Hunting with son

[Homebrew454]

Two part question: I'm going to be taking my son with this year for a special fall gun hunt and or normal November gun hunt in Wisconsin.

1. Should I put him in the same tree as me with both of us in a saddle? I was thinking a tree with a Y or split between in it. I would prefer him to be within arms reach of me and I think it may be required to comply with regulations as well.

2. I'm also making him an iwom xt (picture below) to wear during the November gun season. Would he be able to put his feet in it from a platform? I just think he may be a little frightened to do it at any height. Obviously practice with a saddle would help with the fear.

I'm kind of leaning towards a ladder stand for now with me in my saddle behind him. These are the 2 main concerns I have about putting him in a saddle. He is currently 10.

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[bigjoe]

Just a suggestion, I have always hunted with my kids in a two man ladder stand or a ground blind. I have always been in arms reach to correct any errors with gun handling errors. Two are old enough to hunt on their own. But we still enjoy sitting in a blind together some days.

I know some guys are using the iwom. Personally I would not use it in a saddle. Too much of a chance of misplacing a foot and slipping or inadvertently stepping off your platform.

 

[Homebrew454]

Thanks for the reply. I think I will just continue the plan with the ladder stand for now. I don't think he would be able to handle the cold without the hunting suit in making.

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[bigjoe]

I had a field & dream double ladder stand that I would bring the kids too.

Keeping them warm is half the battle. Keeping them the quiet is the other half. LOL

I remember having my two boys in the blind. We had deer around us. I could hear them moving but could not see them. My little one was probably 7 years old loudly blurted out. “When am I going to see the deer?” Yup 4 or 5 white tails went up. LOL my older son was mad, I just laughed and told the younger one you got to see the tails. LOL

 

[Homebrew454]

I would love to use a blind but there are too many black bears that love destroying them where I hunt. They are still active during the gun deer season as well.

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[JBDaddy]

A ground blind is my best recommendation - you can run a buddy heater in it, it masks a lot of a kids' movement, and ground chairs are more comfortable than a treestand to me, it's how I'd start. That said, I see why it's out of the question.

I took my 12 year old for the first time last year, we went up the same tree in climbers, and ended up back-to-(slightly lower)-back. But he couldn't sit still, got bored, played on his phone, complained about the bugs and couldn't hear me whispering to him about the doe at his 3'oclock (not to mention 3 vs 9, his right vs my right etc). At it's worst, It was like being up in a tree with a washing machine on full spin cycle.

So what I'm suggesting is: Get him started immediately. Scouting trips are great practice - preach on sitting still, being quiet, being patient - all the things he'll have to be capable of for your hunt to be successful - or at least not visibly frustrating. If you're using saddles, get him in it asap to understand how it'll feel & act during a real hunt.

Good luck

 

[elk yinzer]

My opinion, I would start on the ground, no blind. How I started at 10, taught me a lot more woodsmanship than sitting in a tree or blind. No point in taking the easy route, screw up and learn from it is my way. Easy to move a few hundred yards when you get cold, and you don't have to pack heavy gear. Did that for two years then my dad moved me into a loggy bayou climber to start bowhunting. I hated carrying that thing around until I was about 16 and finally put some size on.

 

[Homebrew454]

I've had him out before with a ghost blind but we both can't fit in it. I just can't put out a blind without a bear investigating it and tearing the blind down. Plus I think he will feel safer elevated if a bear comes than if he was on the ground.

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[Homebrew454]

I learned how to hunt 20 feet up in a homemade stand without a safety harness. I climbed up with screw in steps or bolts. Some of the trees my dad put me in were pretty thin. I was afraid to move in some of them for fear of falling.

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[redsquirrel]

The iwom doesn't work great in a saddle.

I think your best option is to have him in some sort of hang on or ladder stand and you can hang behind him in a saddle. My father did this with me in his anderson sling when I was a kid and I have done it with some friends I've introduced to hunting. The system works great!

 

[Homebrew454]

Thanks For all the input. I think in 4-5 years as he gets bigger he will be able to move towards the saddle. For now I will just get him in the ladder stand. We're going to "scout" an area next weekend. It is an area I know really well that no one hunts. Lots of deer travel through it and it is actually close to the road. Everyone wants to go further back into the woods.

