Seeing pink confetti fall from our gender reveal balloon was the happiest moment of my life to date. With baby due this summer, it got me thinking about the future and how to get a girl interested in hunting. Any parents have a success story and timeline of how to introduce this lifestyle to a daughter? This first time Dad would love a little hunting partner!
Getting Daughter Hunting
- Thread starter Brachii
- Start date
genesis273
Well-known member
First, Congratulations!!
It all starts with just spending alot of time with her outside of hunting. Nothing is more important to her as she grows as a strong father/daughter relationship. The rest will follow.
Proud member of a strong father/daughter bond! As a matter of fact, my daughter is 24, and we're sitting on the couch watching old "The Office" episodes as I type this...lol! When her and I are home, and the wife is gone (wife hates that show), that is what we do when not hunting or fishing.
It all starts with just spending alot of time with her outside of hunting. Nothing is more important to her as she grows as a strong father/daughter relationship. The rest will follow.
Proud member of a strong father/daughter bond! As a matter of fact, my daughter is 24, and we're sitting on the couch watching old "The Office" episodes as I type this...lol! When her and I are home, and the wife is gone (wife hates that show), that is what we do when not hunting or fishing.
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the nikster
Well-known member
I took my daughter plinking with me as soon as she could pull a trigger. I would help her with the sights but she pulled the trigger. I think she was 4. I got 2 of my kids open sighted 30 30 Marlins for their 12th birthdays as well. We always had a B.B. gun in the house to shoot bugs and mice or voles in the back yard. And we always spent extra money on the shooting games at the fair.
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
As father of 2 daughters (& a son), my advice is to spend lots of time outdoors with her -- bugs, animals, mud, the dark, getting a little cold and wet are all fun things. As she gets older, matter of fact introduction to targets - slingshot, BB gun, air soft pellets, bow & arrow. Sleeping outdoors under the stars. Fishing in age appropriate doses (let her throw everything back she catches if that is what she wants). As she grows older, mix in .22lr at targets and low recoil 20ga at clays. But most important -- fun, outdoors, together -- no stress, no expectations. I would leave "killing things" off the table until she asks to hunt herself, whether birds, squirrels, deer etc. From my view if they grow up liking the rest, hunting is a natural extension. I have seen dad's push the "killing" part of outdoors to soon on daughters (and a few sons) and result in them not only refusing to hunt, but even worse, then turning away from all the other cool stuff outdoors along with it. But in the end each kid is their own person, so she will be who she will be.
Doublecluck
Well-known member
I would start out by saying, do everything you would with a boy, but when she sits on a cactus don't tell her to shake it off...
Start her young in the outdoors, like as soon as she can walk. Always make it fun even if that means driving two hours to hunt for one hour and then leave because she got bored. Remember when you are hunting with kids its about kids first hunting second. I have 6 girls ranging from 6 months to 18 y/o. My oldest started duck hunting with me at the age of 10, she was pretty in to it up until about 15 when I took her on an antelope hunt and after a entire day of chasing bucks, nearly stepping on a rattlesnake and sitting and kneeling on cactus, she had had enough. Since that day she has only been out with me about 3 times. She has always been heavily involved with school activities and that takes up most of her time. Those things just interest her more than hunting. The best I can hope for is that some day later on in life she comes back around and hunts with me a few times. My 16 y/o is the hunter, she started hunting ducks at the age of 10, at 13 she drew a moose tag and her very first day big game hunting, very first big game animal, she harvested a 46" bull moose. From that day forward she lives and breathes hunting. She watches hunting on tv, she shoots pellet guns in the backyard, shoots her bow all the time, is learning how to reload, shoots long range etc. She definitely has the bug, and at this point its a part of who she is, I don't see that changing. My 12 y/o is just about to complete her hunter safety class and is excited to get after some turkeys , she also enjoys training the dog so I could see her sticking with it. My 9 y/o loves all animals at this point and has no interest in killing anything other than ducks because she says they crap everywhere at the park. She does enjoy going hunting with us and always comes out and checks out what we get so there is some hope. lol.. My other two kids are still toddlers so their exposure is just scouting, fishing, camping, watching tv, checking out the animals we bring home.
