!fear!

[Dead*shot]

:dizzy: Okay, this is they year that i take my lil' bro out hunting.....for some reason, he's really scared of the woods, he won't let me put him more than 100 yards from a two-track or main road....how can i get him to overcome his fears of the wood in the dark?.....I never had this problem, so i can't really help him out, but if you or you know anyone who had the same problem, it would really help!...how do you make them lose that fear of the dark in the woods?....I'm not sure either if it's ghost that he is scared of or just the fact he might get lost!..please share some advice!

[Dead*shot]

:dizzy: Okay, this is they year that i take my lil' bro out hunting.....for some reason, he's really scared of the woods, he won't let me put him more than 100 yards from a two-track or main road....how can i get him to overcome his fears of the wood in the dark?.....I never had this problem, so i can't really help him out, but if you or you know anyone who had the same problem, it would really help!...how do you make them lose that fear of the dark in the woods?....I'm not sure either if it's ghost that he is scared of or just the fact he might get lost!..please share some advice!

[roger23]

I would think it is fear of getting lost probably heard about or read to many stories about people getting lost in the woods give him a 2 way radio and maybe a cheap GPS A lot of stories about what happens to kids in the woods

[ENCORE]

Some kids, and adults, have a fear of the dark and never get over it. Asking about how to over come that fear here might cause more harm than good.
Its close to opening, but a PROFESSIONAL will be better qualified to help with the problem/s he might have.
IMO, I'd do everything I could to make sure he wasn't ruined for the rest of his life. It might even turn him away from hunting all together.
If its that serious, talk to a professional. If you're that serious, take him with you and let him set with or buy you to help ease his fear.
Anything that causes extreme fear in a youngster can and most likely will affect them the rest of their life. Do everything you can to make it as enjoyable for him as it is for you. In the future, you'll be glad that you did.
Good luck.

[eino]

I used to have the same problem your brother has. It had nothing to do with too many scary movies as a kid, or boogieman. It was partly because of the people who shoot before daylight. It was also because of stepping only a foot from a deer before it jumped up. I still get nervous walking in tall grass. Worried about being gored by a teritorial buck. Extreamly slim chance of that happening though. And thats what I convince myself every time I hit tall grass when I'm alone.
Do you take him to his spot? That might help him.
I got over it by spending time in the dark with other people.
I've got to admit though, I still get scared of getting lost.:yikes:
I agree with Roger23. Maybe a two way would give him the feeling of a little more control.
Good luck.

Ed

[codybear]

My father-in-law was the same way. He had alot of health issues over the past 10 years and became afraid of venturing out to far so he started hunting the edges of 2-tracks.. I went out and bought a nice pair of radio's and that really helped. We use headphones with them but leave them down around our necks and turn them up just enough so we can hear if something comes across but not loud enough to where game will hear it. This way the headphones wont obstruct my hearing in the woods.. If I hear him beep me (thats a signal that we will be saying something), I then put them on my ears and wait for the transmisson. Radios have also boosted my own confidnce in venturing out even farther too. We hunt very remote areas in the U.P.

[jackbob42]

That is why it is so important to get kids into the woods when they are young. You have to give them time to get comfortable with it. Chances are , you are going to have to sit with him for a couple times ( maybe more ) to get him over it now. How old is he?

[swampbuck62]

Heck I have been deer hunting for 36 years. And I stll get the creeps sometimes. I can walk for miles in the dark. But those last few feet to the stand. And as I'm starting to climb scare the bejesus out of me sometimes. I'm always afraid somethings going to grab me before I can get up in the tree.:yikes: :yikes: :lol: REALLY!!

[tstu2]

You did not mention how old he is. Compass, GPS, maps may help out, but you might want to have him sit next to you the first couple of times out.

You all know how a squirrel can sound like a grizzly as it sneaks up on you! :yikes:

I am not sure if I want someone with a firearm in the woods when they are really scared. I would hate to pop into a clearing and be mistaken for a backward walking rotting flesh thing...

Good Luck

[WALLEYEvision]

...Okay, this is the year that i take my lil' bro out hunting...for some reason, he's really scared of the woods, he won't let me put him more than 100 yards from a two-track or main road...how can i get him to overcome his fears of the wood in the dark?...

You may have to walk him to and from his stand until he's becomes comfortable in the dark. A 2-way radio is also a good idea, and I also recommend a good compass over a GPS for a beginner. If he's scared of the dark now, just imagine how scared he'll be if the signal fades or the batteries die in his GPS.

Maybe one of those huge "THOR" flashlights would cure his fear?

