Learning patience as a dad.

[baddave]

i don't know how many of you guys remember when moby was on atlanta radio but he always came on , on mon. morns talking about his son jonah and their hunt . one time jonah went to sleep and moby shot a deer and jonah didn't even wake up

 

[jfarrell30339]

My boys like to go with me...when I go I leave my expectations at the door of the ground blind. I usually bring stuff for them to play with and just enjoy it. My dad's not much of a hunter (birds only) but he and I are planning a sit (his first deer sit in 50 years) He's now 78...kids and dads...it's special. Remember that if you do it right it's a lifelong love.

 

[BeerThirty]

This post is a good reminder. It's way too easy as a dad to be critical of our kids, especially when all we want is for them to have a safe and successful hunt. Don't do this, don't do that, etc... My oldest will be going into the frigid, Wisconsin woods with me this year, this time as a hunter (past 3 years as an observer). I think i'm more excited about it than he is! But i know he's ready.

 

[grady white]

I started taking my boy when he was 3 because my 2nd son was born. It was not easy because sometimes I would think about me. I was so wrong at the time. He is no longer with us and I would give anything to have him. Beat the water with his fishing pole or say daddy I am cold and want to go one more time.

Don't get me wrong he became one of the best fisher men ever and killed more deer than I wanted to clean. We hunted many years and enjoyed every min. Today I pretty much hunt alone and not a day goes by I don't miss him.

I feel for you brother. We all think of ourselves too much at times, you're not guilty, just human!

 

[bany]

Patience is a virtue! The opportunity to have is kids in the woods is really a blessing. Try guiding adults if you want a real challenge in patience!!
As stated, we all need to shoot more. For a lot folks ( not especially kids either) the moment of the kill is a whole different thing!
If the boy keeps interest he’ll get it done again and again and that’s when you’ll be rewarded! I’m still taking my son (31) on hunts and enjoy what I can share and his success way more than what I do solo!

 

[4HAND]

I started taking my boy when he was 3 because my 2nd son was born. It was not easy because sometimes I would think about me. I was so wrong at the time. He is no longer with us and I would give anything to have him. Beat the water with his fishing pole or say daddy I am cold and want to go one more time.

Don't get me wrong he became one of the best fisher men ever and killed more deer than I wanted to clean. We hunted many years and enjoyed every min. Today I pretty much hunt alone and not a day goes by I don't miss him.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine going through that.
Just know that when you're hunting, you're not really alone. Your son is with you in your heart.
God Bless.

 

[Throwback]

when mine was really young he couldn't be still. i finally let him take a game boy to the stand per his request. that kept him occupied. when he got his own phone we could sit there and text each other and the deer not hear us talking. plus we would send stuff to each other to see if we could make the other one start laughing, not to mention recording stuff we were seeing, doing, etc.
fun times!

he really doesn't hunt anymore but will go with me occasionally just to be with me. i think he would rather shoot doves, etc than deer hunt

 

[gma1320]

Been taking my oldest son since he was about 3 1/2. Started him out going Turkey hunting with me so we could just walk and call and piddle. He's 8 now and we went last week and he sat for 3 1/2 hours. I reckon next year he will possibly be the shooter. He's been practicing with his BB gun and his bow and is good with both. I'm thinking maybe a .22 for Christmas.We'll see how he does before i get him a deer rifle. Hes also gotten pretty good with a box call too.My youngest started about the same age. His first trip was deer, but he really loves Turkey hunting. He seems to just enjoy going to sit with me though. He hasn't taken much interest in shooting his BB gun or bow yet. He's only 6 so I am not trying to push em either. The main thing is just have patience with em and work em up to longer sits.

 

[TimBray]

glynr329, I am so sorry for your loss. When I hear of someone losing a child, my first thought is I cannot imagine the pain.