Based on what I have experienced I can tell you this. All our girls we have introduced to the outdoors fairly young, as it pertains to hunting we usually take them a couple times and then let them choose if they go or stay with Mom. Sometimes they go, sometimes they don't, sometimes they are in to it, sometimes not so much. It seems like there is a key moment when It could go either way, usually around the time they actually start carrying a gun and hunting. I think its important to make sure kids understand that its not about just killing things and more about the experience, but at the same time I feel like its extremely important to make those first few trips where the kid is actually hunting, successful and fun. They are way more likely to stick with it once they have been successful.
The good news is this, when I took my hunters safety course 26 years ago there was 1 girl in the class. yesterday I was at my daughters hunters ed class and it was about 50/50, you got a better chance than ever in my opinion to make your little girl in to your hunting buddy.
Start her young in the outdoors, like as soon as she can walk. Always make it fun even if that means driving two hours to hunt for one hour and then leave because she got bored. Remember when you are hunting with kids its about kids first hunting second. I have 6 girls ranging from 6 months to 18 y/o. My oldest started duck hunting with me at the age of 10, she was pretty in to it up until about 15 when I took her on an antelope hunt and after a entire day of chasing bucks, nearly stepping on a rattlesnake and sitting and kneeling on cactus, she had had enough. Since that day she has only been out with me about 3 times. She has always been heavily involved with school activities and that takes up most of her time. Those things just interest her more than hunting. The best I can hope for is that some day later on in life she comes back around and hunts with me a few times. My 16 y/o is the hunter, she started hunting ducks at the age of 10, at 13 she drew a moose tag and her very first day big game hunting, very first big game animal, she harvested a 46" bull moose. From that day forward she lives and breathes hunting. She watches hunting on tv, she shoots pellet guns in the backyard, shoots her bow all the time, is learning how to reload, shoots long range etc. She definitely has the bug, and at this point its a part of who she is, I don't see that changing. My 12 y/o is just about to complete her hunter safety class and is excited to get after some turkeys , she also enjoys training the dog so I could see her sticking with it. My 9 y/o loves all animals at this point and has no interest in killing anything other than ducks because she says they crap everywhere at the park. She does enjoy going hunting with us and always comes out and checks out what we get so there is some hope. lol.. My other two kids are still toddlers so their exposure is just scouting, fishing, camping, watching tv, checking out the animals we bring home.
Based on what I have experienced I can tell you this. All our girls we have introduced to the outdoors fairly young, as it pertains to hunting we usually take them a couple times and then let them choose if they go or stay with Mom. Sometimes they go, sometimes they don't, sometimes they are in to it, sometimes not so much. It seems like there is a key moment when It could go either way, usually around the time they actually start carrying a gun and hunting. I think its important to make sure kids understand that its not about just killing things and more about the experience, but at the same time I feel like its extremely important to make those first few trips where the kid is actually hunting, successful and fun. They are way more likely to stick with it once they have been successful.
The good news is this, when I took my hunters safety course 26 years ago there was 1 girl in the class. yesterday I was at my daughters hunters ed class and it was about 50/50, you got a better chance than ever in my opinion to make your little girl in to your hunting buddy.
IlliniFIre
Member
Don't over think this. Your child will want to be a part of things that you show passion for. It doesn't matter if it is a son or daughter. If you are showing an interest in them, I think that they are going to want to be with you. I have two daughters, 9 and 5. The oldest was so excited this last year when she got to go out and sit with me in the deer stand during the early archery season. Both daughters have said at different points that they want to follow in my footsteps and become firefighters. I have not told them they should do this or that when it comes to those things. I have just been their father, and have demonstrated the love that I have for it. Your child wants to be with you! Don't over complicate it just because you might have to buy blaze pink. If you build a relationship with them, there will be no problems getting them involved with things that you enjoy. My personal opinion would be that you are more likely to do things that may push a daughter away from outdoors. Let them play in the yard and get dirty. Let them chase birds. If they want to wear a dress while they do it, let them. In fact, don't just let them, encourage it! My 5 year old has asked me if they make dresses in camouflage, because she loves dresses, but she also loves to be out with me doing things. More importantly, if they don't want to, love what they love too. You may have to learn what ballet moves are called and how to do them. You could have to learn all about Disney princesses. It is OK! Be a father. The rest will come.
