I agree. Exposed my kids to as much as I could. My son is 13 and he shot his first deer last year. also went goose hunting a few times. That being said he's not crazy about it. I told him it's totally up to him if he wants to do more this year. NO pressure. It will be what it is.
Getting your kids to hunt
- Thread starter migrant hunter
- Start date
I agree. Exposed my kids to as much as I could. My son is 13 and he shot his first deer last year. also went goose hunting a few times. That being said he's not crazy about it. I told him it's totally up to him if he wants to do more this year. NO pressure. It will be what it is.
My kids went with me for grouse, because the weather is beautiful and mild, you don’t have to be totally quiet and we can move around. They know how to clean a bird and help me skin de bone my deer and make sausage. That’s good enough for me, when they are older I’m sure they will get into it and in the mean time they know how if I get hit by a bus.
My daughter is far more athletic and outdoorsy then my son but both hunt. I never had any problem getting my daughter out to hunt and now that she's 22, she comes home and spends time hunting. My son is a different story and more into gaming than outdoors stuff. I have to catch him in the right mood to get him out in the bush. He enjoys it, just not as much as I do and I've come to accept that. I enjoy gaming so I do that with him a lot of the time instead. I just count myself lucky to spend time with him on the hunt whenever I can get him out and enjoy the time for what it is. At 18 he's still young and his interests could change but if they don't that's fine with me.
Ughh...
Yeah, this above. Not gonna 'make' the kid like anything. But you can sure make him hate it!
sillymike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
That's what got me into hunting.
- some time with dad, an uncle, some of their friends...
I find it's just the kid. I have 4 and 2 of them could care less about our doors stuff and the other 2 come hunting/shooting/camping/fishing/gold panning.
My 17 year old daughter wouldn't go in the woods if you paid her.
My 12 year old daughter comes in fly in goat hunts and skins and tans raccoon furs when I shoot them out of the garden
My 9 year old daughter would come fishing or camping if another sibling is there. She just comes because I asked her.
And my 6 year old son is obsessed with camping/fishing/gold panning/hunting and shooting at the range.
My 17 year old daughter wouldn't go in the woods if you paid her.
My 12 year old daughter comes in fly in goat hunts and skins and tans raccoon furs when I shoot them out of the garden
My 9 year old daughter would come fishing or camping if another sibling is there. She just comes because I asked her.
And my 6 year old son is obsessed with camping/fishing/gold panning/hunting and shooting at the range.
coming from a family hunter and raised on a farm i can tell you someting: my youngest brother cannot stand firearms hunting or any related works with the farm or animals my dad tried but he was more on the mom side ... let alone sports like we did a lot of judo so you can try but if not attracted you cannot force him.
canadian hunter312
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County
How do you peel kids away from the screen? By giving them activities that they actually want to do rather than forcing them to do something that you want them to do.
The first step to progress is accepting he probably doesn't want to hunt or shoot. The second step is accepting you may need to give up some of your hunting and shooting time to do something that he wants to do.
Have you asked what he wants to do?
Midnight Rider
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- ......the Vanishing Point .
Different strokes for different folks , and people's interests vary over time . The best idea might be to make the hunting option available to a son or daughter by providing the required equipment and encouragement , and let them plot their own interests . Lots of folks are interested in sport shooting , but have zero interest in hunting , and vice versa . Trying to force a child into a sport will often have the opposite affect .
I have one daughter who loves hunting with me, and another daughter who wants nothing to do with hunting at all. All you can do is expose them to as many different things as possible - you can’t make them interested though. As for the screen, if you figure that one out, let me know. Lol. I really worry that we’ve got an entire generation of kids doomed to poor eyesight, poor physical health, poor social skills, poor mental health, and no imagination. The screen is really NOT healthy at all.
I have twin boys, one liked hunting from the get go the other one liked video games. A few successful grouse hunting trips now there both die hard hunters. It kind of sucks for me I never get to shoot deer or grouse now.lol. I do make sure to get some alone time gopher hunting in though.lol. just try to do your scouting and make there first hunts to be as successful as possible to get there interest so you don't lose them early on.
My oldest kids are 5 and 3. I've just had them playing with toy rifles since they could walk. We'd play bear hunter where they had to sneak up on me and shoot me. If I heard them I'd chase them and karate chop their legs lol. It was great seeing them roll around in pain laughing.
Now all they do is talk about shooting deer and camping it's almost annoying.
Now all they do is talk about shooting deer and camping it's almost annoying.
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
Don't force it.
Offer it, expose them to it, but forcing the issue is most likely going to backfire. In the end it's their decision, not yours. You can force them to do it against their will,but as soon as they're old enough to say no, they will, and they'll probably hold it against you.
I also wouldn't blame the screen. Some kids just don't want to hunt. The screen is where they find enjoyment. Maybe that's where his career will be? As much as you don't want it, that's not your decision.
My daughter is 12. We exposed and her and brought her along with us through all the outdoors activities we did from infant on up. For the last three years she hasn't had any interest in the outdoors at all. Suddenly this spring shes shown a tremendous interest in fishing again. I didn't do anything whatsoever. It just happened.
Offer it, expose them to it, but forcing the issue is most likely going to backfire. In the end it's their decision, not yours. You can force them to do it against their will,but as soon as they're old enough to say no, they will, and they'll probably hold it against you.
I also wouldn't blame the screen. Some kids just don't want to hunt. The screen is where they find enjoyment. Maybe that's where his career will be? As much as you don't want it, that's not your decision.
My daughter is 12. We exposed and her and brought her along with us through all the outdoors activities we did from infant on up. For the last three years she hasn't had any interest in the outdoors at all. Suddenly this spring shes shown a tremendous interest in fishing again. I didn't do anything whatsoever. It just happened.
