Kids and hunting

[88man]

Good stuff!
My daughter started hunting when she was 6ish/7 & killed her first buck at 7. We had alot of time then together and now at 16 we barely have any real time for hunting together. She has softball practice 4 days a week and plays at least 5 games a weekend and goes to a strength coach 3 days a week along with taking 5 AP classes. No time! So i am glad we did it while we did. School and sports are so much more time consuming now than when i was a kid. Just the commuting to games and practice/lifting are over 10 hrs some weeks.

 

[Irrelevant]

As far as sacrificing my own hunting. Hell yes. Whether its their tags or other activities, I don't get much time in a typical year to hunt for myself. Got a nice elk hunt in the Selway for myself this year but I am going to miss pretty much all of Gen rifle season here in Wyo due to their hunts. Don't even get me started about their hockey season eating into my time. But no one forced me to have them so I take this as the price of admission. I don't really miss the hunts for myself that much, hunting with them is really pretty cool. Watching the older boy get better and better at this each year is hard to beat. And learning to enjoy the easier more comfortable hunts with the younger boy gets more attractive the older I get.

I wanted to double like this.

Maybe some of my struggle is that it's taken me almost 20 years become a proficient hunter. There were no family trips growing up. No dad or brothers to show me the ropes. I went with my grandpa for 2 years before health shut him down, and even at that we killed deer the first day both year so it was all of like 3.5 hrs of education. So I've had to learn it all on my own, without the internet, and it's been a struggle, esp here in WA. It's a bit of a copout, but to lust for something for so long, then to finally achieve it... man, it's just hard to give that time away.

 

[2rocky]

Neffa I have 3 daughters who all took Hunter Safety as soon as they could read and keep both ends of a rifle off the ground. They have all been along on some day hunts and have friends who hunt. My oldest I got some awesome opportunities and she killed a deer and a pig her first hunting season. She no longer has any interest in hunting. The middle one said right off she wasn't interested in hunting mammals but was game to go after birds. She never really had success doing it and is more focused on getting into graduate school now. The youngest was a voracious companion before she could really do much of anything, but she never felt the fire to hunt much herself. She got a turkey last year but didn't want to go out this year. She does like shooting trap though.

Maybe I'm too intense for them when we go. But they do enjoy the camping/scouting trips. I just have to accept that. But I gave them the opportunities to learn to like it at a young age...

and now pictures because everyone likes cute kids...You would think they were gonna be INTENSE hunters, but they just didn't really appreciate it...

 

[88man]

I wanted to double like this.

Maybe some of my struggle is that it's taken me almost 20 years become a proficient hunter. There were no family trips growing up. No dad or brothers to show me the ropes. I went with my grandpa for 2 years before health shut him down, and even at that we killed deer the first day both year so it was all of like 3.5 hrs of education. So I've had to learn it all on my own, without the internet, and it's been a struggle, esp here in WA. It's a bit of a copout, but to lust for something for so long, then to finally achieve it... man, it's just hard to give that time away.

Learn it with them that will get them into the sport of hunting

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I wanted to double like this.

Maybe some of my struggle is that it's taken me almost 20 years become a proficient hunter. There were no family trips growing up. No dad or brothers to show me the ropes. I went with my grandpa for 2 years before health shut him down, and even at that we killed deer the first day both year so it was all of like 3.5 hrs of education. So I've had to learn it all on my own, without the internet, and it's been a struggle, esp here in WA. It's a bit of a copout, but to lust for something for so long, then to finally achieve it... man, it's just hard to give that time away.

Who taught you the value in delayed gratification. Seems like that was more valuable than the tents/shooting/ and stalking bits.

 

[brockel]

I know I trapped way more coyotes before kids but it sure is fun taking them along. And the fur shed everything takes twice as long as it use to but she’s learning. And I’m sure the kids snow pants swishing along scared everything within a mile of us but we still had fun. The butchering process is a lot slower too but she loves helping with it

 

[Nameless Range]

Random thoughts. I have 3 kids - 12,8, and 4. The 12 year old doesn't hunt, has no interest, and that is fine. She did take hunters ed, which I view as a requirement. My 8 year old is obsessed with hunting, wants to go along on every hunt I go, and basically asks me what I think about him poaching the huns in our backyard weekly. I write all this to preface the fact that I don't know what I am talking about.

