Getting Your Kids Started

[zach_destroys]

My daughter is 3 and a half and I took her squirrel hunting for the first time. We made it about 15 minutes before she declared that she was "Tired and boring". It was too cool to have her with me, didn't see anything but you have to start somewhere.
How and when did you get your kids involved?

 

[CUElk]

Probably around 5 I would take them on afternoon hunts. I would pick days where they would be comfortable and places where it would be likely that we would see wildlife. My oldest took it and ran with it; my youngest, not so much. We have to get em out there and at least try. I heard a local wildlife officer speaking the other day, just in the last few years there has been a 5% drop in license purchased. Kids just don't seem as interested as they were when we were growing up, too many distractions and entertainment at their fingertips.

 

[zach_destroys]

My cousins son just turned 12 and is involved in some sports and stuff but nothing hunting or shooting related. He looks up to me quite a bit I think so I'm going to talk to my cousin to see if they would be ok with me teaching him some shooting and gun safety and maybe get him really interested in it. There is a big void in mentorship out there right now.

 

[maxx]

I started both boys out with duck hunts during the early season. It was more of a walk than anything. Once they wanted to go then we left.

They both started hunting deer at 7 and they both killed their first deer that year. They have been hooked since.

My daughters first hunt was when she was 7 also. We hadn't really done much else. I picked up a crossbow on closeout from a store going out of business. She shot it all summer and liked it so we headed out. She killed a 6 point on her first ever sit. WE had plenty of snacks and a heater in the blind.

 

[Sawtooth]

Keep it fun and let them make the call when enough is enough. Like mentioned above game rich environments are more important than trophy quality. Better to leave early and have them wanting more, than to leave when they are already tired of the activity. Took my son on his first elk/deer hunt when he was 5. Shot a spike bull and he was hooked.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Sooner the better but you have to make it fun! Even if that means not getting anything, my deal was just be successful, even if that means shooting a Doe/Cow/small buck or hunt off the road or 4 wheeler, than ween them off the easy stuff. Both my wife and daughter did there first pack on trips this year. Don’t be too pushy about it! I believe I have a good system.
Matt

 

[mtlilguy]

My earliest memories started when I was around 6. I grew up in the south and my Dad would take me, some snacks, and a sleeping bag to the box stand. From what I remember, most of the time I was in the sleeping bag laying on the bottom of the stand. My dad would get me up when something showed up and I would watch the deer or turkeys or whatever it was until I was cold or wanted to lay down again. Took hunters safety at 8 when I got my first rifle and the rest is history.

 

[Irrelevant]

Started at 3. Just took both of them (5 & 8) for chukars on Saturday and ducks on Sunday (with a couple of their friends). Keep them warm, dry, and fed, but other than that I don't sugar coat what actual hunting is. They are expected to be quiet, patient, and not complain. I always end the trip with ice cream on the way home. So far so good.

 

[ZMT588]

Took my 5 1/2 year old for a doe hunt a couple weeks ago. Didn’t end up getting anything, but it was FUN AS HELL. Just something from the usual grind of hiking miles for mule deer, to sitting waiting for whitetail to show up was the most fun I’ve ever had on a hunt. We hiked approximately 1/2 mile and I got to show her a bunch of tracks, bedding areas, and scrapes. Before I knew it we were walking along and SHE pointed out beds that I had missed along the way! We had tons of deer around us and it was just fun showing her deer behavior. Lots of opportunity too shoot a deer but I had more fun just being out with her one on one.

Start em young, otherwise you will miss the opportunity to engrain the hunting life style into them.