KIDS
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BSK
Well-Known Member
I had my daughter on my lap in a shooting house starting from when she was 5. She saw her first deer shot (a doe with an MZ) when she was 6. She really enjoyed helping blood-trail the doe. She first started hunting (with me) I think when she was 12 or 13 on Juvenile Hunts.
I took my daughter at seven. She's killed about 6-7 deer as best I remember, but she's kinda lost the fire. I'm hoping she picks it up again, or marries a young man who likes hunting. I've gotta leave my stuff to someone!!
Started my son at 6 hunting with a crossbow. But he had been going to the blind with me since he was 4. I may have jumped the gun but it was always my dream as a dad to have my son in the woods with me. He's 10 going on a 11 and has killed 10 deer. One of which was a 147 inch 10 pointer last year.
squackattack
Well-Known Member
I took mine when they were six and eight. They had actually been several times in previous years, just were not the shooter. My son was nervous about recoil and my daughter got all fired up when her younger brother got two before her. They are all different. I let them tell me when they were ready. Amazing just typing this brings some great memories.
my girls' first time accompanying me on a hunt they were 6 & 7. Tiny enough that we could all fit in my spring loaded ameristep ground blind. we packed PB&Js and goldfish plus an ipad on silent with games they could play to occupy them. we went to a spot on public - Percy unit II. It was second week of the season so sunset was around 630. We got setup around 330. I told them we could whisper and eat snacks until 530, after that no talking or eating. We had a system setup where if you need something you tap my leg once. If you see a deer you tap my leg twice. At around 550pm the 6 year old says, "Daddy when will the deer come?". I said darlin we don't know thats why we have to watch and stay quiet. She says, "I know I know...but what time will they come out?". No more than 5 minutes later 2 does pop out 20 yards away and the 7 year old taps my leg twice. One of the does comes straight to a thick bit of scrub 5 feet to our right and nibbles for a min or two. Then she turns and proceeds to walk right in front of our blind and I let the arrow fly from 10 feet away. I watch as she turns and runs into the beanfield beside us - makes 3 concentric circles and crashes in the middle.
we wait 20 or so minutes for a buddy of mine who was hunting nearby to come join us. then we go find the arrow. now i knew the deer was dead and where it was, but I told the girls we needed to find blood and the blood would lead us to the deer. so they set to work. beans were tall that year and even I lost the trail a couple of times. But my 6 year old was the perfect height. Anytime we got stymied she'd find the next bit of blood. In due course she was shouting, "here it is I found it!". With that they took turns posing for pictures and the hard work commenced.
That was 3 years ago and they've only gone a couple of times since; neither one expressing much interest and me not pushing the issue. Last Tuesday I brought home a 6 point and the youngest helped me process him on the tailgate. As we're working she says, "Daddy can I ask you a question?" I said sure darlin. She goes, "You know that thing you told me where there's certain weekends only kids can hunt?". I says yup. She says, "Do you think I could do that this year?"... my favorite question I've ever been asked.
we wait 20 or so minutes for a buddy of mine who was hunting nearby to come join us. then we go find the arrow. now i knew the deer was dead and where it was, but I told the girls we needed to find blood and the blood would lead us to the deer. so they set to work. beans were tall that year and even I lost the trail a couple of times. But my 6 year old was the perfect height. Anytime we got stymied she'd find the next bit of blood. In due course she was shouting, "here it is I found it!". With that they took turns posing for pictures and the hard work commenced.
That was 3 years ago and they've only gone a couple of times since; neither one expressing much interest and me not pushing the issue. Last Tuesday I brought home a 6 point and the youngest helped me process him on the tailgate. As we're working she says, "Daddy can I ask you a question?" I said sure darlin. She goes, "You know that thing you told me where there's certain weekends only kids can hunt?". I says yup. She says, "Do you think I could do that this year?"... my favorite question I've ever been asked.
When my son was about 3 or 4 he wanted to go hunting with me. He didn't really know what it meant I think, but he knew I was going and he wanted to go too. So I got some snacks and held his hand and walked him to where I had a popup blind. He was really happy. I knew he wouldn't want to stay long. About 3 minutes later he got bored and asked if we were done hunting yet. I said yes and walked him back home. It is a great memory for me.
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Started taking my son when he was little less than two, had one of those cool modified back pack carriers, man we killed alot of deer and turkeys together! He killed his first deer at 8 first turkey at 6, now he is 21 and takes me
he has become a great hunter, man im getting old! First doe to his most recent and best bird to-date this past season
he has become a great hunter, man im getting old! First doe to his most recent and best bird to-date this past season
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- Joined
- Sep 27, 2010
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Train a child up in the way he should go and he will not depart from it
I started taking my son to the woods when he was 3. I would pack him in and we would just sit in the woods for a while squirrel "hunting".
I decided to kill a deer while he was with me at 5, he loved it, even poked around in the guts asking what each part was.
I turned him loose at the age of 6. He killed 7 deer that year. :eek:
I had one hard fast rule, no matter what.
When he said he was ready to go, we left.
I put no demands or rules on him whatsoever. It was all about being together and having fun.
I will admit it kinda stung a couple times when on opening morning of gun season, 30 minutes after sunrise on a cold frosty morning he said, I'm cold. I'm ready to leave.
But we left.
Wouldn't take anything for the times we had together.
