Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: palousemoose on June 11, 2010, 06:22:17 PM
-
I've got to say, I have been reading this website for over a year now off and on and there are some pretty good posts. My post revolves around my newfew who is 6 yrs old and wants to go out "deer hunting" with me and his dad. How young is too young? Does anyone have kids they bring out with them walking in the evening hunts?
-
Both my kids started goingon day trips with me when they were about 5 years old. It was fun and theyenjoyed it, just do not expect to get a whole lot of serious hunting done (unless you are a road hunter).
-
Cody was in the field at 4 or 5, at 7 he had his BB gun with him, and tried to convince my brother to let him shoot a spike with his BB gun. This year at 10 will be his first with a rifle in his hands.
-
My dad modified a pack frame to carry me when I was 2 years old. If you are hunting close to roads a six year old can handle quite a bit of hiking and sitting still but dont expect hours of quite stands or miles of hiking.
-
I started going when I was 3.
A few years ago, after I had already shot a deer (so no pressure on me), I went out with a buddy of mine and his 3 year old son. We'd earlier found a shed antler before we went back and got his son, so I stuck it in my pack. We then went on a "hike" (couple hundred yards) and I ran out ahead and planted the shed where he would stumble across it. It was pretty exciting for him.
I remember that my dad (probably not when I was 3 - don't really remember that) would have his green thermos full of coffee that he'd drink on the way out and when we'd get back to the truck. He had another green thermos that he'd fill with hot chocolate for us so that we could pour our own drink.
I think that if you keep short, fun, try to find something sort of eventful to have happen at some point in the day, do things like have the same thermos for them like the one that you use (or something else that makes them feel like they're part of the "big boy" club) then there is never a time that is too young. But don't expect to get much actual hunting done.
-
as long as they are not long hard days in the field that he gets tired and board, he is of the great age to tag along just keep it fun and you will have a great hunting buddy
-
I think the father is the only one who can make that call. It all depends on how the youngster retains knowledge and whether or not they get bored too fast. My nephew will be hitting the woods for the first time this year and he is 10. I think he wants to hunt because dad does, but he is the type of kid that looses interest fast, so we will see? Be prepared to have many blown stalks. hahahah, I remember blowing tons of shots for my pops while tagging along :chuckle: :chuckle:
-
PathfinderJR at his first elk camp in 2005. He was 6 years old. He walked 6 miles that day, passed out in his chair that night with a half-eaten plate of beans and weenies.. :chuckle: He also learned to use a power bugle that year, and called in his first bull. He took Hunter's Safety when he was 9 and got his first buck the same year.
-
Also, I teach Hunter's Ed. We have had students as young as 7 in the class.
-
Hubby took the youngest son out on a duck hunt when he was 5 they handed him a duck call and he has been hooked and calling them in ever since. He started learning to shoot around 6 he has a scar on the forehead and hubby lost a tooth :rolleyes: then he took hunters ed and finally passed it at 11 and has been actually hunting since then.
-
There is no age limit on teaching kids how to respect the outdoors and hunt correctly...... :tup: I started out when I was about 5 years old, my dad let me tag along with him and our family. When I was a few years older he taught me how to handle guns and I handle my toys guns just like they were loaded.
I took my hunter safety class when I was 8 and passed it. It took me a few years to actually pull the trigger cause each time I would pull up I was thinking about the movie Bambi. :chuckle: But I never got pressure from him to pull the trigger.
Now I have my wife's daughter that I am teaching her how to hunt, enjoy the outdoors and handle guns.
She was 7 when she first started hunting with me and my family and now at the age of 9 she wants to get her license and hunt with me.......... As I said they are never too young to start them out right!!
-
Make him or her part of the " camp crew" and use small or evening hunts for just the two of you. Keep it simple, not the time for killer hunts. Make sure they are warm and comfortable. You want them to come back right ? Remember....the time you set aside for this is THEIR hunt. You have enough time to hunt as you wish when they are not with you. They will be noisy, won't sit still for long and their attention span will be short. So what, enjoy the moment. I started taking my son when he still wore diapers. He started carring a gun and deer hunting when he was 10 years old. The very first opening morning he got stung in the face by a pissed off yellowjacket. I took him back to camp, made pancakes and let him go back to bed for awhile. Now 13 years later he outhunts me. In those "early" years, I let more than one buck get away waiting for him to take the shot. You grind a lot of teeth being the coach. But I will say this, it's one of the best investments I've ever made.
-
My granddaughter was 4 when I started taking her with me. At twelve she went through Hunter Ed and could accurately shoot my 30-06. It was a proud moment and also a little scary when me and her left camp that first mourning with her carrying her 06.(Also gave me an excuse to buy a new rifle)This will be her 3rd year hunting and she is looking forward to it for the hunting and the camping part.Hopefully it will give her the same enjoyment it has given me for the last 40+ years.
