Post by: WDFW Hates ME!!! on October 15, 2011, 03:11:21 PM
Cody drew a youth doe tag in west klickitat, like shooting fish in a barrel tag.
We are packing up getting ready to head out for camp last night and he comes to me and says dad i am not ready. I said not ready for what? HE says not ready to shoot a deer. I am looking at him with that deer in the headlights look.
I take a breath and put my arm around him and said. Thank you for being honest with me. No biggie. No pressure. We put our stuff away and we will spend the weekend at home now.
No biggie, when he is ready i will be to. I would have gone by myself but i really don't need the deer right now.
Hope all the modern guys are shooting straight today. Good luck all.
Post by: Jason on October 15, 2011, 03:16:52 PM
Post by: Holg3107 on October 15, 2011, 03:33:28 PM
Post by: PolarBear on October 15, 2011, 03:44:08 PM
My daughter (11 years old) and I were setting up to shoot her new gun last weekend when she hesitated. I could see that something was wrong. She asked if it was okay if we waited until next year for her to hunt deer. It hit me out of left field because hunting is all she talks about. I gave her a big hug and did as you, told her thanks for being honest and not rushing into something that she was not 100% comfortable with. She seems like she might be changing her mind but I refuse to push her into doing anything like this that she does not want to do. She wants to hunt along with me just not be the one doing the shooting quite yet. I think the incident at the shooting range a couple of weekends ago got to her. The gal made me more proud than disappointed.
Post by: NWBREW on October 15, 2011, 03:49:48 PM
You too Polarbear. :tup: except change the son and man part to daughter and women. :chuckle:
Post by: KFhunter on October 15, 2011, 03:51:39 PM
He's a little hesitant to go in the woods since we had a cougar stalk us a couple years back, its always on his mind. We were picking huclkeberries and brought the bird dog - cat wanted dog - it was a long ordeal with the cat following us out of the woods and I was unarmed (never again) we had a hard time controlling the dog.
I took him out this morning for the opener and he did great, but I kept it low key low pressure.
boys this age are still very much a young kid, they cave under pressure. If the dad is excited and talks about a hunt a lot he's sitting there thinking about it and it plays on his mind - and he gets cold feet, fear and will try to get out of it.
kudos to you for not forcing it, but I would suggest more exposure. Take a few drives around, get an ice cream, go for a few hikes and shoot his gun *a lot* if he has a fear of the gun then he won't want to go hunting! Do a lot of plinking, my kid keeps the squirrels at bay with an airsoft gun, won't hurt the squirrels but give him a ton of pratice
Sometimes I just gotta step back half a step and realize he's only 12, I tend to treat him like he's older.
My son is still deathly afraid of roller coasters, ya I screwed that up for him when one year he just touched the *must be this high* line and took him on a big coaster :yike: :yike: :bdid:
Post by: BurleyDog on October 15, 2011, 03:51:55 PM
I hope your proud of your kids for their honesty and yourself for listening/understanding
Post by: HOYT6.0 on October 15, 2011, 04:18:59 PM
As stated before. I would be extremely proud of my kids for being that honest. Takes alot of courage for them, especially when they know that Dad is excited. Good on them... :tup:
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on October 15, 2011, 04:38:43 PM
Post by: runamuk on October 15, 2011, 04:44:06 PM
Post by: boneaddict on October 15, 2011, 05:31:21 PM
Quote
Certainly doesn't change how proud I am of my boy.A-MEN!
I honestly think sometimes folks push their kids too hard to shoot to get their certifications and to hunt. You handled that quite well
Post by: scoyoc5 on October 15, 2011, 06:10:43 PM
Post by: deerslyr on October 15, 2011, 06:47:01 PM
Post by: jackmaster on October 15, 2011, 07:52:07 PM
Post by: WDFW Hates ME!!! on October 15, 2011, 08:03:29 PM
Good on you guys for not pushing the kids. I hope my son hunts big game with me but if he doesn't that would be fine also.
Post by: SniperDanWA on October 15, 2011, 08:29:23 PM
Keep up the family stuff, guys. I know the kids will come through. I know that my son will. I know my 8yr od daughter will, just not sure my 12yr od girl will ever shoot again. Got kicked in the chin while shooting clay this summer.
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on October 15, 2011, 08:40:04 PM
Although I support your decision to stay home, I would have still gone, just to camp and look around.
No pressure on him, just a camping trip.
My kids love to camp and I look forward to the day they have hunting licenses.
A weekend in the woods is way better than a weekend at home.
It is O.K. not to want to shoot something, that thought still goes through my head at "the moment", but not going out in the woods if you are not going hunting (or ready to kill)
seems to me like just giving up, and might instill a "forget it if I cannot get something" attitude.
I mean no offence, my kids are not ready yet, and I am still learning how to be a father myself (8 years)
But they go "hunting" without weapons now, if they were old enough to have a license and tag, and we had planned on going, we would still go.
They just don't "have" to shoot if/when presented with the opportunity.
I know I do not, and will not change plans to go camping just because someone doesn't want to shoot an animal.
I try to teach my kids that I am going to keep my word, and plans that are made days/weeks in advance are only changed in the event of an emergency.
As I said, it is O.K. if he did not want to hunt, but I would have still gone and sat around a campfire, talked to other hunters, maybe taken a walk and spent the time in the woods.
Who knows, he might have a change of heart, but staying at home, :dunno:
Post by: WDFW Hates ME!!! on October 15, 2011, 09:36:47 PM
I have been out of town all summer so we havn't spent alot of time together this summer. This was my first weekend off in a while so we are spending as a family at home.
Post by: Green Lantern on October 15, 2011, 10:33:27 PM
Post by: fish vacuum on October 16, 2011, 02:27:23 AM
Post by: Guy on October 16, 2011, 08:51:18 AM
Guy
Post by: KFhunter on October 16, 2011, 05:01:40 PM
Don't forget he's at that age where blacktail isn't the only tail on his mind. He probably has a girl he likes in the neighborhood and wanted to stay at home.
haha
he's 12 dude, prolly just getting his first real pimple on his nose
x-box is the only thing on his mind
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on October 16, 2011, 06:52:27 PM
He just didn't want to go. He camps with the scouts one weekend a month and i was surprised when he said he didn't even want to go camping. He has been in a funk lately.I guess if he did not even want to go camping, then not much you can do about it.
I have been out of town all summer so we havn't spent alot of time together this summer. This was my first weekend off in a while so we are spending as a family at home.
Congrats on a great kid !