Kids Hunting

[wm742]

Another thread sparked this question for me.

How do you encourage your kids to hunt? I realize that some kids seem to pop out the womb with a 30-06 in their hands. However when I was a kid, I could take it or leave it. I loved to shoot. I got so good I could shot a clay target reload and hit the second before it hit the ground with a 20ga pardner. We also never really had a good place to hunt until I was in my 20's.

I have a great, but small piece to hunt on now. I've built and bought stands so that 2 can hunt together just about in any section of the property. We kill more bucks than does, but we are not crazy picky. Or ratio is about 1.5 -2 bucks per doe. However it takes a little begging to get one of my children to go with me.

Ill admit I've used guilt. I want to hunt but I need some one that can shoot. I'm out of tags. Worked on my oldest 1 time.
I even have a nice bruiser that I have not touched the last 2 years cause I want one of my kids to get him. My youngest has seen him twice but could not get the shot. I've seen him a couple times also and don't know if I can let him walk if he is around next year.

Next season I plan to try a new rifle for my oldest. As well as I told her I would put a heater and small dog bed in the big box so she can take her pointer.

Anyway, what has been some of your tools and tricks to try and get a spark going?

 

[Blackston]

I let the boy fire at will for the most part !!! But he’s been goin since he was 3… Any time we would see a deer we would shoot it … I held him off a few times this year waiting on a buck …. But I’m of the belief a youngn can only “ deer watch “ so long

 

[buckpasser]

How old are your kids?

 

[WOODIE13]

All I have to do is show up and the grandkids are standing in line, ready to fight to go. Usually take 2 and hunt 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon.

All have gotten a deer, one multiple.

We hit the store the night before for their goody bag.

 

[Nicodemus]

Start them out hunting squirrels, kicking up rabbits, shooting doves. That gives them more action than just waiting on a deer that might or might not come by at that time. After they get the love of hunting, then introduce them to big game.

 

[furtaker]

Start them out hunting squirrels, kicking up rabbits, shooting doves. That gives them more action than just waiting on a deer that might or might not come by at that time. After they get the love of hunting, then introduce them to big game.

Yep. Much easier to keep a kid occupied and interested that way.

 

[antharper]

How old are your kids?

This was gonna be my question

 

[buckpasser]

This was gonna be my question

Might be grownish kids? Either way, some kids just don’t want to hunt. I have some really close friends that have raised some hunters and some non under the same roof.

 

[Railroader]

Squirrel hunting...

 

[sprewett]

Make it fun for them. I will say as you said you have used guilt. Never use manipulation to get one of them to go. Also especially if they are younger watch their body language. When they begin to squirm and move around it is time to go. Don't burn them out, just because we can stay all day doesn't mean that they can or want to.
Enjoy the time in the stands with them it is much more than the deer it the hunt we are in borrowed time with them. Also as many others have said small game will help em see lots of action and have a hoot.
I wish ya the best and hope you enjoy many days with the kiddos in the woods or on the water.

 

[wm742]

This was gonna be my question

Should have said that earlier
Youngest is 16 has been hunting with me for the last 4 years
Oldest is 21 and hunts with me every 5 years or so

But I'm interested in peoples thoughts with younger kids. If I didn't light the fire in my own, hopefully I can with theirs.

 

[wm742]

Squirrel hunting...

That's what I enjoyed the most as a kid. In my late teens the switch went to enjoying just sitting in the woods.

 

[antharper]

Maybe I was just lucky with my daughter . But she cared nothing about games, phones, tv or pretty much any of the main distractions now days . And she was/is a daddy’s girl and I could hardly leave the house without her at a very early age . She loved feeding , planting food plots or just being in the outdoors doing anything. But it took her a while before she decided she wanted to be the shooter , age 12 . And until this day i give her free range to shoot whatever she wants and she’s 20 now and quite a good hunter . She’s going with me tomorrow afternoon . So I just say include them in everything outdoors leading up to the hunt .

 

[antharper]

Should have said that earlier
Youngest is 16 has been hunting with me for the last 4 years
Oldest is 21 and hunts with me every 5 years or so

But I'm interested in peoples thoughts with younger kids. If I didn't light the fire in my own, hopefully I can with theirs.

Get them out there young , not just sitting in a stand . That gets boring to me sometimes .

 

[buckpasser]

I think deer hunting is different things to different kids. My son has always pushed himself to achieve “goals” even though I’ve tried to discourage it. He’s interested in making a good shot and taking a buck to his liking. I wish he’d want to hunt everyday, but I’d say he’s only about a 75% of the time kid. I just go with it.

My daughter is gung-ho. She wants to kill the first possible deer each season that she’s allowed and she’s thrilled. I’ve noticed that this year she’s very proud of her successes and the attention it gets her from the kids at school. In this modern world most of them are amazed she can shoot a gun, much less kill a deer. She’s 12, he’s 11. They started out fishing, plinking and small game hunting.

I wouldn’t sweat it. If they know how to hunt, you did right. If they prefer other things, just try to meet them there and enjoy. Hunting may come back later on.

 

[wm742]

Get them out there young , not just sitting in a stand . That gets boring to me sometimes .

When they were young our hunting options were very small. We had 100 acres that about 10 people would sit on every weekend. I hated it and only took my oldest a couple times when she was 12.
Both are proficient shooters. The oldest and her boyfriend were invited to shoot clays with some of his friends. She wore them out with a single shot 410 and was not invited back. My youngest is just good. I trust here to shoot any distance when her 6.5 is in her hands.

 

[Blackston]

When they were young our hunting options were very small. We had 100 acres that about 10 people would sit on every weekend. I hated it and only took my oldest a couple times when she was 12.
Both are proficient shooters. The oldest and her boyfriend were invited to shoot clays with some of his friends. She wore them out with a single shot 410 and was not invited back. My youngest is just good. I trust here to shoot any distance when her 6.5 is in her hands.

So are we talking about what to do in the future or what you did in the past ?

 

[wm742]

So are we talking about what to do in the future or what you did in the past ?

Any and all. I'm trying to get them into it now and I'm looking at the future.

 

[sea trout]

When I was a real little kid my Dad would take me huntin bout half the time then leave me at home bout half the time, even though I always wanted to go all the time.
Sounds crazy, reverse psycology maybe, not his intent I don't think. But as a teenager and now as an adult I go all the time because I can.
I took my kids everytime they wanted to go. If they didn't want to go I left them alone and didn't push it.

 

[HarryO45]

I know of one way that many parents turn their kids away from hunting.

Dads put their kids behind a rifle that is way too big for them. And with improper hearing protection. It seems to me that parents are more impatient to teach kids to shoot. They do not focus on repetitive fundamentals.

Kids cant get the fundamentals correct without proper alignment and without control of the weapon they become recoil sensitive.

Dad buys his kid a full size rifle when he needs to buy him/her a red ryder and several thousand BBs