Sorry about the rambling stream of thought, I had a couple few beverages after a project with friends today.
Sorry about the rambling stream of thought, I had a couple few beverages after a project with friends today.
JM77
Well-known member
The best advise on here.
It makes absolutely no difference if your child is a boy or a girl. If hunting is a heritage in your family, half the battle is won.
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
Spot-on, but I will add to it a little. Kids will want to be part of things that you show POSITIVE passion for. Some guys get so wound up about everything being just right, so demanding, easily angered and frustrated with others -- this is a side of passion too, but the side that will drive your kids away from sharing time with you. In my experience, the older teens that hunt are the ones who had fun with dad/mom when they were younger. I have seen some walk away from the whole deal because they didn't like dad's "intensity". I sadly also know one where the kid is now an avid 24 yr old hunter and fisherman but refuses to do any of it with his dad. His dad was well intentioned, but took it (and himself) too seriously for anyone around him to have fun in the outdoors.
Congratulations to adding to your family.
Short attention spans usually mean shorter intervals of exposure.
Kids get wetter and cold way before adults......more surface area per weight, but also you might be sporting "real" rain gear, and they aren't clothed with as advanced "technical" gear as you have.
Short attention spans usually mean shorter intervals of exposure.
Kids get wetter and cold way before adults......more surface area per weight, but also you might be sporting "real" rain gear, and they aren't clothed with as advanced "technical" gear as you have.
Tons of good advice here. I started them out as infants tent camping. Then graduated to fishing, overnight canoe trips. When they were able to draw a bow or handle a gun I introduced them to that. I always offered to take them on my archery deer hunts even though I knew it would not help my success. I never pushed them but always offered to take them and teach them new outdoor and hunting skills. My oldest daughter shot her first deer at 6 and didn't hunt deer again until out of the blue she asked me to take her at 15. I took her and she shot another one. She is now 19 and in college and hasn't wanted to go hunting the past few years. I think it has to do more with her having a serious college commitment and a young man she wants to spend time with. Josie my 14 year old daughter shot her first deer this past season and we put in for elk tags this fall. I feel if you don't push them, they will take to it better. Just remember boy or girl it is either in them or not. Enjoy them while you can because they grow up quickly!
idnative1948
Well-known member
Good points, here.
CampRipleyLF
Active member
Congrats, I'm a first time father as well and she is about to turn two. I'm looking forward to this summer when she will be able to partake a little more in my passions. Some good information from all of you. Can't wait to pass the tradition on.
It's been said already, but make it FUN for them! I messed that up the first time I really took my oldest. I wanted things to go a certain way and they didn't. I did not react properly. Since then, I just focus on making it fun for them while doing my best to improve out chances for seeing critters. Let them be a part of the decision making. And have FUN!!
Father of 2 girls here. Oldest is 7 and yougest just turned 2. I try to get them out with me as much as possible. The oldest really likes shooting bows together. Started her off at 3 with a toy bow and slowly worked up to a compound. Spending time with my girls outdoors is my absolute favorite. congratulations on the many memories to come. 
SFC B
Well-known member
Congratulations papa!! My "little one" (HP) is 14 and went hunting with me (pigs in TX) when she was 8 after having shot 22s for a couple years at that point. Being around you and wanting to be involved in what you are doing is the key. When you are looking for her first rifle here is my suggestion. Mine loves hers.....
http://www.keystonesportingarmsllc.com/product/crickett-synthetic-rifle-standard-stock/
http://www.keystonesportingarmsllc.com/product/crickett-synthetic-rifle-standard-stock/