-
Lol wow some of ur guys' kids seem very "talented" to say the least, anyway, I agree that its a parents' call, my 2 year old has known the difference between bucks and does for over a year, and he LOVES goin to look for deer, but I want him to know there's more to just goin out and shootin an animal, it truly is a great experience to be out and learn the ins and outs of "hunting" I went when I was 13 for first time, I'm sure he will go before then, but I don't have a set age, he will go when I think he's ready
-
my sons were in bassinets in the back of the truck at camp,so just months old..But the didn't get to hunt with me in the field until they showed me they could carry a gun properly.they went scouting and toted BB guns and I watched them closely..my sons were night and day as brothers would be..One had patience the other,well,not so much..both of them did however get their deer first yr with a license..My oldest doesn't care to hunt much now at 32,hes more of a jock.My youngest likes to hunt..Good thread got me to reminiscing about them learning to drive in the woods, :chuckle: I gotta laugh,the look on my youngest sons face when he gutted his 1st deer as I watched..his first cut into the cavity,a big pocket of air went ffffffffffff in his face...And the gagging began..
-
my youngest hunting partner turned three in March! he absolutely loves being in the woods. start 'em young!!
-
I've taken my gf's boy out since he was bout 4...not everytime, but he loves camping and "coyote hunting' (we havent seen a coyote yet, but he loves to call)....shed hunting etc...he is six now. He talks about having to 'keep his strength up for bear hunting' when we sneak ice cream from the freezer. Plan on getting his hunters ed in a few more years.
Pretty sure I started hunting bout 13 or so...far as I remember, the boots were two sizes too big and the gun was about as tall as i was.
-
My son bow hunted with me a little last year. He was 5 and is looking forward to this season, he wnats to know when he gets to take his bow with him. We hiked 3 miles last year when he was with me. Was the best day hunting I have ever had and he will remember it for a long time.
-
I would agree with others on here that it is a "Parent decision" and only you will know when they are ready.
I know both of my boy's 6yrs and 8Yrs are completely different when it comes to preparedness for hunting. neither of them have "actually" been hunting with me, but we have put a stalk on lots of does in the off season or while hiking. I started hiking with the boys when they were 3 Yrs old, started with easy 1/2 to 1 mile hikes then gradually worked them up. last year I took my (Then 5 Yrs old) boy on a 14 mile round trip, carrying his own pack! Pretty proud of him, he walked all but the last 1/4 mile.
My 8 year old has been wanting to go hunting with me for the last couple of years, and actually I think he is ready, his mom is not, but he is. One of the reasons I want to wait for my sons to hunt with me is making sure they fully understand what it is to harvest (PC) an animal. It's not just the "I want to do what dad does" or the thrill of the stalk, it is the work that comes after as well.. the packing.. the gutting...They have not had the experiences I had growing up on a farm and eating what you raise. I will probably start them off with bird hunting first, then small game and finally when they earn the respect of eating what you shoot, Big game. Ok couple of years, 10 or 11.
-
In 2007 I took my then 3 yr old son archery elk hunting on the weekends, when the wife wouldn't give me a pass. I was really surprised how well he did, not even much of a problem, other than maybe on a final stalk (I was more worried about him falling in a hole, etc). He was quiet, could walk forever, and observant. Now at almost 6, he still likes to hunt with me, can hike better than most adults, but also talks quite a bit more. He's really curious about everything he sees, and brings up ideas on how or what we should be doing. It's great. But as you know with archery it's hard enough to stalk close alone, let alone with a 2nd party with you. We coyote hunt in the off season and that helps his curiosity and keeps dad happy!
I was hunting big game with my dad when I was 7, saw him take a doe back in st.regis land. I took up hunting at 9, got my first deer at 10, and started elk and bear at 13. It's been an addiction since then.
-
Here is PathfinderJR, age 5 with the first deer he ever saw killed (and the first one he helped gut out). I had taken him out several times during the regular season, and every time he saw a deer he wanted us to get down and belly crawl. After the buck season was over, I had a doe tag that year, so we went out to tag our doe. We spotted a herd of whitetail does and started to put a stalk on them, and he finally got to belly crawl. When she hit the ground, he took off running through the wheat field like a shot towards her, and I had to run and catch him. :chuckle: Gutting a deer, by the way, is a great anatomy lesson for a 5 year old :twocents:
-
I started my boys out around 10-ish. I had them follow me around bird hunting. We talked about techniques, listening and observing, how to out think quail etc. Had them help find downed birds (don't have a dog) etc. We then moved on to deer and turkey hunting. As everyone has said be prepared to deal with twitching, fidgeting, noise etc. I'm still working on the noise thing. My two boys sound like a herd of elk moving. The other thing is once they get bored or tired or totally lose interest don't keep hunting. Head back to the rig. If you want them to keep being interested don't make it "painful" for them. I'm at the point now I'd rather see them score than me.
