Children and hunting

[born2hunt65]

At what age do you consider a good age to introduce a youngster to hunting? My boy is 8 and is really interested in learning and participating in the hunt. Many tell me that he is too young and by time he's legally old enough to hunt he will not be interested in it. I guess I feel if I don't cram it down his throat and take and teach him when he's ready and wants to learn it will be ok.
So I'm interested to hear when all of you started hunting and when you started taking the little guys out with you.
Another thing is with all the controversy going on with firearms I feel it's important to teach children when they are young to respect firearms and know what they are used for and capable of. I'm glad the school here taeches the children hunter safty when they are 11-12 years old.
Well I'd like your opion on kids and hunting, Born

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If it's brown it's down. If it flies it dies.

[trout]

I was tagging along with a BB gun at eight,shooting a bow "homemade, at 9 and shotgun hunting before the legal age.In fact we would try and find someone 18 so we would meet the requirements,when we travelled to far from home.I have known people who take their kids out hunting at age 5.
My nephew is 10 or so and has a BB gun and I am sure he will be getting a shot gun soon if he does well in school.

[WEEZER]

I started following my Father as far back as I can remember. He'd take me out grouse hunting every Saturday and Sunday during the season. My mother got me interested in bowhunting when I was 13.

[Tim Baker]

He isn’t too young at age 8 in my opinion. He may lose some, hopefully not all, interest in hunting when he becomes a teenager but that is natural. I know I did but once I got into college I dove back in headfirst (my grades reflect it but I made it through).

I took both my kids hunting with me last year during the early goose season (September). My son was 4 and my daughter was 2.5 (she has to do what ever big brother does). There weren’t a lot of geese in the area, so it basically was just a reason to get the kids out in the field and expose them to hunting while it was still relativity warm. My son has a double barrel cap gun that we purchased from Cabela’s. We taught him to treat it as a real gun, he even keeps it my gun cabinet. My daughter took along a toy rifle and she spent most of the evening sitting on my shoulders (good thing she is a little squirt). They spent most of their time "shooting" at swallows as my brother and I watched for geese. I took my son out two more times in the fall, once during bow season (we sat on the ground and he lasted about an hour) and once during gun season (we saw a few deer way off so he was excited). This year with my daughter another year older it should make it easier to get her out into the woods more.

Tim

[born2hunt65]

Well it sounds like I'm in good company teaching my little guy early. I think this upcoming season I will let him try shooting at some grouse. Have to catch them early in the season tho when their still dumb and will sit there for a min,lol.
He wants to go with me deer hunting but I'm not sure he will sit those long hours and not spoke my deer off. Guess I'll have to try it once :). Well thanks for the input guys, Born

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If it's brown it's down. If it flies it dies.

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Born,
I was 14 when I started hunting. Unfortunately for me, my father didn't hunt. He hunted (as did his father) when he was a boy, but being a minister and living in the city, he kind of fell out of it. My maternal grandfather hunted, as did my Uncles, but I had to BEG my parents to let me take hunter saftey (they didn't think it was a safe sport) and I was fortunate that my Grandpa was willing to take me. They finally relented, I have been hunting ever since. My nephew is 12, and I took him on his first rabbit hunt in Dec. with the 20 gauge single shot I gave him. He is looking forward to hunting ducks with me this fall. I saw a 5 year old out with his dad one time deer hunting. He had his trusty Red Ryder BB gun and had his hunter orange hat and vest, as well as one of his dad's old back tags on his back. My daughter is 8, and has expressed an interest in going the last couple of years "when she is old enough". Maybe I will take her next Dec with my nephew, and she can tag along as we usually only hunt a couple of hours. Remember this:whether he takes up the sport or not, he will always remember that you took the time to take him along and include him in something that you enjoy. Far too many parents don't do that, whether it is hunting, fishing, golf, football games, or whatever. Maybe thats part of the problem with todays generation; nobody took the time to show them what being a parent is all about.

[born2hunt65]

Mr 16 gauge you are so right. Reading the responces I see how you guys look fondly at your boyhood years and the time you spent with the important people in your life. I can only hope my little guy does the same when he's grown into a man. :) Born

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If it's brown it's down. If it flies it dies.

[Yooper]

I don't remember at what age I started, seems I always tagged along when my parents went grouse hunting, then at 14 started deer hunting with my uncle and took up bow in high school with the help of a buddy. Parents instilled desire to hunt and fish though. I don't have my own children but plan on borrowing friends kids when they get old enough(they are already very interested). I believe a kid is never to young to bring along, just keep it interesting or they won't want to go.

[Hunter333]

I started hunting when I was 16 but learned a lot about the outdoors while I was in Boy Scouts starting at age 11. Maybe you could emphasize everything else involved with hunting and wait for the shooting part later. If you take him deer hunting, set a time goal for him to sit still and then each time add a few minutes. Before you know it, you will be waiting for him to get out of the woods. A lot of my students "hunt" with BB guns with their fathers and mothers. They learn something every time they go out. I think that the younger the better, they are never too young to learn!

[born2hunt65]

Well you guys have alot of good advice concernig children and hunting. Like I said my little guy is eight and he loves to go out into the woods and see whats going on. He likes to help my husband run bear baits and look at all the tracks out there. I know guys who are 30 something that don't know the difference between deer and bear poop but my boy knows, lol. My husband thinks he is too young for hunting and learning about the but I agree with everyone that submitted a reply the younger the better to introduce them to all involved and that doesn't necessarily mean shooting an animal but learning sign, tracking, and the wholeness associated with hunting. Teach em young so they grow up to be responsible hunters.

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If it's brown it's down. If it flies it dies.

[Curdog]

Mr. 16 gauge,

Maybe you should take your daughter out by herself as well as with her cousin. It seems to me maybe a special time in the woods with the two of you would be just great! Also, as a girl, she might feel like a "third wheel" with her cousin if he is actually hunting and she is just tagging along.

I have one Boy eight y/o and one nine. The youngest takes great pleasure in Hunting, Fishing, and general outdoors. His big Brother however, seems to have little interest. They both have, and like to shoot archery equip., and they have a youth single shot bolt-action .22 cal rifle that they exercise amazing (spervised) skill and respect for. I would like nothing more than for both to enjoy the sports as I do, but I have been very cautious to let each child be the indicator of when and how much.