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[sdonx]

I always did a ground blind with my son. With a little buddy heater when its cold. He basically sleeps and plays on his phone. I shot a 207lb buck with him a few years back. We scouted that morning and he picked the location. He’s 15 now and a big boy. Im debating next season with maybe a climber


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[EricS]

When I first started hunting with my son he was in a car seat. I had a couple 10’ tower stands and cut the legs off so they were 6’ to the floor. Then I could slide the car seat in and climb up. I have a couple double ladders I will put him in. Last year on public he either hunted with me in a ground blind or him in my millennium and me in my saddle. That actually worked great. This year I hope to have him in a saddle at least part time. 10 isn’t too young for a kid in a saddle but it really depends on the kid. Mine gets nervous climbing a 16’ ladder stand but he will climb to the top of a 20’ climbing stick with no problems because the steps are spaced closer. I want to get another set of wild edge stepps and get him using them then slowly start spacing them farther apart. I had it in the budget but @g2outdoors took all my money. Lol

 

[Chistavocat]

The first 3 years of my daughter hunting we sat in a double ladder stand. We could talk, snack, she could nap and it was enjoyable time spent just the two of us. I fastened a camo cloth to the outside of the stand that I cut down the middle and sewed buttons on for entry and easy closure. Kids can’t sit still and this kept the movement far less noticeable and kept me from pulling my hair out She did shoot a deer every year which really helped with the overall experience. She didn’t always want to go out every day I did and I didn’t push it. The key is to keep it fun and make sure they enjoy themselves. I tried not to worry about how much noise she made or how restless she became, how long she wanted to sit or didn’t want to sit. Bottom line is if they don’t have fun or enjoy themselves, chances are they won’t look forward to going.
My son went out with me for the first time this last year. We scattered a flock of turkeys 60 yds from the stand and slowly they all worked back together right in front of us. It was a great experience of sights and sounds for his first time witnessing the woods coming alive early morning. After they worked off we sat for about an hour before he became bored and wanted more excitement. We went for a walk and sat in a few different locations on the ground. We saw a couple deer. We crossed a creek and watched a mink play in the water and I let him climb into a couple of different stands. My wife and my son are complete animal lovers and I wanted to show him that hunting isn’t all about killing. I wanted to show him that time spent outdoors is some of the best time imaginable and if he felt anything like I did he will surely be back.
The “hunt” was a complete success!

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[Homebrew454]

Yeah I want to get the stand up next weekend and he is going to go and help. He loves being outdoors in the big woods. Except for when we tracked a deer last year that was shot with a bow. Coyotes were howling all around us and he thought he was going to die.... But he recovered nicely and now we joke about it.

I tried to get him out on a food plot last year but I took him out too early and he got bored. I only plan on sitting with him for a couple of hours in the morning and evening. I will be putting something up to cover up his movement. I'm thinking of keeping this stand back a ways (50 yards or more) from the main trail as well as he will be gun hunting from it.

That was us behind the ghost blind in the food plot. Wind made us have to sit in the open more than I wanted. I wanted to sit in a spot where deer had been moving and that food plot was getting hammered. I just went out to early.

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[Chistavocat]

I will have to dig up a couple pics of my daughters reaction after every deer she has killed. She is a great shot and has dropped every deer but one in its tracks. She immediately breaks out crying. The very first one, a 6pt buck, she dropped in its tracks about 100yds out, turned to me crying and said “I just killed some poor does husband”. I will never forget that moment. I’m getting teary eyed just thinking about it. Today she just finished her very last day of high school and is graduating this weekend. She called me this morning at work all choked up. I asked her what was wrong and she said “I only have 5 minutes of high school left, and then it’s all over”. Cherish those special moments, they grow up fast!


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[Homebrew454]

I am cherishing these moments. My daughter is 8 and already talking about how she will only shoot birds and deer. She really wanted to go turkey hunting but I just couldn't take off of work due to our family vacation in August.

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[Guff Dawg]

Yeah I want to get the stand up next weekend and he is going to go and help. He loves being outdoors in the big woods. Except for when we tracked a deer last year that was shot with a bow. Coyotes were howling all around us and he thought he was going to die.... But he recovered nicely and now we joke about it.

I tried to get him out on a food plot last year but I took him out too early and he got bored. I only plan on sitting with him for a couple of hours in the morning and evening. I will be putting something up to cover up his movement. I'm thinking of keeping this stand back a ways (50 yards or more) from the main trail as well as he will be gun hunting from it.

That was us behind the ghost blind in the food plot. Wind made us have to sit in the open more than I wanted. I wanted to sit in a spot where deer had been moving and that food plot was getting hammered. I just went out to early.

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How do you like the ghost blind? Been on the fence about buying one for a long while.

 

[Apex7]

I use to put my son in a hangon and me in my saddle in the same tree. We only bowhunt.

 

[Homebrew454]

Reference the ghost blind, I have used it a couple of times. I bought it to use with my son and daughter but it isn't big enough for 2 people. I have yet to see a deer with it but I am convinced it will work. You really need to have it backed up against brush or a pine, which I didn't do in the picture I attached. They also recommend having it face the sun. When it creates shadows, it really loses some of its effectiveness.... It still reflects but the shade it creates looks out of place.

I think it would work awesome in a corn field. I just hunt the big words so I haven't had the opportunity to try it. It is just another tool to use.

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