Suggestions on how to keep a kid in one spot

[Dumbluck]

I'm sure all of you have struggled with this when taking a kid hunting; trying to keep them in one spot. My nephew is really into hunting this year which is great, I love that he wants to be out there. He killed his first buck last year and has a goal to kill a big buck. The problem is he has no understanding of what that takes and he wants to constantly move locations. My brother in law does not deer hunt because he can't sit still and I'm afraid my nephew may have the same issue. I take him hunting or my dad, my dad has become a huge problem in the equation because he can't sit still either and he puts my nephew in the ranger with front windshield open and drives around and when I say drive around. They drive the entire property and they are pushing the deer out. I planted a 1.5 acre food plot, put up a blind, cut a trail to the back of the blind so they can get in it with deer out in the field. I put cameras up watching the field and send them pics and this field is getting hammered. I'm kind of at a loss at what to do. I have had multiple conversations with my dad about teaching him bad habits but I might as well talk to a stump. I've also tried to get them to wait and go in at a certain time so he's not too early in the blind, but they keep going early and then leave at prime time with the field loaded with deer. I'm just dumb founded on it and it's only going to get worse as the season progresses.

I'm planning on getting out my decoy and teaching him about deer body language and how they are interacting. He tends to do better when I take him and teach him things than with my dad. But I need help on this, I feel like I'm beating my head against the wall. This driving around nonsense hurts everyone trying to hunt, and its pushing the deer we want him to get a shot at off the farm.

I will add, he won't shoot a gun this year, only a crossbow. So I really need him still in one spot. Him and his sister were a survivor of the Covenant shooting so we are hoping we can get him back into shooting eventually so we can go bird hunting again. He is 11 and another battle I have is he doesn't play on a tablet or anything so that's out of the equation as well.

I appreciate any suggestions

 

[RUGER]

That's a tough one.
When my son started hunting I decided to have 2 rules.
1. If he wanted to kill a deer I let him kill it.
2. When he was ready to leave, we left. Yes it would tough a couple times when it was 30 minutes into the morning on a cold frosty opening day of rifle season but it was what it was.

Good luck.

 

[Dumbluck]

That's a tough one.
When my son started hunting I decided to have 2 rules.
1. If he wanted to kill a deer I let him kill it.
2. When he was ready to leave, we left. Yes it would tough a couple times when it was 30 minutes into the morning on a cold frosty opening day of rifle season but it was what it was.

Good luck.

Thanks I agree with that 100%. I'll never make him stay if he wants to leave and he can shoot whatever he wants. But when he is with me there is absolutely no driving around trying to shoot an animal and this he knows and tends to sit longer.

I see this type of results with my kids as well, they get away with more with my wife and then she complains they act up more with her.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Your dad sounds like my dad. Won't listen a lick no matter how much I and my brother talk to him. Sometimes you just have to realize that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, and then realize that you have the same blood running through your veins so you probably have/will have the same tendencies… try to learn now how to prevent that from being the future you.

Who owns the property? Who works the land? The answers to these questions will go a long way in how you can handle the situation

 

[Dennis]

What does he do at home to keep himself entertained? My son has always been into drawing, so when he was little I would put him in an enclosed blind and let him draw.

My dad had no sense when it came to deer hunting either. He would want to get up and leave the woods 30 minutes before dark, etc. I worked hard to put him on good bucks every year but he never did close the deal. And I got him in spitting range of some true trophies. I can recall a few times just sitting there with him with my jaw hanging open as he screwed up gimme opportunities at 140 and 150 class bucks.

 

[backyardtndeer]

For a kid with issues sitting, a device may help. My son is high functioning autistic and also has adhd, I took him for his first time last year. When he got fidgety, I let him play on my phone. Think I took his switch as well. He did a lot better than I expected.

With my girls, I always let them decide how long we stayed out.

Best of luck.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

We need to put your dad and my dad in a home together

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I see this type of results with my kids as well, they get away with more with my wife and then she complains they act up more with her.