I started my son a little later than a lot of folks. He was 8 when I took him on a bow hunt with me. I had made a ground blind about 20 ft. off a well-used trail. It was still dark when we sat down and had only been there a few minutes when I heard a deer coming. Buddy in the club had gone in about 200 yds. from us and spooked it. I whispered to my son "Do you hear that? It's a deer coming.".
"SHOOT IT, DADDY, SHOOT IT!!!!!" After I stopped laughing and the sound of a running deer faded away I explained to him I couldn't shoot what I couldn't see.
He will be 37 next week and we still get a big laugh out of the story.
Making memories......

 

[GeorgiaGlockMan]

This is a great thread.

When they get here, you'll be on cloud 9.

 

[blood on the ground]

I hunted with both my children from the time they were old enough to go until they were old enough to hunt on their own. I used to make natural ground blinds out of pine limbs and things... I had a giant backpack (like the ones used out west in elk country) that I would fill with extra everything!! I even had a camo sleeping bag that I would send my daughter in, head first on cold mornings, with crayons, coloring book. I had food too! Quiet food! Capri Suns and single-serve Pringles potato chips are quiet food! No sound of a bottle or can opening and the chips have a soft foil top that can be opened with no sound at all!
Go into it with no expectations at all other than passing on the love for the outdoors and the rest will fall right in place!
A couple more things... Kids today do not have a long attention span (they got to many options) so you have to adapt to their way or none of this will work! I started mine out hunting 2 hrs at a time... First was 2 hrs in the morning. Then it was a 2 hr hunt 4-6 in the evening .... And over time that turned into 3,4,5 HR hunts... I went slow making sure to not burn them out!
Best of luck! You will look back on this time as the best years of your life!

 

[elfiii]

Boy does this thread bring back memories flooding my mind.

 

[Mako22]

I put all of my kids on their first deer and my advice to all the dads out their is just relax and have fun. Keep taking them and it will happen.

 

[twtabb]

That’s been the goal for last 2-3 years. First we just heard deer and would spoke them coming out of stand. Then we saw a few from stand but spoked them. Last season I busted my butt getting everything perfect. New stand, great food plot, good deer movement on camera. Week before season he breaks his arm and has it in cast most of the season. Put him on 8 does first trip out and he could not hold rifle still with cast from elbow down to hand.
Oh well, we are all ready for this year and the hurricane comes in and now I can’t even get to a stand.

 

[leroy]

Was with both my boys when they killed their first deer. What made it even more special is they both killed theirs with the same marlin 30-30 that i killed my first deer with, hopefully they will carry on that tradition. Nothing like it!! The years i hunted in the stand along side them my rifle stayed in the safe, as someone said i wanted it to be about them.

 

[Huntinfool]

It's tough man. My son is 9 and he's killed 3 deer up to this point. But he still gets impatient. I still have to remind him to be quiet and be still and most of the time I'm sure we scare deer away.

We saw probably 10 deer last weekend and had a great time camping and seeing deer. He's getting more patient every time we go out, but I can still remember that first time we went. I thought I might go crazy trying to get him to sit still.

Just enjoy the time. Don't worry about killing a deer. It'll come. I had to make him not take a shot on a very big eight point the other night because it wouldn't turn. He was not happy with me...it comes with being a dad. I'm hopeful he will remember that lesson when he takes his kids out some day.

 

[papaz]

I have 3 sons and started taking them hunting and fishing when they we're just old enough to sit for a while, was fortunate enough to be sitting in the stand with each one when they killed their first deer. Now they are 22, 18, and 15 and all have at least one deer in the wall. They are all home this weekend and we are all in our separate stands this morning!! What a blessing it is to hunt with my Boys!!

 

[shootemall]

My kids go with my 90% of the time I hunt, only one really "hunts", but moves so much and is so loud that we've missed many opportunities. I tell my wife we're hiking with a rifle when I take them out. It's fun, and I'd rather have kids that want to do stuff with me that I like than have a freezer full of meat that I got at the cost of alienating them. Plus, when they're successful it's fun listening to them tell mom about all their expert skills that lead to the harvest. I know I ruined opportunities for my dad to kill deer, but I'm glad he took me as a kid.