-
Here's how I taught PathfinderJR to be quiet when he was that age. Everytime we left on a hunt I would tell him he was starting with a dollar. Everytime he made noise, I subtracted .10 Each year, I got a little stricter about what consitituted "noise". When he was 5 it was just talking out loud. By six, it was anything unneccessary in a whisper. By the time he was 8, it included stepping on sticks that were "unavoidable". Worked pretty well... :twocents:
-
I've got to say, I have been reading this website for over a year now off and on and there are some pretty good posts. My post revolves around my newfew who is 6 yrs old and wants to go out "deer hunting" with me and his dad. How young is too young? Does anyone have kids they bring out with them walking in the evening hunts?
The age is ?,when he can help you in you get hurt,or something goes wrong.Can he call for help? because if you go down what would he do..8-10 is about perfect. :tup:
-
Here's how I taught PathfinderJR to be quiet when he was that age. Everytime we left on a hunt I would tell him he was starting with a dollar. Everytime he made noise, I subtracted .10 Each year, I got a little stricter about what consitituted "noise". When he was 5 it was just talking out loud. By six, it was anything unneccessary in a whisper. By the time he was 8, it included stepping on sticks that were "unavoidable". Worked pretty well... :twocents:
haha, that is how I teach my nephew to stay quiet! Only I bribe him with treats and pizza.
The other day his dad called me and said that the little one wanted to go hunting! So i went to his place hopped in the truck and went for a little walk in the woods. We saw a doe and fawn and his face lite up when he saw the "baby deer". He wanted to go over and pet it which i thought was cute as heck! Also made a good time to teach him about keeping distance with wildlife. Hunting with a little one dosent really even have to include a hunt. I am into wildlife and landscape photography and he enjoys coming out with me. He just turned 3 last month and love the outdoors. I got him a little .22 Cricket for his birthday and we went out shooting clay pigeons with his dad (of course only giving him one bullet at a time). We would intentionally miss and tell him he was out shooting us. His muzzle control was great and only touched the gun when his dad said it was ok.
-
I shot a doe a few years back with my little one on my back(archery)... wife was out of state and I wanted to go hunting...my kids have been around it their whole lives, my son has been holding leg's and helping drag since he was about 3yrs old.. they know where everything comes from at the dinner table.....
they are licking their chops right now waiting for our little pigs to get to market weight so we can have some tasty chops....
-
I don't think there is a too young in getting them into the woods or taking them along. Putting a rifle in their hands and turning them lose is a different subject. I have seen some folks inthe past posting on here and I have kinda thought they were a little overzealous.
-
I think it is about maturity level and parent commitment to be with the kid to ensure he/she does the right thing and guide them along. My oldest hunted since he was 10, he has taken quite a few different animals from Black Bears, Deer, Caribou, Moose and Bison. I am comfortable with him hunting any big game. Mind you he is 17 now, but prior to this I have always been beside him to ensure he does right and to talk him through shot placements, etc.... He doesn't hunt anymore since moving here but probably will when gets in his 20's as other things occupy his fall at this age now.... Releasing a kid under 16 IMO is not right, as they are still kids and can make a very bad judgement call for lack of maturity. Heck - I know alot of 30 year olds I wouldn't trust them in the woods with a gun...
-
Well I am seventeen now, and I can remember the first time my dad took me elk hunting with him. I was 5 years old. I didn't hunt or hold a bow. I just hiked around with my dad, took naps, and watched everything he would do. I can remember making a game out of trying to be as stealthy as possible walking through the wood. I would try my absolute hardest to put each of my footsteps in exactly the same spot as where my dad put his. ( I always walked right behind him ) I guess I figured, if my dad the "master hunter" knew what to do, I would just mimic him. :IBCOOL: I remember falling asleep in a natural blind beside my dad on a cold morning. I was so cold I just pulled my arms and legs inside my jacket and fell asleep. I woke up to seeing an elk walk across our setup. I don't think I can thank my dad enough for bringing me with him in those early years. It has instilled so many memories, and good times.
So long story short. Bring your kids with you as early as you want really. Just make sure you think they are old enough to stomach a dead animal. They don't have to be hunting, just hanging out with you. Your kids will love you for this. Now when they are old enough to pass hunters ed, and you feel they are safe enough, and strong enough to kill an animal, then you can let them hunt with you. I didn't start hunting until I was 11 or 12 just because I couldn't pull 40lbs. But those 6 or 7 years were some of the best years of my hunting lifestyle.
Get them out there! They don't have to hold a weapon, just get them out there as soon as they are ready! But be ready for all of the complaints you can think of, "I'm tired" "I'm cold" "I need to go pee" "I'm hungry" "I can't hike anymore" just to name a few ;)
-
My son dropped his first deer on, his first hunt, on his first day EVER of hunting at age 10. He shot a little WT buck. Talk about setting a precendence :chuckle:
