So I'll be that guy

[Travis9221]

Recently I just had twins. Most of last year's deer season was spent in a nicu or at the hospital due to my kids coming very early. I have hunted sense I can remember even if it was only following the guys with a BB gun. In a new age world where hunting is awful guns are the devil and every animal has feelings I get laughed at when I tell people I want my kids out side and in the woods as soon as possible. Also 90% of all people I have ever taken hunting say (I take the fun out of it) because I push people so hard. That goes from hiking far to sitting in miserable conditions and everything in between. This part scares me I want my kids to enjoy hunting with me but I also want them to understand it's hard work to be productive as often as you can. So I'm new to this site I few every one that hunts out of a saddle a little more determined then someone sitting in a ladder stand because it's easy.

So here is the question. What is the best advice you as a hunter and a parent. Give to someone that really wants his kids in involved in the out doors and hunting. What's the best way to start them and how soon can I get them out there and they enjoy it.

 

[Jefferson10940]

I read a book called “Old enough to hunt with dad” to my son every night until he was able to ask me to read something else. Lmao. He startled turkey hunting last year at age 13. He’s been fishing on and off for a long time.


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[flinginairos]

First off, congrats on the kiddos, that's awesome! My kids are four and ten and I have had both of them involved in the "outdoors" since they were born practically lol. My son is ten and I have been taking him hunting since he was about five. There were days when I for sure pushed him too hard and I really had to back off and make it easier on him or he didn't want to go. These days I ask him if he wants to go, most times he does, other days he doesn't want to and I don't force him into anything. It's certainly a fine line of teaching them that hunting can be hard and pushing them to the point they don't want to go. Make it fun for them, don't expect them to go as far/long as you or endure the weather you can. My son is at the age he can keep up and handle harder hunts and I can't wait to get him in the saddle this year!

 

[Vtbow]

I have 2 boys, a 4 month old and a 4 year old. I got my 4 year old a suction cup bow for his 3rd birthday. I"m going to build him a pvc bow thanks to @Wirrex this year. I shot a bear this season and he ran around the house hiding under tables and shooting his bow for like a week pretending to bear hunt. If you seem excited about it, they will too. He already wants to take his hunter safety course and go hunting. I"m not going to push him in the woods, but I'm all in if hes excited about it. I've been hunting since I was 8 with my father--mostly walk and stalk kinda deer hunting and upland game. didnt shoot a lot of deer, but it never was boring. The last 15 years or so of my life I"ve been super into it, and when he still lived here we hunted hard. like pounded 12+ miles a day hard. Styles can change over time and thats ok--get them excited and keep them in it for the long haul is going to be my philosophy.

 

[Deltahuntr]

Most everyone I know that grew up hunting and still hunts all started squirrel hunting first. I have talked to people on multiple occasions that only went deer hunting and say it’s boring. People who went duck hunting complain about miserable conditions. Make hunting fun, let them walk, talk ask questions and shoot.

 

[ImThere]

don't force them I literally am the poster child for that, and guess what? not one of my kids hunt they will fish

 

[KelvinM12]

Welcome to the site! Thanks for asking great questions. All of us hunters that have kids have asked the same questions you are. There's A LOT that could be said. First, I would remind you that everyone is different, both kids and parents. Different personalities, strengths, desires, experience, etc. All that will make a difference in what you will do with your kids, and how they will react. In my opinion, there is no one way to do it. I've learned that the hard way sometimes. For example:

I started my first son (now 19) off early, taking him everywhere, going out in all kinds of conditions, etc. Wrong move. He wasn't excited about everything outdoors like I was, and didn't appreciate conditions that were less than ideal. I learned from that and slowed down with him, took him under better conditions for shorter times in order to hopefully give him better introductory experiences.

My daughter (now 12), talked a great game about turkey hunting last year. I took cautionary and progressive steps to her actually shooting a .410, which I thought would be easy. First real shot, cried. I encouraged her, but let her make her own decision. She passed on shooting last year, but is ready to go at it again and already asked about it on her own.

My middle son (now 15), is all over hunting and everything that goes with it. He loves the entire process and wants to know the "why" behind everything. He can hunt or scout a long time, never see anything, and still have a great time.

Point is, they are all different. Be flexible, patient, and encouraging. You'll have wins and losses, and learn from them all!

 

[skell]

Congrats! I would echo much of what has been said. I have 2 boys (2 and 5). My approach is to get them out into the woods or fishing whenever possible. I don't push. If they do not want to go, that is ok. Take the time to embrace the parts that intrigue them...even though it may take away from the purpose of the trip. Meaning if they see something cool to them...stop walking/hunting/fishing to take the time to let them ask questions and be sure to ask them what they think/feel about the stuff they are discovering. Encourage the curiosity and discovery.

Be flexible, patient, and encouraging. You'll have wins and losses, and learn from them all!

Great advice for all aspects of parenting!

 

[elk yinzer]

Congrats! I have 1 and 3 so I'll be getting little partners tagging along in no time. Just be cool and your kids will want to emulate you. I just remember thinking what a cool cat my dad and other family members were when they killed stuff. Just being around it I was full blown addicted by the time I was allowed to go. Don't push them to do anything. Definitely don't be that guy that's out there trying to have his 4 year old kill a deer. I shake my head at that stuff. Start with little short hikes and work your way up to squirrels and groundhogs, real skill builders. Let them see your dead stuff and get super stoked. Start going on longer scouting hikes and asking their input as they get older. Little tidbits here and there to build woodsmanship. I wasn't allowed to hunt until I was 12 and I still think that's a great think as it builds anticipation. I don't think much younger I would have been mentally prepared.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

I let my daughter set her own pace when she was younger. I encouraged her to go but certainly didn't push it. I also didn't take her if I knew conditions were going to be bad and/or I was planning on hunting longer than she would be able to. We started with basics like firearm safety and shooting the .22 and moved up to turkey and deer hunting.

I also set some hunt dates there were specifically for her when she was younger. For example, Michigan has a special youth deer season where I could take her out when she was young and the hunt was all hers. I never applied pressure on her to shoot anything, in fact I always preached the opposite. I'd tell her "Its your call, if you're not comfortable don't pull the trigger." To this day (she'll be 25 this summer and has a daughter of her own now) we still have the tradition of a Thanksgiving morning deer hunt that we've never missed since she could legally hunt. We also have never missed sharing opening day of rifle season together. We also still set up several turkey hunts together each year where I call for her. Still trying to accomplish that double. Truth be told I think she likes turkey hunting more than deer hunting.

Is she totally obsessed with hunting like her dad? No, but that's ok. We share the hunts we can and we both enjoy it. I do have to say that personally my happiest hunting memory to date was sitting right behind her looking over her shoulder when she shot her first buck. I've never been more excited about harvesting any other buck in my life.

All you can do is point them in the right direction and set a good example and let nature take its course. Good Luck and Great Memories!

Edit: Had to slip the picture in . . .

 

[Nutterbuster]

I have been into hunting as far back as I can remember. Honestly, my dad says I got HIM into it as much as he got me into it. I vividly recall going hunting with my dad at 4 years old, and killed my first deer at 7 or 8.

As my wife and I move through life, I've thought about what you're thinking about. I've got good news and bad news.

Good news: kids typically get excited about things their parents get excited about, if there's a good relationship.

Bad news: kids aren't carbon copies of you. They will like things you don't, and be indifferent about some of your passions.

My dad never pushed me into hunting. Looking back, it's obvious that he sacrificed his own "serious" hunts and catered to me some, but I remember feeling like I had to earn my place in the blind. If he said we were getting up at a second time, he'd wake me up, but he wasn't letting me sleep in. If I got antsy and couldn't sit still long enough, there was no guarantee I was going back immediately the next day. He never turned it into a torture-fest, but he'd push me when we went scouting.

I think a big part of hunting is that feeling of proving yourself as a man. Why do we seek out big, mature deer with heavy antlers? Not because they're tasty or easy to kill, but because it proves we can go beyond simply surviving. I always felt like I was a "big boy" sitting in that blind. Dad talked to me in ways that he didn't talk with my little sisters. "Man talk." I DESPERATELY wanted to do it. He had a "pull" vs a "push" strategy that worked marvellously.

On the flip side, my dad was a competitive athlete as a younger man, and has been in construction his whole life, but I never gave 2 figs for that. Can't fathom sitting through a ballgame, or entering a race. Not my thing. He bought me toy guns, baseball cards, and Tonka Trucks. The last two didn't do anything for me, and he respected that. He encouraged me when I picked up guitar, even though he's NOT a musician. He was excited, and a little bemused as I developed into my own separate person.

I hope I can be as good of a dad as he was, and respect my kid's individuality over my desire to share what I feel is important.

 

[ricky racer]

Congratulations on the new family. I would suggest getting your kids interested in shooting bows early. Kids all love to shoot bows and watch the arrows fly. I've never met one that didn't. Buy them simple recurve bows so you don't have to worry about fitting the bows to match their draw length I started my daughter shooting when she was 2-1/2 years old.
Here are a few pictures of her at the Michigan Bow Hunters Rendezvous when she was just 3 years old. Yes, she was hitting the targets even at 3 years old.

I think that if you start them off shooting early and they hear your stories about hunting over the years will naturally lead them to wanting to bow hunt. Take them out with you once in a while during the season to a location where you will have a high probability of seeing deer, even if it's just does.
I rarely gun hunt but started taking her out during firearms season just because the likelihood of me shooting a buck with my bow with a youngster beside me in a tree was slim. By taking her out during firearm season I was able to take a couple of bucks with her by my side.
The downside is once they are to the age where they can legally hunt, they have so many distractions at school like sports, band or the opposite sex...

 

[don]

Congratulations on the birth of your twins!

You must fight the urge to "work hard so you can be a productive hunter'. Hunt that way if/when they are not with you.

I speak to my own experience as I struggled with trophy hunting on my mind 24\7 while assuring that my 8 yr. old daughter was comfortable, entertained (UNO cards in the turkey blind) and content, even though I knew if we'd only pushed a little harder I might have seen the "Hatford" buck. Emphasis on "I".

Your life has changed ... for the better. Those memories of time spent are among the best I will ever have.

Another suggestion : keep a journal in camp so they can log what they saw - in their own words- I promise you that will be a treasure for the rest of your life as you review that time capsule and see how they grew in their writing and drawings.

 

[Vtbow]

@don the journal is an AWESOME idea. I think I'll start that with my sons now.

 

[Oldnotdead]

Congrats!, Lots of good replies here. My grandson is 3 ,4 in Aug. Every time he's here take him out to one of the blinds for a sit. We talk and I point out critters. He plays with the windows ,squeals every so often. Listens to me turkey,deer, and crow call. Though it's noisy, lots of movement and laughter I do manage to get gentle talks about sssshhhh to see animals.
What he takes away from it is " GRAMMA TOOK ME TO THE HUNTING BLIND!!!! " She made turkey talk,I saw a squirrel!
That is all that matters at this point. When he was a baby the car seat was put in the Gator and I would slowly drive through our woodland trails so he could see the trees and surroundings.

 

[SaddleUpPartner!]

Recently I just had twins. Most of last year's deer season was spent in a nicu or at the hospital due to my kids coming very early. I have hunted sense I can remember even if it was only following the guys with a BB gun. In a new age world where hunting is awful guns are the devil and every animal has feelings I get laughed at when I tell people I want my kids out side and in the woods as soon as possible. Also 90% of all people I have ever taken hunting say (I take the fun out of it) because I push people so hard. That goes from hiking far to sitting in miserable conditions and everything in between. This part scares me I want my kids to enjoy hunting with me but I also want them to understand it's hard work to be productive as often as you can. So I'm new to this site I few every one that hunts out of a saddle a little more determined then someone sitting in a ladder stand because it's easy.

So here is the question. What is the best advice you as a hunter and a parent. Give to someone that really wants his kids in involved in the out doors and hunting. What's the best way to start them and how soon can I get them out there and they enjoy it.

First off congrats on the twins!

Second, I'm not a father but my wife and I plan to start a family within the next year or two. We often talk about technology and the outdoors and the effect it has on kids getting out and being kids. I'm only 30 so I still remember the days of sitting inside all day and playing video games with friends(some of my friends are still this way). I think part of the reason I was drawn to the outdoors and hunting and fishing is because of the memories I created with my dad. He always took me hunting and it wasn't always a successful hunt, we got skunked A LOT, but the magic was the camp life, food and the laughs. I was so hard wired to not getting that instant success that it left me always wanting more. Just seeing a deer was a successful season because we hunted public land in the upper peninsula of Michigan during gun season. The deer up there are like phantoms, only leaving tracks where you walked only hours before. Even the act of opening the gun safe was special because it meant it was getting close to hunting season. Same goes for ice fishing. The experiences of just being together with my dad was enough.

