I got my deer hunting license to mentor a young turkey hunter.
Thanks for the feedback back guys! I can't even begin to explain how rewarding it has been to take my daughter and nephews out hunting! When my daughter (Avery) does get a bird, it will be a big celebration, but I have cherished every moment I have spent in the field with her thus far! I hope to have an update for you all on Monday! She said that this time she means business!
Hitman
Thanks for the feedback back guys! I can't even begin to explain how rewarding it has been to take my daughter and nephews out hunting! When my daughter (Avery) does get a bird, it will be a big celebration, but I have cherished every moment I have spent in the field with her thus far! I hope to have an update for you all on Monday! She said that this time she means business!
Hitman
Hitman, one suggestion (you may already be doing but just in case): use a tripod or shooting sticks to help her hold up the crossbow and aim.
It really helps them aim (I even use them myself if I feel like carrying them)
Threads like these get me psyched for taking my daughter (6) and son (3) in the next few years.
Congrats to Brady. Awesome bird. And no doubt Avery will get it done with such a good dad teaching her. Good luck!
My daughter has been going since she was 3 with a crossbow (gun would knock her on her butt) and has killed all three seasons, I have her using a Caldwell shooting tripod so all she needs to do is move left/right and up/down, pull the trigger! You can kind of see the setup inside the blind. Some may not agree with her hunting at that age but she loves it and keeps asking if we can go somewhere else to kill turkeys because her tag is filled here.
It is so fun to read all the posts!!! I had Avery on a monopod. I think I am going to pick up a tripod today. Scoot, she is right handed, but left eye dominate. Avery has been coming with me since she was 3. She has seen me shoot birds and has called in birds! Can't wait till Saturday! Congrats to all the hunters and their children! Keep the photos and comments coming, I plan on having Avery read all of this when we are in the blind on Saturday!
Hitman
Good luck hitman! You are doing the right thing by having her shoot left handed if she is left eye dominant, especially just starting out before she knows any different. My wife is right handed and left eye dominant. She had never shot a gun or bow before we met and we figured out right away she was "wrong eyed" so to speak. We started her out left handed for everything and it is perfectly natural to her now doing all her shooting left handed. As I've posted over the past few years she has killed a lot of critters with that left handed bow! Really looking forward to seeing how you and Avery do this weekend! Good luck!
Good Luck on Saturday Avery!
Good Luck.. I've been fortunate to be with my Son, Daughter & G-Son when they missed & killed their 1st Biggame with a Bow.. Nothing is more rewarding. My problem is I get way more excited with them than when I'm the hunter.
"My problem is I get way more excited with them than when I'm the hunter."
I'm glad I'm not the only one! A doe fawn comes walking in when I'm in the stand with her and I'm shaking like it's a booner hoping that she puts a good shot on it! It's the best feeling in the world!
Brotsky, ahunter55,
Thats exactly what happens to me. I videoed my nephew shooting that tom, but am way to embarassed to share it as I am hooting and screaming like a child at Christmas!!!! My wife laughed her butt off when she saw the video and made me promise not to show anyone out of embarrassment.... LOL