No kidding!! When she's with me, she behaves 90% of the time. She goes with the flow and doesn't require much at all. Never complains. I've put the fear of God into her numerous times. When with her mom, she is so needy all the time

 

[knightrider]

Zero atvs and sxs allowed on any properties we hunt until after an animal is shot, and then it only from 12-2 and after dark! No exceptions, works wonders for everyones benefit including the animals

 

[DEDDY]

I'm sure all of you have struggled with this when taking a kid hunting; trying to keep them in one spot. My nephew is really into hunting this year which is great, I love that he wants to be out there. He killed his first buck last year and has a goal to kill a big buck. The problem is he has no understanding of what that takes and he wants to constantly move locations. My brother in law does not deer hunt because he can't sit still and I'm afraid my nephew may have the same issue. I take him hunting or my dad, my dad has become a huge problem in the equation because he can't sit still either and he puts my nephew in the ranger with front windshield open and drives around and when I say drive around. They drive the entire property and they are pushing the deer out. I planted a 1.5 acre food plot, put up a blind, cut a trail to the back of the blind so they can get in it with deer out in the field. I put cameras up watching the field and send them pics and this field is getting hammered. I'm kind of at a loss at what to do. I have had multiple conversations with my dad about teaching him bad habits but I might as well talk to a stump. I've also tried to get them to wait and go in at a certain time so he's not too early in the blind, but they keep going early and then leave at prime time with the field loaded with deer. I'm just dumb founded on it and it's only going to get worse as the season progresses.

I'm planning on getting out my decoy and teaching him about deer body language and how they are interacting. He tends to do better when I take him and teach him things than with my dad. But I need help on this, I feel like I'm beating my head against the wall. This driving around nonsense hurts everyone trying to hunt, and its pushing the deer we want him to get a shot at off the farm.

I will add, he won't shoot a gun this year, only a crossbow. So I really need him still in one spot. Him and his sister were a survivor of the Covenant shooting so we are hoping we can get him back into shooting eventually so we can go bird hunting again. He is 11 and another battle I have is he doesn't play on a tablet or anything so that's out of the equation as well.

I appreciate any suggestions

I think the main thing is not to make it miserable for them at this age. Handling it the wrong way could hurt him in the long run. My youngest son has ADD just like I do so it is a huge challenge for both of us to sit still for a long period of time. I have always taken him when he asked to go and we have left when he wants to leave for the most part. I try to challenge him to stay a little longer the first time he asks to leave but I don't test that too much. That has worked for me. I am sure others have great advice for how to handle it as well. Good luck and it is awesome of you to take him under your wing.

 

[Tenntrapper]

Teach him the lost art of still hunting. I can do an all day sit...but sometimes just want to move around.

This also strikes a nerve with me... everyone wanting their 5 yr old to start hunting with deer. Ain't nothing like squirrel hunting to teach a new hunter to be woods wise.
I'll stop right there....

 

[Lost Lake]

Teach him the lost art of still hunting. I can do an all day sit...but sometimes just want to move around.

This also strikes a nerve with me... everyone wanting their 5 yr old to start hunting with deer. Ain't nothing like squirrel hunting to teach a new hunter to be woods wise.
I'll stop right there....

I think there's a lot of truth to this.

Sometimes as mentors or parents, we want more for these kids than they're ready for where deer hunting is concerned. ADHD is certainly an exception, but most kids aren't ready for hunting on the levels that we want them to be.

Even if they've killed some deer, I think squirrel or small game hunting that is more relaxed and social is a better way than the Zen like level of focus that deer hunting takes.

As they get older, you'll find out real quick if they really want to deer hunt, instead of just going along with us. They'll learn that it takes work to bag deer. Especially without experienced adults doing most of the hard work and prep for them.

JMO.

 

[Ski]

Teach him the lost art of still hunting. I can do an all day sit...but sometimes just want to move around.

