When to start taking the kids.

[Muledeer4me]

Schmalts,asked a good question about when you should let kids see an animal being gutted ,I though it might be interesting to see what everyone else thinks.


First off I think parents know there kids the best and should use that as a guide but,
I think most kids handle the hunting and cleaning aspect better then you might think,(or better then most of the moms might think LOL)
Our son was three years old the first time he watched, his comment was "Dad ,it looks like jello ,but it's not!!!" Steve told him what he was going to do and that he didnt have to watch or could leave anytime ,but this is how we get meat .
At two our grandaughter would ask if we were going to get the yuck out of it.
Then at 6 she helped her dad by holding a leg and packing out the heart and liver.
Now at 9 she want's to help do everything,including butchering.
She has been in camp with us starting when she was 3mo old so she had always seen us bring in dead animals and as she got older she would play while we were skinning .
We always talked about it being food and that's where it came from.
Our grandson was also in camp as a baby so he grew up seeing everything from when it was brought back into camp.
He is four now and just did his first hunt where he saw it from start to finish on a moose.
He saw the moose before his dad shot it ,got to hike in to where it fell watch us all as we worked on it tag it, gut it ,skin & quarter and pack it out all the way to cooking and eating it.


Let's hear how the rest of you do it with kid's.

 

[GatoMan]

My dad packed me on his back when I was 9 months old.....been hunting every since

 

[Delw]

My oldest daughter was hunting with me with in 3 months of her birth, Iused to quail hunt and coyote hunt carrying her in her carseat for yote hunts and when quail hunting I would carry her in one arm and use my .410 in the other.
I didnt hit very many birds but I was able to take her with me.

My son on the other hand was a little different, I started taking him out around 4 or 5 and mainly duck hunting. he didnt walk real good until he was older.
He loves to hunt now and asks pretty much everyday I am home, I will probally be taking him out duck hunting this year hes 11 now.
my oldest daughter is 14 and she still likes to hunt.

My little one well she hasnt been yet but has been asking about it, so I will probally take her with anthony while duck hunting this year.


Delw

 

[MarvB]

As said earlier, my daughters started fishing "with me" via backpack before they could even walk. They saw their first deer shot at the ages of 1 (doubt she saw it ) 3 and 6.
All saw game gutted and processed (and helped for that matter) at the ages of 3-4 and were very fascinated by the whole thing.

They got to be "bird girls" on the dove hunts beginning at age 5 (with a very select group of CAREFUL hunting partners) and the oldest began actively hunting small game at 8 with her old man!

Ya just gotta get em' on game at a young age...

 

[Delw]

Kids are really fasinated by dead things in the woods.

We walked past a dead deer one day(really old) I walked up the hill and sat and glassed, my daughter had went back to the deer and grabbed all the bones and put them in the truck, took them to camp and tried to put the hole thing back together.

Cool pic

Delw

 

[Mojave]

I think modern parents "protect" their children from too many things. Protecting a child is preparing them for the future. If you are going to hunt, show them the reality of it.

 

[FLIPPER]

Alexis just turned 5 and she has been HELPING me field dress deer for 2 years.

While I was hunting in KY with dgibson this year, she left like 17 messages for me opening morning and wanted me to bring the deer home so she could help take their insides out.

 

[Nut]

I agree with all the above.

Herk my kids were cleaning fish way long ago before we all started hunting together. They were not squeamish about it and actually are excited about the cleaning. When it came to the big game they could not get enough of the field dressing. (They are way better at field dressing than I am anyways )

So let em get their hands bloody as soon as you feel it is good for them.

 

[IdahoBugler]

That's funny you brought this up. Just the other day I was preparing to european my elk skull. I started cutting out the eyes and my son comes up and tells me, "Are you going to be in trouble." Then he said, "He's going to be be mad at you." I couldn't stop laughing. I assured him that he wouldn't mind.

 

[Muledeer4me]

IdahoBugler, LOL thats funny.
MarvB, great picture.

It makes my day when I see picture's or hear about kid's getting started hunting or fishing.
We keep all of our antler's and when kids come they love to go through them and ask question's.
More then one set has found another home LOL

 

[PAhunter]

Took my 3 year old this year. She watched the whole process. Had lots of questions. She can't wait to go again.

Sorry pic is blurry.

 

[csutton7]

took both my boys when they turned 3---they saw blood and guts from the get go--they love to go hunting---chris

 

[powderburn]

All 4 of my kids have been a part of the yearly hunt from the time they turned 6. They all enjoy the whole hunt from scouting to the freezer.

 

[T Bone]

My two sons 8 and 5 have been in on numerous small game hunts and have helped in processing big game and birds.

I've attempted to get the 8 year old to actually shoot and score on bunnies and coyotes. Turns out he has severe rabbit fever when sighting. Instead of aiming he vaguely points in the same direction and yanks the trigger.....Need to work on that.

Saturday both boys are going with me swan/goose/duck hunting.

 

[Muledeer4me]

PAhunter,great picture what a cutie.


"Instead of aiming he vaguely points in the same direction and yanks the trigger.....Need to work on that"

LOL TBone ,I know some adults that still shoot like that.
I cant wait for the grandkids to get the chance to hunt game.
We take our granddaughter out and have her shoot at plastic jugs filled with water ,that way you get a good show when they hit them and it keeps there interest up.

The 3-D archery shoot's have sure helped our grandson focus ,but the real test is on live game.

 

[JB Florida]

RABBIT FEEVER!!!!!!!!!!!

That is a good one!

I've been trying to figure out how to keep my 3 yearold quiet enough to bowhunt with me.
I just dont think he can do it.

He will definatly go on a gun hunt in a few short weeks .....is 3 too young to shoot my 300 winmag?
I think he could do it!
You should see him aim that Buzz Lightyear Lazer