I'll offer this advice in saying all that.
1. Don't make it work, it's supposed to be fun! Sitting in the cold when you're a kid is extra crappy and I remember times out ice fishing and my hands or feet would FREEZE. If it was time to go, it was time to go. It's one thing if they're being whiny 5 minutes in, it's another if they're genuinely cold or tired or bored.
2. Start slow. I remember I couldn't start small game hunting until I was 10 or so. Deer was 14 with a gun and 12 with a bow(I couldn't pull 45-50 lbs back until I was in HS). Small game hunting like squirrels was the perfect way to learn to be patient, quiet and learn to listen in the woods. Leave them wanting more.
3. Make hunting about memories and not the harvesting and being tough. Have them pay attention for cool birds or trees or animal tracks. Nature has a way of engulfing people with how neat it is so that part might be easy. One of my fondest memories was when I saw a calf moose in the upper peninsula(a little too close for comfort). Another was shooting my first buck with my dad standing right next to me. Those two memories are totally equal in my book because I was with my favorite hunting partner in the whole world.

Hopefully this advice helps and I'm sure you will do fine. You will know your kids better than anyone else.

 

[Jimmyfunk60]

Congrats on the twins man. I have two step kids that are now 12 and 14 that both have killed deer daughter at 9 a doe and son at 10 a nice little buck. She since then has passed a lot of deer waiting on a good buck and only wants to bow hunt. He has shot a few more deer and only wants to gun hunt. I have 10 acres at my home and border a 350 acre tree farm.. I have a good plot and feeder that I do year round and it’s only for the kids or a new hunter. It’s pretty much a slam dunk spot for seeing deer every hunt and we have tons of does. I’ve only laid eyes on toe decent bucks here so I never hunt it but it’s great for the kids. The first year we had a double stand hung now we have a shooting shack that’s 12 feet off the ground.. Keep them happy and comfortable and I never force them to go... my wife and job affords me a lot of hunting time so if the kids ever ask to go I don’t hesitate. If they want to hunt they will be into it if not find an eager kid that wants to and help get them started.. we talked about hunting and the number of hunters while setting up a drive I was the youngest guy everyone else was over 50’s-60’s. I remember when everybody and their brother was out hunting during gun season. Now my two year old daughter she’s a straight animal lover. So who knows what she will want to do lol. After being hooked on frozen she loves reindeer.


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[Buckshot1822]

I have a 4 year old daughter, and a 1.5 year old son. I take my daughter out scouting, shed hunting, and checking cams pretty often. Sometimes she lasts a long time, sometimes it's only a few minutes. We are usually close to home if she is with me so I just roll with whatever she wants. And I try and keep it fun for her. I took her out for a little while a few days in deer season, just to get her out. She didnt last long, but that's ok, we still got out. I also have her shooting a mini genesis compound at 3d targets which she really enjoys.

I carry my boy around in the woods a lot checking cams and stuff in a hiking style carrier backpack. He loves riding in it, and loves being outside.

 

[Apex7]

I had my son shooting a bow at the age of five. He started hunting at age of 12 . That's the age in Pa when he could hunt back then. We use to hunt out of hang on stands and the switch to climbers. I kept it fun for him and he also loves the outdoors and shooting bows. We would shoot 3Ds in the summer and practice together in the back yard. He is married now and his wife also loves to hunt. He's like his Dad in that we only hunt with a bow but I can't seem to convince him to try a saddle but I'm still working on it.

 

[swampsnyper]

I got 3 boys. My oldest was 100% into it from birth I believe. Some of his 1st words were hunting related. Before he could count, he could tell you what sounds deer, elk, Turkey, ducks etc make. He was in the woods with me while still in diapers and sitting in a stand with me as soon as he got out of diapers. Took all of them on the 3d courses with their little bows once they could walk the course. My oldest started shooting BB guns at 4. At 5 he was shooting an AR and ready to kill a deer but the opportunity didn’t happen until he was like 7. It was some tuff seasons. But he was ate up with it. My other 2 are nothing like him. My middle one never wants to go but likes going to the camp so that’s good enough. My youngest is now 8 and he said this year he wanted to kill a deer.
All you can do is give them the opportunity. Get them involved in all aspects of the outdoors. Let them choose their way. They will let you know. Each one is different.