This also strikes a nerve with me... everyone wanting their 5 yr old to start hunting with deer. Ain't nothing like squirrel hunting to teach a new hunter to be woods wise.
I'll stop right there....

I agree with both points. That's how I learned to deer hunt. My dad or big brother would take me squirrel hunting and along the way would show me trails, browsed plants, different nuts or fruits and when deer liked eating them. Eventually it was detective work finding clues about the bucks who left the scrapes & rubs, where they bed, where they eat, and how they get there. Squirrel hunting kept me mobile instead of sitting statue still for hours, and I learned about the woods as I was doing it. And squirrels are a lot like deer in the respect that a truly wild squirrel won't tolerate your presence. They run off and alarm all the others just like deer do. So a kid has to learn how to be stealthy. Pretty soon after getting busted non stop he will decide for himself that the best approach might be sitting still for awhile.

If you want him to enjoy/appreciate deer hunting the way you do then you've got to put the time into teaching him the fundamentals of the woods and hunting in general. Work up to the deer. Won't be long he'll be outhunting and outworking you. Passion is strong when it grabs a kid.

 

[Ski]

We need to put your dad and my dad in a home together

Don't get me started. I bet they're already meeting at the diner on Tuesday mornings for coffee, or in the foyer after Sunday school exchanging stories about sabotaging their son's hunts and laughing their butts off about it. My dad's not a dumb man. He's very intelligent. But I swear he turns more & more into a teenager with every birthday. He's getting to be about 14 at this point.

 

[Dumbluck]

I appreciate all the responses.

When did you guys start them in climbers or lock ons?

The two man stands we have, the shooting rail is too high for him, and he looks like he's waving in an aircraft half the time. I need to get him higher or in a lock on with some cover below him. I saddle hunt and one stick up the tree. I could easily climb up set a lock on as I go or climb beside him in a climber. I would then have to get him a trigger stick with the stand attachment and I could easily help him position the crossbow onto the rest for a shot having both hands free and the ability to move around the tree in the saddle. I think probably the best thing I can do is get more involved and teach him more about deer.

I was hoping the food plot and blind would be my silver bullet for him and it will if he is patient and my dad doesn't keep allowing him to ride around.

Knightrider this would be my dream, I hate side by sides and atvs during deer season. I use an ebike to get in and that thing is awesome

 

[Dumbluck]

We need to put your dad and my dad in a home together

We don't need them encouraging each other.

They will start talking about back in our day we didn't have no deer.....

 

[lafn96]

but they keep going early and then leave at prime time with the field loaded with deer.

They actually leave their blind with deer in front of them? If that's the case, I've got no idea what to tell you.

 

[Dumbluck]

They actually leave their blind with deer in front of them? If that's the case, I've got no idea what to tell you.

Yes unfortunately that's the case and why I'm dumbfounded about how to combat the issue without having to get a new place for myself to hunt. It got so bad last year I actually quit hunting for 2 weeks during prime time and when it got real cold they quit and the deer I was hunting returned and so did I, but I really don't want to go through that again this year.

 

[Tenntrapper]

I appreciate all the responses.

When did you guys start them in climbers or lock ons?

The two man stands we have, the shooting rail is too high for him, and he looks like he's waving in an aircraft half the time. I need to get him higher or in a lock on with some cover below him. I saddle hunt and one stick up the tree. I could easily climb up set a lock on as I go or climb beside him in a climber. I would then have to get him a trigger stick with the stand attachment and I could easily help him position the crossbow onto the rest for a shot having both hands free and the ability to move around the tree in the saddle. I think probably the best thing I can do is get more involved and teach him more about deer.

I was hoping the food plot and blind would be my silver bullet for him and it will if he is patient and my dad doesn't keep allowing him to ride around.

Knightrider this would be my dream, I hate side by sides and atvs during deer season. I use an ebike to get in and that thing is awesome

You have a kid with ADHD that can't be still....and you're wanting to put them in a tree stand?

 

[Dumbluck]

I never said he ADHD. He hunts from stands now just not a climber or lock on.