So how to get kids into hunting long term:

-Take them on high percentage hunts.When I fill my whitetail b tag annually a kid or kids are with me.Kids need action.
-Take into consideration their abilities, and if you are going to push them, prepare them. I took my 8 year old on a backpacking trip this summer, and I hyped it up for months leading up to it, and I think it helped.
-Scale your hunts to their abilities. I took the 12 and 8 year old pronghorn hunting last year. One of the finest hunting trips of my life. We could've tented it, and hunted more, but instead I got a hotel with a pool in a nearby town, and shot the first legal buck I found. The kids had a blast, and when I asked them what their favorite part was, it was shooting the red ryder bb gun I'd brought along at a pop can, which we did everytime I stopped to glass.
-Kids are not going to like glassing. Glassing is boring.
-At some point, hopefully after you've eased them into hunting, you can push them. Whether you want to call it misery or type 2 fun, I believe young people, as well as old, probably need more of it.
-If possible, incorporate your significant other into the hunts. If the option of staying home with mom or dad isn't on the table, it will be easier to let that option go in their minds.
-Incorporate fishing. My 8 year old will be in hunting camp later this week. I anticipate him spending every spare minute he has fishing. Kids seem to come easier to fishing than to hunting, for many reasons.

As to question 2, I would say anyone who claims to know the answer to this is BSing. It is much like the conundrum many spouses find themselves in, particularly after they have children, of how much is too much.This is a personal question and so multivariate it would take a long discussion to answer intelligently. I will say this, my dad took my brother and I on 90% of his hunts, and I am grateful for it. So I guess I am leaning toward, if your children want to come with you, take em as much as you can. That's a beautiful thing.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

I wanted to double like this.

Maybe some of my struggle is that it's taken me almost 20 years become a proficient hunter. There were no family trips growing up. No dad or brothers to show me the ropes. I went with my grandpa for 2 years before health shut him down, and even at that we killed deer the first day both year so it was all of like 3.5 hrs of education. So I've had to learn it all on my own, without the internet, and it's been a struggle, esp here in WA. It's a bit of a copout, but to lust for something for so long, then to finally achieve it... man, it's just hard to give that time away.

My upbringing was somewhat similar. My father hunted and loved taking his sons along. But it was pretty much only birds. He didn't have much of an interest in big game. He took me and my brother on a couple deer and elk hunts but they were very unproductive. When I moved to Wyo, I had to learn it mostly on my own, and with the help of a few friends. They taught me what to do and quite a bit of what not to do. Funny thing now is I rarely hunt birds. It is tough to give some of it up and I don't consider it a copout at all. Its real and true. All the more reason to do like @SnowyMountaineer said and make sure you save some time for yourself. Its also a lot of fun to help build and teach others, particularly when you start to see them get good at something. A healthy mix of both is good for all.

First things first, you need to get out of WA. Learning curve is too flat. Move to Wyo. You'll reach legendary status before you know it.

 

[Irrelevant]

-Kids are not going to like glassing. Glassing is boring.

My son reminded me of this every time we stopped to glass. If we weren't actively hiking he was bored. And if we were actively hiking he was tired/hot/cold... or bored.

-At some point, hopefully after you've eased them into hunting, you can push them. Whether you want to call it misery or type 2 fun, I believe young people, as well as old, probably need more of it.
-If possible, incorporate your significant other into the hunts. If the option of staying home with mom or dad isn't on the table, it will be easier to let that option go in their minds.

I actually spit coffee all over my desk at that. The only hunts my wife might actually enjoy, are birding hunting with the dog, and even that is just a maybe. I once asked her why she doesn't ever want to come. Her response, "Why don't you like to do things that are actually fun?" She doesn't find hikes to places without pretty views, or camping in the cold, or sitting in the rain, to be fun. It's the whole delayed gratification thing.

-Incorporate fishing. My 8 year old will be in hunting camp later this week. I anticipate him spending every spare minute he has fishing. Kids seem to come easier to fishing than to hunting, for many reasons.

Mine really don't, but it's probably that I don't have a clue how to catch fish that are supposed to be "easy", I know how to steelhead fish, and you can't legally do that anymore (at least that's what it feels like). Don't ask me how to catch a bluegill, I don't think I could do it if my life depended on it.

 

[pre6422hornet]

Going through this currently. We have 4 daughters ( 6,8,12,14). The 14 year old has been hunting for 5 years now. She has never taken an animal, although she has been on the scope, safety off, animals in front of her ready to squeeze but always there is an issue. She is a great shot. I just think she really doesn't have an interest in harvesting anything. 12 year old harvested her first deer two seasons ago and can't wait to do it again. She didn't get an opportunity last year because we were trying to get her older sister a shot.

Our 9 year old wants to go this year as does the 6. Having 4 children in the blind is going to be one tough go. 2 is trying enough.

Me.... I haven't "buck" hunted since 2016. Since then I have spent all my time in the woods with the girls trying to get them opportunities whether with a crossbow or a rifle. I have taken my share of does ( as we rifle hunt a property during Missouri's doe season) but it is so much more about them for me now. I could care less if I shoot anything. Keeping it interesting for them is what I strive for now as I don't want them to lose that desire to do it. I also am an adult onset hunter so this is new territory for me. I grew up in a fishing family on Lake Erie. We were in the boat as soon as we could walk.

Unfortunately the oldest told me two weeks ago she doesn't want to make the trip this year. When I asked her to explain she basically confirmed my suspicions that she enjoyed the "trip" more than the actual trying to harvest. I told her that it didn't matter to me if she ever shot anything, I loved spending the time with her in the truck, late night gas station snacks, Pizza Ranch!!, telling bad Dad jokes, swearing... etc... She was glad I felt that way because last year we came home empty handed for the first time with no meat because she didn't pull the trigger and she felt bad. It didn't help that her younger sister kept saying over and over " I would have smoked her". haha. She still loves eating venison, loves to help skin out, cut up, etc... she just doesn't have any desire to shoot. Big Deal.

Now this year I actually get a little time to hunt by myself here in Indiana on public so I am looking forward to it, but in all honesty every time I am in the woods by myself ( last spring turkey hunting for example) I totally missed the kids being with me. Hunting by myself from 1996-2013 I became pretty much a one man show, but since then the kids are a part of my plan and it doesn't feel the same.

Just last night our 8 year old asked me if I would hike the Rockies with her. Anytime baby.. anytime.

 

[np307]

My boy is way too young for anything like this, so I can't offer a parent's perspective on handling these hunts. I did, however, spend several years as a youth pastor in a fairly rural part of the state and had many requests to go squirrel hunting and fishing. I heard someone talking about training squirrel dogs one day and took it to heart. He said, "you've got to decide if you want to train the dog or hunt squirrels. Can't do both." I walked around plenty of sections of timber with those boys, not killing very much but giving them the most valuable thing I had, time. I still talk to them occasionally and we still laugh about some of the antics those days held. It also helps that our deer season is 3.5 months long and squirrel season is longer.

 

[Irrelevant]

First things first, you need to get out of WA. Learning curve is too steep. Move to Wyo. You'll reach legendary status before you know it.

"I'll never leave Montana Washington brother."

Side note on how true your statement is though. I drew a whitetail doe tag with 4 points (but probably only 20% odds at that level). You might think that it would be an "gimme" tag. O contraire, two days and we only saw 3 does, all flushed out from our feet. I bet the success rate is under 25%.

 

[Redman]

Be it kids or someone who has never experienced hunting it makes your % for success drop greatly. In my opinion there is a point in life where you have harvested enough animals that the experience out weighs the harvest success. I now enjoy the excitement of others experience versus my harvest success. Be it seeing new landscape for the first time or first game species..the excitement that they have, that I take for granted is just as rewarding for me...if not more so. My wife was blessed to take in so many firsts this season and was even there when I killed my bull she was hooked regardless if I tagged out. I have only taken one person out that didn't absolutely love every moment and he was an experienced whitetail hunter from the midwest.
On the other hand you can't make it so hard and uncomfortable that they never want to do anything like it again. End of the day it is putting the "new" person's needs above your own wants and desires. That is the part you have to come to terms with before you decide to introduce anyone to it.

 

[Hem]

Don't know if my daughter is reacting to her upbringing....at 14 she is already thinking about college out of state.
" No offense Dad, but when I graduate I am out of here".
The girl needs a whole lot more than small town Montana.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

"I'll never leave Montana Washington brother."

Side note on how true your statement is though. I drew a whitetail doe tag with 4 points (but probably only 20% odds at that level). You might think that it would be an "gimme" tag. O contraire, two days and we only saw 3 does, all flushed out from our feet. I bet the success rate is under 25%.

You defiantly have that delayed gratification thing down. Should change your screen name to Sting.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

-If possible, incorporate your significant other into the hunts. If the option of staying home with mom or dad isn't on the table, it will be easier to let that option go in their minds.

Didn't even think about this but it's 100% true. My parents did everything together. With few exceptions there was never a "not going" option.

 

[2rocky]

it's been a struggle, esp here in WA. It's a bit of a copout, but to lust for something for so long, then to finally achieve it... man, it's just hard to give that time away.

Because it's easier to tell someone else what they aughta do than do something yourself...


Just because your local Deer Season is 2 weeks long doesn't mean you have to take the kids for the whole two weeks of the season. They could come for the weekend. You could hunt your ass off before and after they join you, and focus those 2 days on their enjoyment. A hungry dog hunts harder.

You can hunt Idaho like every other E.Washingtonian. Not sure if Palouse wheat farmers still let you hunt pheasants when you just drive up and knock on their door. Longer seasons, more general tags, a spring bear hunt. For what it is worth, Oregon side of the Snake River offers much the same opportunities. Plus you can drive to some cool summer camping places in the summer for family vacations.

Hunt without a weapon....Make summer camping trips backpacking or car camping one on one with each kid. Go to a coveted once in a lifetime unit and spot elk and deer and bears in their summer mode. Glass 'em up and Phoneskope 'em. Especially if they are species you don't see regularly at home. Jet boat trips are awesome for this.