As they say, time is a thief.
I decided to kill a deer while he was with me at 5, he loved it, even poked around in the guts asking what each part was.
I turned him loose at the age of 6. He killed 7 deer that year. :eek:
I had one hard fast rule, no matter what.
When he said he was ready to go, we left.
I put no demands or rules on him whatsoever. It was all about being together and having fun.
I will admit it kinda stung a couple times when on opening morning of gun season, 30 minutes after sunrise on a cold frosty morning he said, I'm cold. I'm ready to leave.
But we left.
Wouldn't take anything for the times we had together.
As they say, time is a thief.
squackattack
Well-Known Member
This is great stuff. Remember to make it fun. Hot chocolate, candy or a giant cowboy hat go a long way. Really just making memories. Best part is the stories afterwards. 
that's what the good book says.
Think my oldest was 4 the first she went the first time. Killed her
first at 9.
this is great haha! I love reading these stories.
that is what I want to do I don't want to push him when the time comes I just want him to enjoy it.
IMHO the ONLY way to do it.
Both of my daughters killed their first deer when they were 6 (one with crossbow and other with rifle). They both had went and sat with me starting at 4 years of age. My oldest is 16 and has now killed a deer in 8 different states.
I carried my oldest daughter at 4. We were in a shoot house and it was about 4:15. I said honey it's about to get dark they will start moving any minute. She looked at me dead in the face and said "get dark?" I said yes honey in about an hour. She said I'm ready to go so we left. lol lol.
She killed her first deer and Turkey at 6 and she still goes with me now at 14. Her time is limited with playing 3 sports and high school stuff but we still manage some afternoons. I would not trade those days for nothing.
She killed her first deer and Turkey at 6 and she still goes with me now at 14. Her time is limited with playing 3 sports and high school stuff but we still manage some afternoons. I would not trade those days for nothing.
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My oldest daughter was about 5 the first time she went with me. She killed her first deer when she was 9. Took her to Wyoming when she was 14, she killed an antelope and mulie. Before she went off to college in Knoxville, she always enjoyed when I took her. Her major was wildlife management. She didn't finish though, and she doesn't really have much interest in hunting now. Afraid some people she got mixed up with over there in a retail job did her no favors.
Second daughter wasn't really as much into hunting, she did go on the youth hunt several times though and killed one doe. Think she was 8 the first time I took her and 10 when she killed her deer.
Third daughter went with me several times, and she when she was 11 or 12 she passed a young buck on the youth hunt. Her mother took her later on in the regular rifle season and talked her into killing the deer she passed up when I took her. She is 16 now and has killed a couple big bodied bucks. The last couple years her band activities in school have interfered with her hunting.
My son is 11, he is autistic. He wants to go, but spiders freak him out. Hoping to get him some time in the stand this year.
Second daughter wasn't really as much into hunting, she did go on the youth hunt several times though and killed one doe. Think she was 8 the first time I took her and 10 when she killed her deer.
Third daughter went with me several times, and she when she was 11 or 12 she passed a young buck on the youth hunt. Her mother took her later on in the regular rifle season and talked her into killing the deer she passed up when I took her. She is 16 now and has killed a couple big bodied bucks. The last couple years her band activities in school have interfered with her hunting.
My son is 11, he is autistic. He wants to go, but spiders freak him out. Hoping to get him some time in the stand this year.
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losthunter
Well-Known Member
I'm kind of in the reverse situation here. My son was 9 when he wanted to hunt. I grew up fishing not hunting so I didn't have a clue but being the dad I am I said let's do it. 9 years later he's hunting on his own most of the time and I'm still in the woods every weekend. I can't thank him enough for getting me into it. I could write books on the dumb things we did trying to figure it out. We are now both successful in our hunting every season.
losthunter
Well-Known Member
Actually I'm sitting in the woods now as I'm typing this.
My son was 3 or 4 the first time I took him. Had a blind set up and carried a backpack full of snacks and toys. He played a little then fell asleep and woke up ready to go home to momma. There was a doe out there and I asked him if he wanted me to shoot it. He said yes so I did. He killed his first one when he was 7.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Plan on taking my 5 yo daughter the weekend of the 15th. Just planning on the last 2 hours of light. I'll let her decide on the mornings, but mainly plan on taking her with me putting out mock scrapes and placing/checking cameras
gobblesandgrunts
Well-Known Member
Took my oldest when he was 3 to the woods. Took him on his first real deer hunt at 6, and last few years we have been a handful of times. Took him turkey hunting too. He never wants to sit linger than 30 min and he is ready to go. But at my family farms you are lucky to see a deer in a couple hour sit. I hate it for him that he is 9 and really don't even care about going because he never sees anything. And I get it. Sitting there as a 9 year old and not seeing a deer every other time he has been hunting with me. Hard as a dad because I would love for him to want to go with me everytime. Going to try to get him out this weekend or next and hopefully he will want to go and hopefully he will be able to see his first deer in Stand. My 6 year old is chomping at the bit to go thus year. Never took him on a true hunt yet. His mouth don't like to stop moving much when his eyes are open lol going to get him out this year as well though. Wouldn't trade anything with the time i have had with my boys in the woods for anything. I love teaching them what a rub is or where turkeys have been scratching and we walk 10 yards and it is, dad, dad, a rub! Lol
