How Young

Zeddy

Zeddy

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Abbotsford, BC
How long did you wait before taking one of your kids along?
I hunt alot of "casual" days were I just go out for the day and if I get something it's a bonus but I would like to start taking my son along.
I would like to start him off doing a little grouse hunting and work my way up to deer.
Also when did you all start letting your kids shoot the 22?

Thoughts?
 
I started hunting with my Dad when I was 4 or 5, casual days. Got into shooting when I was around 8 or 9. First moose hunt away at 11.
The main thing is keeping it fun and interesting for the kids. My daughter just turned 5 and this summer we spent a couple evenings in a large stand watching critters, she had a blast.
 
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my son is 3 and i been debating taking him out this season for rabbits more so to just get him out then to actully hunt any thing. i was 4 or 5 when i first went out
 
Keep it short 30 minutes to an hour tops. Bring snacks and make it fun. I've often brought my young guys out and we've made a small fire and cooked some hot dogs and marshmallows and drank hot chocolate. Get them in the outdoors with their Mom and Dad and they will love you forever. The don't really give a hoot if you shoot a rabbit or partridge. Just be very careful with your rifle. When you're making a fire or doing other things, that's when kids get curious. I was sitting with my rifle across my lap and had my son sitting beside me. I was talking to my Dad on my cell phone and I looked down to see a little hand pulling the trigger on my loaded rifle. It was pointed in a safe direction and the safety was on, but I never carried a gun with a round in the chamber when the little guys were with me after that.

Good luck and have fun.

Slooshark1
 
I started bringing my daughter when she was 3. Casual grouse hunts...a nice walk with a bit of noise ;)
Then waterfowl. And she actually came with me turkey hunting once!!

No big game yet.
 
My dad started taking me out along his trap lines when I was 5. I think the fact that the animals were already dead made it easier for me to accept.

When I was 7, he brought me hunting rabbits in Eastern Ontario. It was around Christmas time and mild weather had melted all of the snow. You could spot the snowshoe hares a kilometer away. It was a blood-bath. I don't think that would have been a good introductory hunt - white rabbits, red blood and the screaming they make is not likely something a youngster would take to.

I would get them outside, do some fun stuff, and save the shooting until you get an indication they are ready for it.
 
Years ago, on my daughters first birthday Dec 23, we had a nap together next to a campfire in the north.....

For James, I used to pack him in a Trapper Nelson. Nothing quite like putting the hunt on hold for a diaper change. He started walking the trails when he was 2 1/2.

I can't really remember how old I was when I first went out. Before I started school for sure.

I remember in Grade One, telling the kids about my Savage 99 in 308, and how I had been shooting it on the farm. The teacher called me a liar in front of the class. Dad heard about it and came to the school.......I got my first apology from an adult that day.
 
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I took my oldest son (then 4) out for grouse and rabbits and a couple of trips to the deer stand last year. Then this year took him opening morning for deer, saw three bucks from our stand, but didn't get a shot. He's really into it and will sit for far longer than I had expected, don't force em to stay and they'll love it. He's really excellent about firearm safety (for 5) and staying a bit behind me when we are walking in the woods. Took him out with the pellet gun a couple of weeks ago and let him shoot a couple of dozen times, putting the emphasis on handling the gun, not necessarily hitting the target, but he did well at both.
 
My son loves atving and I wanted to take him out while I keep a lookout for deer, but I don't know how he will take it if I get one and how he will take to watching me field dress it. He just turned 5
 
My 3 daughters all came along on casual hunts before age 6. My oldest son was with me moose hunting at age 5. He was already a pretty good shot with a little 22 that I cut down for him. My youngest son accompanied me on a grouse hunt at 3½. He still remembers and talks about the first grouse he saw taken. If you start them quite young, you are unlikely to have the EWWWWW!! reaction later. Regards, Eagleye.
 
When it comes to the gross stuff a little young is better than a little old. My guys have been exposed to it since about 4 (twins now 11 and a 9).

Since I got three quite close together I found archery to be way more fun at first (after making a mess of range trips a couple of times). Archery equipment is one size fits all and not much harder than throwing a ball.

I did find a small singleshot 22 to fit them while they were small I did not like it. Now I did take them shooting 1 or twice a year but it got fun at about 9 when they were able to work a box mag repeater (under supervision).


At 5 bring him along and have fun , watch his limit of endurance close and bring an extra measure of paitence. Because you may not get any serious hunting in, you need to keep in mind what the goal is, have fun , instill a love and respect of the outdoors and to build relationship goals that have very little to do with the days hunt.

At 5 your just at the beginning (i still remember 5) and you are just iching to go, it is time to introduce but you still have a couple of years to go. Keep it fun
 
I took my 3 year old on a chicken hunt (for a couple of hours)

My other two boys have come into moose camp for the day and they were 9 and 10 when they came in.

Age is a partial decider. some kids are 12 and aren't ready to go in and some are 9 and ready for anything.

My boys were ok in the bush. They were full of anxiety when they realized if they were bored they just couldn't go sit on the couch.

My boys might be ready for an overnighter, but they are a long ways off from inidependance on a quad. That makes them a liability on hard trails so on day trips they get doubled.
 
My son was almost 4 last year when I took him to the deer blind. I let him rattle and grunt. We had no hope of seeing anything with the racket he made but he had fun and I smiled the whole time.
This fall he's been in the duck blind twice and out for deer once in ealry muzzleloader season..
Any time I take him, I don't expect anything other than to let him have fun. If someone else comes along, they know that the outing is for him and nothing else.
 
had my son out this year at 18 months a little noisy but we had fun did not see any game though it is never to young to get in to the out doors and start enjoying with your kids
 
It all depends on the kid. Certain kids aren't mature enough to go out until they are 12, others can go out at 6.
 
I took my eldest son Erik out shooting a .22 rifle at Sharon gun club at age 5 1/2. He quickly got bored of hitting the black all the time. He had more fun shooting my 10/22 at the cottage out by the old beaver pond. Water is a more reactive target. :D

This summer (almost 7 years old), he got to fire my .22 caliber Ruger semi-auto pistol. Then, the next week he was privileged to fire 10 rounds of 9mm out of Hungry's Glock at an OSA shoot for being such a patient kid that day.

This winter, I plan on taking him rabbit hunting. Should be enough action for him. Next year will be grouse hunting. Hopefully he's ready to take the hunting safety course at 12 here in Ontario.
 
If it's allowed in your part of the woods, snaring rabbits is a great way to start kids out in hunting//trapping.
As long as I could remember (4 or 5 years old?), my dad would take me out with him to check his slips, and to this day, I still love going out a setting some snares with him. He's 70 now.
 
My kids have come along for grouse hunts at 7-8 years. They have also seen deer taken and it did not bother them. They get really pumped when a grouse pops up. My daughter has excellent game eyes and spots bird usually before I do.
 
I did about the same as slooshark, My daughter was 5 my son 3 and they had 1 pellet rifle and a red rider (bb) .I took a 20 ga single shot, I was,nt serious about getting a partridge but would have nailed one if we had of seen one! The big event was showing them how to start a fire, putting on a billy can of water (for hot coco ) I had about a 1/2 a pack of hotdogs and acouple of ration packs , and showing them how to build a lean to . There was alittle snow at the time so it was all appreciated ! They havent forgotten that trip 13 yrs ago , Great memories!!!:)
 
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