Teaching son to hunt

This past weekend for the first time I got to enjoy my sons company on a deer hunt. It maybe was not the most skillful or productive hunt I have been on but it is one that I will remember.
Jonathen is 6 this year and bugged me all week to take him hunting. Since I bagged my deer the weekend before it seemed like a good time to take him. Then started the ideas of what am I going to do with a 6 year deer hunting.
Guns are out for his age so he was armed with a camara. Since he saw no deer we have photos of tracks, scraps, rubs, deer stands, dear poop, and my favorite, 2 guys standing in the middle of a road shooting at a deer. Hope that one comes out.
Next thought was to put him in a tree stand not to far away from me. Tried this out and it lasted about 5 minutes. Maybe I should of went with tieing him to it.
On to still hunting. This did not work to bad. Lots of walking. Lots of talking also. 6 year olds and quiet do not go together.
All in all it was a great day. Got to show my son around the woods I have played in for the last 25 years and was able to give him his first lesson in hunting.
A couple of questions.
What aged did you start your kids hunting?
What age did you buy them there first gun. My son want a BB gun now and am not sure what to think about that for a kid his age. Pretty sure my first gun was about 6 years old.

Hey Mike, I don’t think he’s too younge for a pop gun. If you start him now he’ll know very well when he’s a little older. Plenty of guidence plus just enough exposier to keep him happy would be enough for me. I’d let mine get used to thinking more about it, with a little exposier, to satisfy him, Maybe not too much at first. I started my boy with a bb gun at 7, then pellet gun around 10 or 11 then to a 410 at 12, then an 870 at 14. Kids are real anxious when thier young, mine was, so supervision was an absolute must, a little exposier at a time so he could learn what could happen too, all the dangers. Walking with him in the woods will give him the accurate perspective a little at a time because he’ll have a hard time learning it in a short period of time at first. He’ll pick up on it with his own thinking capacity, don’t rush him and let him absorb it fully a little at a time. By the times hes 8 or 9 he’ll be spinning pennies with a 22, nothing wrong with that. Let him carry a few rabbits or a pheasant from the car too the house when you get home, he’ll feel the weight and start learning its serious business, he just might wait until he’s a few years older for the more serious things but walking with him in the woods will get him started. Tell him everything you think he can understand now, more mature things for later. This shure brings back memories! Take it a little at a time, he’ll enjoy it more this way.

Hey Mike, I don’t think he’s too younge for a pop gun. If you start him now he’ll know very well when he’s a little older. Plenty of guidence plus just enough exposier to keep him happy would be enough for me. I’d let mine get used to thinking more about it, with a little exposier, to satisfy him, Maybe not too much at first. I started my boy with a bb gun at 7, then pellet gun around 10 or 11 then to a 410 at 12, then an 870 at 14. Kids are real anxious when thier young, mine was, so supervision was an absolute must, a little exposier at a time so he could learn what could happen too, all the dangers. Walking with him in the woods will give him the accurate perspective a little at a time because he’ll have a hard time learning it in a short period of time at first. He’ll pick up on it with his own thinking capacity, don’t rush him and let him absorb it fully a little at a time. By the times hes 8 or 9 he’ll be spinning pennies with a 22, nothing wrong with that. Let him carry a few rabbits or a pheasant from the car too the house when you get home, he’ll feel the weight and start learning its serious business, he just might wait until he’s a few years older for the more serious things but walking with him in the woods will get him started. Tell him everything you think he can understand now, more mature things for later. This shure brings back memories! Take it a little at a time, he’ll enjoy it more this way.

I thinking on the same line as you. A little exposure to hunting and guns at a time. We might put off on the BB gun until next summer when he can use it up at grandpa’s house.

