Let's talk about hunting....

[mud]

Same ol' song & dance and for that I apologize in advance.  I'm a father of two young men 11 and 13.  All three of us have recently been through hunters education and are eager to get into the woods.  Our #1 dilemma is lack of knowledge and time. With all the youth sports we're involved in, we have neither.   

I'm not looking for a handout or any particular honey holes per se, but I would like to point these boys toward a path of success and appreciation of the world around them.  I can't help but feel overwhelmed in our current state.  Anybody been through similar circumstances?  Any advice?  While I'm not loaded, I'm willing to invest in their passion and success.  Youtube only gets somebody so far!

Also, special youth permits....any advice?

Thanks to everyone!

Paul

[JimmyHoffa]

You could help a little by narrowing down the info you're looking for:
Species--deer/elk/bear/all
Weapon--since you're new to it, is it safe to assume rifle?
Ability--can you hike/camp the backcountry or plan to road hunt?
Timing--are there other seasonal obligations?

[mud]

That's a very good point.  Due to our inexperience, we're open to anything to include small game, but I think their highest chance of big game success is with a rifle.  For Christmas they each got a used shotgun for any potential bird hunting. 

Ability:  Physically capable, but I believe we lack a critical knowledge base for back country survival.  I would like to build up to back country once we gain some experience.

Timing:  For an opportunity, I will pull them from any tournament or find an alt coach for my soccer teams in an instant! Otherwise, it's year round, non stop.   

[h20hunter]

My basic advice is get Sayleans book about bears, buy a tag, get out and hunt. Look on Google Earth, maps, a begain to learn an area . Chances are it will hold bear, deer, yotes, possibly cougar. Boots on the ground and bear seasons get you out in good weather.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Since time is a factor, find the closest unit that has doe tags and put them in for it, it may take two years to draw. Also I would put them in as a group so they both draw if the other does. 

[JimmyHoffa]

Bear is good because it starts in Aug on the Westside, so before school and maybe before team practices.  It also has a long season and cheap tags. 
Grouse offer a long season and allow you to walk or drive down roads and get a lay of the land and scouting.

[garrett89]

Gear. Do you have packs, knives, game bags, cams etc.?

[JDHasty]

My basic advice is get Sayleans book about bears, buy a tag, get out and hunt. Look on Google Earth, maps, a begain to learn an area . Chances are it will hold bear, deer, yotes, possibly cougar. Boots on the ground and bear seasons get you out in good weather.

Good advice. 

[mburrows]

I think there are tons of resources out there for new guys now. There are some awesome podcasts and youtube channels that have tons of info if you prefer those over reading.

Podcasts:
Gritty bowmen, randy newberg,  meateater, shootin the bull

interested in waterfowl? Thats a good way to get your feet wet and get outside with washingtons long season

[bearpaw]

My advice is to take advantage of youth hunts to get your kids hooked on the outdoors!

There are special youth seasons that are very good for turkey, deer, and bird hunting. I also agree that going bear hunting in areas open in August is a great idea. There are youth doe hunts in October, you could hunt bucks while your boys hunt doe or buck. One of the most important things for youth hunters is that you wet their appetite with some success!

You can enter your boys in our contest for a free youth guided turkey hunt including all kinds of free gear here: http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,199364.0.html

[yum tag soup]

Bear is good because it starts in Aug on the Westside, so before school and maybe before team practices.  It also has a long season and cheap tags. 
Grouse offer a long season and allow you to walk or drive down roads and get a lay of the land and scouting.

get a Hancock pass and do some scouting/grouse hunting in September. Can drive or walk the roads, put them shotguns to use 

[JoeE]

You live in Graham in looks like so maybe look into getting a Hancock pass for the Kapowsin tree farm. That would give you and your kids a close area to go hunt... You're going to have a ton of company in there with you but its a big place and its a close place to start.

[trophyhunt]

You live in Graham in looks like so maybe look into getting a Hancock pass for the Kapowsin tree farm. That would give you and your kids a close area to go hunt... You're going to have a ton of company in there with you but its a big place and its a close place to start.

and there might be some good changes this year.

[JKEEN33]

I like to start kids on spring turkey. The weather is usually fairly mild, there is a youth weekend prior to the regular season. With a little effort it's fairly easy to be successful. The regular season is fairly long and it's easy to at the minimum see turkey in the wild. Now is the time to start researching and getting your calling ready for April.

[Tinmaniac]

Archery,long seasons,no need to draw special permits.Skookum in Puyallup is a good range close by.Anyone can grab a gun and a couple of boxes of shells and call themselves a hunter.Bowhunting takes practice and skill.My son killed his first elk with a bow this year.Best hunt I've ever been on!