Small game. Prairie dogs, ground squirrels, rock chucks, Eurasian Collared doves, coyotes. Anything that makes a target rich environment in what is an "off" season. I believe people should have to demonstrate 3 small game kills before they get a big game license.

And fishing...The gateway to the outdoors for a lot of people. The saying "it ain't about catching fish" is sure dead on. I don't think I could do a backpack trip if there wasn't a destination in mind...There is a lot less success pressure on a fishing trip than a hunting trip.

 

[FlatlanderAZ]

I would give up every tag for the rest of my life if I had to in order to be able to hunt with my kids.

 

[marksjeep]

14 year old daughter, 12 year old son, many similar struggles. Both have been with me on hunts for many years now. Both had hunter safety at an early age, and both are very active in shooting sports.

I've been lucky the past few years and draw some really neat tags. Kids do not go on those hunts. They are too young to appreciate the gravity of the tag or the effort which has been put into the research and prep for hunt. I also try to reserve a little time to go hunt with friends, even if I don't have a tag. I'll make the drive and hang out in camp with buddies for a night. Those are "me" hunts, and honestly, they take a lot of the pressure of the kids hunts.

I've struggled with both kids for varying reasons. But, they both keep coming back for more and want to go again this year. I agree completely on separating them if you can. My son would probably be OK, but there is no doubt that my daughter is all about the one on one time. We talk for hours about nothing. Each kid is different, and if you separate them, you can focus the time on what makes each one tick individually.

A few things which I think have helped keep them interested. We try to do some hunts with friends. Their friends. We did a dad/daughter hunt last winter with some friends from 4H. It helps that the dad is a friend of mine as well. When the girls would get bored, they would hop in a truck together and do whatever, and giggle and have fun. Greg and I would get out in the cold and glass. It's all good, the girls had fun even though we tent camped in singe digits and didn't see squat for elk.

Keep it reasonable. I'm going to lose them after 2 days. They just aren't there. I can get a weekend out of them, but then they are done. Even if there are animals around, they are probably done. I just have to accept that hunting is not the same for them, as it is for me, and this is their hunt, so that's ok. Because I already did mine or have one planned.

Where I struggle the most is with my expectations for them, and how much effort they put into a hunt. I could not care less if they kill a critter. But, I want to see the effort. I struggle with knowing how much effort is right for a kid.

Great thread and great to see so many responses.

 

[Europe]

Neffa3

Each person and each persons family are so different, which makes each persons response different, but----hopefully, you will be able to garner something from each response or several of them, that will help you decide what will work best for your family.

In my case I will always be grateful for growing up on a ranch in Arizona, in the 1940's. hunting and fishing were available year around, after you finished your chores.

Even our children benefited from being able to hunt and fish the ranch, but it wasn't the same as they were only able to visit on holidays and the summer months.

This is what we did and upon reflection, I would do it again. We deliberately had our children very close together. When they started school, we concentrated on building a business and supporting them, until they left for college. During that span of approx. 15 years we supported them in all their endeavors. A variety of sports, cheerleading, art, music, etc. as well as as many different types of "travel" activities, so as to give them the broadest view of the world we could before they left for college. From rafting the Colorado river to broadway plays in New York, as well as "hunting" and "fishing" One of our trips that they seem to always work into a conversation about their father was a hunting trip we took to Alaska, but all they talk about is the float plane experience, and the campfire one night making "smores" And how when they fished Alaska, it wasn't fishing it was catching. During those 15 years we did go on some hunting and fishing trips, but without a doubt hunting and fishing was on the back burner for 15 years.

I started hunting at about ten, and was able to do so until I was past 85. That is 75 years. That means out of 75 tears I gave up hunting for 15, in order to support my children and what they were interested in doing each of those 15 years ( and it changed each year, sometimes several times a year )

I have no regrets and IMHO neither will you when you look back at what your children accomplished via your support, whether it was hunting related, or not. And I will guarantee you they will remember, your supporting them, regardless of the activity they choose to pursue.

Didn't even think about this but it's 100% true. My parents did everything together. With few exceptions there was never a "not going" option.

Everything we did, was as a family. Did my husband always like it, probably not, did I always like it, probably not, but the kids loved it, then and now. Their eyes still light up when they ask me " do you remember when you and dad took us kids ------?" Like Wilm1313, yes I remember it well

And fishing...The gateway to the outdoors for a lot of people. The saying "it ain't about catching fish" is sure dead on. I don't think I could do a backpack trip if there wasn't a destination in mind...There is a lot less success pressure on a fishing trip than a hunting trip.

I agree : I always enjoy that song by Trace Adkins " Just Fishin" "And you thought we were, just fishing"

All you fathers with daughters need to listen and watch the video of this tune so true