Due to the price increases with leasing my hunting buddies and I decided to forego paying the hefty

[rstallings1979]

increase we were looking at to continue our Midwest lease. The good news is I still have some private property free ground in the area that will easily allow me to hunt this coming fall. The issue is I feel a little unsafe hanging stands alone, being there alone etc even though I am very careful and I use harnesses. The enjoyment of going has always been the fellowship with each other more so than the hunting. The hunting was gravy on top.

My oldest son will be 10 at the time and he is begging to go with me. He doesn't want to hunt himself...he just wants to experience the midwest until he gets to a proper size/strength for a compound. I am starting to consider it just because life is short, it is safer to have someone around in case something happens, and he still thinks I hung the moon. Not sure this will apply in a few years when girls and other priorities enter his life. I have several spots where I could easily put a lock on right next to me or adjacent to me in a tree. I use lifelines as well so he will be hooked in at all times. I also have some ground blinds we could both easily fit in. He will have to miss some school of course. What are your thoughts...is this a dumb idea on my part? He is a very good little hunter, quiet, and is ahead of his years in maturity level. I know school is important but enjoying the outdoors is more important isn't it?

 

[elfiii]

What are your thoughts...is this a dumb idea on my part?

When this day ends it will be gone forever. Do something to cause you to remember every day once they are gone. If you do, they will still be alive forever.

 

[Triple C]

I second what @elfiii said. Both my boys are in the 40's and to this day will tell anyone their favorite part of growing up was going with dear ol' dad to the hunting woods when they were your boy's age. I remember like yesterday the first time I took my oldest and youngest son. They both remember as well.

 

[slow motion]

Take him with you every chance you get.

 

[seeker]

When I was 17, my father asked the school if he could take me out for two weeks for a hunting trip to Newfoundland. The principal said no, so my father calmly explained to him that he was going to do it anyway. He said that I would learn more about people, nature, and the world in those two weeks than I would at school.

We had a wonderful hunt, great memories of the people, food and customs of a different nation. I killed a nice bull moose and still think of that trip every now and then. That was 52 years ago.

 

[specialk]

ditto to what others have said....if you dont you will regret it later in life......

 

[transfixer]

I would advise you to take him every chance you get, maybe make a deal with him about keeping his grades up, so he can go more often, I think there is a limit on how many days they'll allow them to miss and still pass a grade, and I'd probably go right up to that limit if it were me , lol

you'll never get these years back, take advantage of them !

 

[JustUs4All]

70 years ago my father started taking me with him hunting, I was 5 and he had to carry me through the thick spots. I promise you that I can tell you many more stories of us hunting together those 5 years before I had a gun than I can of any similar time at school. Well, perhaps I should say except college.

 

[4HAND]

Yes sir, take him every chance you get!
Before you can turn around he'll be grown.
My son is almost 19. Every now & then we'll sit (hunt) together just for the company.

 

[4HAND]

I've told this before, but one day when my son was probably around 5 or 6 years old, we were hunting & out of the clear blue he said, "daddy, thank you for taking me hunting".
I said, "son, that's what daddy's do. You're too young to hunt by yourself, so I take you. One day I'll be old & you'll take me".

 

[sghoghunter]

Making memories is priceless and in my opinion memories top trophies. Me and my brother didn’t have anyone to take us to hunting camp or to take us hunting so we had to learn pretty much on our own. He raised his son hunting deer and hunting hogs along with me and my daughter. She didn’t take to deer hunting but loved to drop a couple cur dogs and catch a hog. Now she has two little boys that’s to young to take hunting but I’m sure they will spend a many of weekends at camp around a fire making memories.

 

[basshappy]

@rstallings1979 man if y'all can make it happen DO IT! My boy is also 10 and he has missed school for a variety of adventures. He knows as long as he is a good student, a good sibling, a good son, and a good human in general he can miss school some times. So much more to life than school education. Make those things happen now while you can. While we prefer side by side when hunting we also sit across or near one another as well. Good luck to you and your boy!

 

[HavocLover]

My dad checked me out of school early, brought me in tardy, and let me skip out entire days all for the sake of going hunting. I’m in my mid 30s now and I still don’t think mama knows about most of those occasions. Heck with school. He’s gonna do fine or not with or without missing those few days in November.

 

[reflexman]

Yep I did the same lol it’s an education in itself.

 

[basshappy]

@rstallings1979 Outdoors, indoors, everything is worth it if your boy is doin' right. Learning is everywhere, not just in school classroom. My boy has missed days for fishing, hunting, visiting family out of state, concerts, etc. Heck I home schooled him for 3rd grade during Covid and we traveled all around East of the Mississippi in our RV, learning everywhere. Yer never gonna get that time back. Soak it up. Here is my boy a few years back with Sebastian Bach after Bas' show at the Variety. He was in 2nd grade when Bas came to town. After the show we hung out for a long while and we probably left around 1:30 AM, got home and in bed 2 AMish. And my boy was at school 8 AM no issues. Hanging with Bas on his bus shootin' the pooh about Skid Row and life on the road. None of his classmates had a clue nor understood that next day when he was telling them about it, but I sure am glad I brought him to the show. He probably won't remember what they did in class that day after, but he will always remember playing and hanging on the tour bus. LOL. These special moments mean so much more than a typical day in school.

 

[Lilly001]

I've told this before, but one day when my son was probably around 5 or 6 years old, we were hunting & out of the clear blue he said, "daddy, thank you for taking me hunting".
I said, "son, that's what daddy's do. You're too young to hunt by yourself, so I take you. One day I'll be old & you'll take me".

I remember vividly when my father started taking me hunting. I was not yet in elementary school and he would take me squirrel hunting. He was really just babysitting me but he carried his old single shot gun and he did get a few squirrels.
Much later in life I made it a point to take him hunting with me.
Towards the end I was really just adult sitting him. But the memories are just as precious.
I would give much to have another season with him.

 

[gchandkeh]

Take him hunting, I’ve taken mine and although we didn’t always see anything those times are always special. I have pics of mine playing gameboys in the stand and even a pic of one son who was tsleepy so he get down and went to sleep under the stand while I stayed up and hunted. Great times

 

[common man]

Take him take him take him. Life is precious the time you spend with him in the outdoors will impact him his whole life. Us dads got to wake up, it is truly about the kids. Not to get on a soap box but I have been to so many youth hunts in this state where there is like no participation. Like prime stuff like flint river wma was open for youth for deer and no one was there. Are you kidding me? Dads lets step our game up. Hey your an expert turkey hunter right now and you don't have a kid yet. There is always a niece, nephew, cousin you could take who would have the biggest smile on there face to be out there with you

 

[sprewett]

As everyone has said take him! Don't only take him to the Midwest take him to every adventure you go on. Before you know it you look over and your boy will be a man. I once read a quote that has stuck with me all these years.
"People try and schedule quality time like it is something you can plan it isn't, quality time happens during a quantity of time."
There will be moments, days, and weeks that will add up to quality inside all the quantity.
On the utilitarian side of it at 10 your boy can be a huge help to you.
Y'all two have a blast and enjoy your time together!

 

[flatsmaster]

I’m on the same train as all the others …
Best part of my adventure is sharing with my kids and now there is there 30’s and use there vacation days to go with dad
He will be so excited and add to yours
WIN WIN !!!!