[Ferg]

Walk him in and sit with him, stay with him for the first couple of times - show him that it's ok - mornings should be easier than evening hunts - but after time he'll see -

and what ever you do - DON'T do the 'big brother' things and play some nasty trick on him - or you'll loose him forever -

ferg....

[Briar Field]

I always get nervous walking into the woods mainly because of the unkown. Jumping deer and rabbits really always get my heart pounding or when sitting on the ground waiting for first light so i can see what is making all the noises.

Best thing for me when I really started to overcome my fears was with my treestand. Once I am in my stand high above the ground I relax. I know there is very little that can be up in the tree with me (I check the tree for coons, squirrels, possoms, bear, and couger:yikes: before climbing). See if he might like that. Drop him off in a place and let him get into the tree and come get him later. The more time I spend out there the more I learn and feel confident that nothing will happen. Also having my pistol along for some of the nuts out there helps too.

[ABMike]

Whatever you do, don't let him read the thread on "HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SPOOKED IN THE DARK?".

[answerguy8]

Just a thought to interject. Isn't a young hunter required to have an adult or guardian nearby while hunting, or is that just for rifle season?

Did my own research:
Hunters under age 17, when afield, must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or someone 18 or older designated by their parent or guardian. "Accompanied by" requires the adult to be able to come to the immediate aid of the other person and staying within a distance from the other person that permits uninterrupted, unaided visual and verbal contact.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10913-32244--,00.html

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Seems this would settle the discussion of what you are supposed to do.

[swampbuck62]

My son is 13 and he's been sitting by himself since he started deer hunting at 10. While I'm alway's close by and never too far away. This is at his request I can uesually see him. Most of the time I'm within 100 yards or so. I wish I was sitting with him last year when he shot his first deer. And we always carry walkie taklies.

[uptracker]

Drop him off on a two track in the dark one night and tell him to follow the tail lights, get about 400 yards in front of him and turn the lights off. Then wait until he catches up!:D It works....seriously.

[N.E. Outdoorsman]

One thing to think about is this: It's not always a bad thing to hunt near a two track road. Of course this depends on where the trail is, but I shot a huge 10 pt about 35 yards from a two track. Two years later, I shot over a monster buck that I'm sure would have made a magazine cover. That deer was only 50 yds from a road and I saw him briefly the very next day about 40 yards from a two track. The deer don't seem to mind these trails and roads. Why should we shy from them?

My thoughts are as long as you are hunting someplace with reasonable deer sign, you have decent odds of bagging your buck especially during the rut or pre-rut.

So, try letting him hunt where he's comfortable, but don't be surprised when he's callin' you on the motorola to help track the big one!

[Dead*shot]

Okay, i lied, it's me who is the chicken-*****...i just wanted to use my lil' bro, becuase i didn't want to be made fun of in here, but i'm glad that i'm not the only grown up a lil scared of the woods when it's dark....it's just that my first year hunting, my uncle but me in a blind about 50 yards from a bedding are on his 300 areas....Little did i know that a big herd of deer bed there, and when i was making my move to the blind, i wasn't quiet, they all blew and made all these crashing timber sounds, i didn't see how many deers there were, but i know it had to be at least a group of ten or a little bit more....It being dark as hell and me not seeing really anything, scared the **** out of me, and now i always have that fear in me, i just hope i get rid of it before it's time to take my son out in the woods....

[Skibum]

<lol> It's all a matter of experience. The adrenalin rush of hunting is a good thing. Think how much people pay to go to Cedar Point and get the crap scared out of them? The more you do it the easier it will be.












Unless of course there are a lot of bears and cougers where you hunt:evilsmile

[uptracker]

Okay, i lied, it's me who is the chicken-*****...i just wanted to use my lil' bro, becuase i didn't want to be made fun of in here, but i'm glad that i'm not the only grown up a lil scared of the woods when it's dark....it's just that my first year hunting, my uncle but me in a blind about 50 yards from a bedding are on his 300 areas....Little did i know that a big herd of deer bed there, and when i was making my move to the blind, i wasn't quiet, they all blew and made all these crashing timber sounds, i didn't see how many deers there were, but i know it had to be at least a group of ten or a little bit more....It being dark as hell and me not seeing really anything, scared the **** out of me, and now i always have that fear in me, i just hope i get rid of it before it's time to take my son out in the woods....

That's great!:D
I'll tell you one thing, your uncle better find a different route to the stand. Why walk through an area where there's a bunch of deer in the dark. You scared them more than they scared you.

[roger23]

Join the Rangers go to to Fort Lewis Washington let them dump you out of a chopper in the middle of know where and give you 7 days to get back to the Post I forgot to add with out getting captured believe me you don't want to be captured you will learn not to be scared and learn how to live off the land