how to convince my wife to let 4 year old tag along with me?

[castie2504]

Hello all. My 4 year wants to go deer hunting with me...badly. She has heard stories of last year and has been hooked on the idea of tagging along with me and her uncles. I want to take her with me but mom says she's too young. I have a nice, kid friendly spot during rifle season where she and I could post up at and wait. I am not worried about running into other hunters as we hunt private land. I want to get the hunting fever engrained into her and she has been talking about it ALL summer. My spot is safe and easy for me to get her up there, it's only a half mile walk to the spot. She is a tough little thing and does not mind the walk as she hikes with me all the time. I know she will get tired after about 4 hours of sitting but I really think she is ready to tag along. So my question is, how should I approach my wife to get her to allow my hunny, as she calls herself, to hunt with me? Is it too soon to take her out? Has anyone else had to deal with this issue?

[Big6bull]

I've been taking my son out fishing/ hiking/scouting since he was 6 months old. The key is to know their limits for their age. Over pack gear. Warm and lots of snacks. It's easier on mom if you start them early doing mini trips gradually getting longer. Reassuring her you have everything necisary but you have to understand when it's time to go it's time to go. 

[7mag.]

My wife doesn't hunt, so in my family, that makes me the authority on the subject. As the authority, I make all related decisions, because my wife doesn't know anything about it. Unless your wife has knowledge or experience with hunting, she is making a decision based on emotion, not reason.

[DeerHarvester]

I say take her.  I'm really not an ass, but that is one decision that I as the father would make and hope my wife would understand. My boy is 1 and I plan on having him tag along on small easy hunts or just scouting trips next year when he is two.  I don't have a girl and I'm sure that's a little bit different when it comes to convincing the wife. Good luck

[castie2504]

I've been taking my son out fishing/ hiking/scouting since he was 6 months old. The key is to know their limits for their age. Over pack gear. Warm and lots of snacks. It's easier on mom if you start them early doing mini trips gradually getting longer. Reassuring her you have everything necisary but you have to understand when it's time to go it's time to go. 

Same here, she has been fishing with me since she could walk. She got her first and second chinook this year. I always overpack and she sets the time limit. She always tells me when she's ready to go.

[ghosthunter]

First trip. Take the wife too. Than she will see how your youngster enjoys it and let you take her alone.

[weathergirl]

What is her concern?

[lokidog]

I'm sorry, but just tell your wife you are taking her!  These threads where the wife doesn't want the kid to go along are just nuts IMO. 

[daddyelk]

I started taking my daughter on scouting trips with me when she was 4. I however will not let her hunt with me untill she is much older. Only you as a dad understands her limits. I don't want to expose my daughter to the "taking of the shot" untill she understands it more.

[furbearer365]

I took my son when he was 3.  We went for a drive while my wife brought my daughter to soccer practice. I dressed him up and gave him his little fake gun, wrapped him up in an old hunter orange vest and went out for an evening hunt. I had a tag so I brought my gun along but was not at all thinking i would get a shot at one. I was just going to give him the feelingvthat wecwere hunting. I brought him to clearcuts and would get him out to look. I told him to let me know when we should head home. We were only in the woods for maybe two hours and he said he thought we should head home. I just said ok becuz I was just out to entertain him and give him the experience. Well low and behold we were about a mile from the gate and he saw a deer crossing the road in front of us. He asked if we could shoot it and when I looked, I noticed it was a spike. With the perfect scenario sitting right in front of me, I couldn't pass this experience up. So I waited till the buck exited the logging road, drove ahead a little closer, got out and told my son to watch. I got in the brush, shot the buck, and he was able to see the whole thing. He even held a hind leg while I gutted it. Till this day, it is by far the coolest hunting experience ive had. Whatever you have to do, you must find a way to get her out there, PERIOD.... Its good for kids to experience those things

[castie2504]

What is her concern?
[/quote

She just thinks my daughter is too young, I think my wife is worried she will lose her little princess. Our daughter will always be our little princess... Who just so happens to like to hunt and fish!

[Big6bull]

Mothers will worry in any situation 

[lokidog]

I started taking my daughter on scouting trips with me when she was 4. I however will not let her hunt with me untill she is much older. Only you as a dad understands her limits. I don't want to expose my daughter to the "taking of the shot" untill she understands it more.

That would be my biggest concern, but I am guessing, having grown up in a hunting household, she has seen all, or at least some of the butchering process. If she is excited and interested in going, she is probably ready.  Has she been in on any recoveries before this?  If the killing aspect is a concern, maybe she should join you for a tracking/recovery exercise first. I took my daughter pheasant hunting with me at five, didn't get one but we could have.  I also took my son turkey hunting at about that age, and shot one at about ten feet, no issues as he had seen me gut and butcher deer previous to that experience.

[passing-thru]

All my kids have joined me since they were young pups...My boy was 3 first time he joined me in deer blind..Maybe as suggested ask her to join you first time..She might see that its a great experience

[castie2504]

I started taking my daughter on scouting trips with me when she was 4. I however will not let her hunt with me untill she is much older. Only you as a dad understands her limits. I don't want to expose my daughter to the "taking of the shot" untill she understands it more.

That would be my biggest concern, but I am guessing, having grown up in a hunting household, she has seen all, or at least some of the butchering process. If she is excited and interested in going, she is probably ready.  Has she been in on any recoveries before this?  If the killing aspect is a concern, maybe she should join you for a tracking/recovery exercise first. I took my daughter pheasant hunting with me at five, didn't get one but we could have.  I also took my son turkey hunting at about that age, and shot one at about ten feet, no issues as he had seen me gut and butcher deer previous to that experience.

She grew up seeing us dispatch and butcher our own beef, pork, goat, chickens...etc. last year she help gut and process two deer and an elk. She understands that we kill to eat and she wants to contribute. Last year she said, and I quote, "daddy, when is it my turn to hunt with the big boys?"