I thinking on the same line as you. A little exposure to hunting and guns at a time. We might put off on the BB gun until next summer when he can use it up at grandpa’s house.

i started duck hunting with my dad when i was 4. i think that’s a great way to start out kids. you don’t have to be quite…you don’t have to sit completely still….you usually see something (although never a gaurantee in MN)….you can take a walk if you get cold….kids can play with the dead ducks (that’s what i did)

i know once i went with him once, i was hooked for life.

i didn’t start going deer hunting with him until i was 8. i never found that to be very exciting, even though he shot one the very first time i was with. to much patients involved for a young kid….heck, i still don’t even enjoy it as much as duck hunting.

i started duck hunting with my dad when i was 4. i think that’s a great way to start out kids. you don’t have to be quite…you don’t have to sit completely still….you usually see something (although never a gaurantee in MN)….you can take a walk if you get cold….kids can play with the dead ducks (that’s what i did)

i know once i went with him once, i was hooked for life.

i didn’t start going deer hunting with him until i was 8. i never found that to be very exciting, even though he shot one the very first time i was with. to much patients involved for a young kid….heck, i still don’t even enjoy it as much as duck hunting.

I bought my daughter a BB gun for her birthday this year. She just turned eight.

Gator Hunter

I bought my daughter a BB gun for her birthday this year. She just turned eight.

Gator Hunter

When my son was 3 he walked to my deer stand with me to make repairs (OK, I carried him most of the way). When he was 8 just the 2 of us shot my .22, no other people just the 2 of us. Probably put about 20 rounds through between the 2 of us. Not alot of shooting but a good intorduction on safety and how to shoot. That year he would tag along with me on pheasant hunts… the dog in front of me and him behind. He was tired at the end of the (short) day but he always wanted to go with next time. When he was 9 we went squirrel hunting. This was another lesson on how to safely handle a firearm. Oh ya, he shot a squirrel too. When he was 10 I bought him a single shot 410 which we praticed with enough to take him on a pheasant hunting trip, again just the 2 of us, in the field for about an hour and a half (I missed one – way to go Dad!). That year he would go bow hunting with me quite a bit but his patience and his bladder were both small. The next year he sat with me during firearms deer season. He seemed to handle it pretty good. When he turned 12 we sat together during firearms deer season and I video taped him taking his first buck with the 20 gauge he got last Christmas. Good stuff. He is 14 now and has scored for the 3rd year in a row, nice little 8 point with a couple drop tines. We hunted for 4 1/2 days….he passed up a pretty nice 8 on the first day waiting for a bigger one to pass by and after seeing less deer each day he finally took the little 10 pointer on day 4. He is also my fishing partner in tournaments and we bow hunt together too. Hopefully we’ll get drawn for a spring turkey license this year. Anyway, I’d say to introduce him slowly…with nobody else around to distract him…you should be able to judge his progress in how safety consicence he is and how capable he is of handling the firearm. I’ve had a great time teaching my son about hunting and fishing and luckily he enjoys it as much as I do.

When my son was 3 he walked to my deer stand with me to make repairs (OK, I carried him most of the way). When he was 8 just the 2 of us shot my .22, no other people just the 2 of us. Probably put about 20 rounds through between the 2 of us. Not alot of shooting but a good intorduction on safety and how to shoot. That year he would tag along with me on pheasant hunts… the dog in front of me and him behind. He was tired at the end of the (short) day but he always wanted to go with next time. When he was 9 we went squirrel hunting. This was another lesson on how to safely handle a firearm. Oh ya, he shot a squirrel too. When he was 10 I bought him a single shot 410 which we praticed with enough to take him on a pheasant hunting trip, again just the 2 of us, in the field for about an hour and a half (I missed one – way to go Dad!). That year he would go bow hunting with me quite a bit but his patience and his bladder were both small. The next year he sat with me during firearms deer season. He seemed to handle it pretty good. When he turned 12 we sat together during firearms deer season and I video taped him taking his first buck with the 20 gauge he got last Christmas. Good stuff. He is 14 now and has scored for the 3rd year in a row, nice little 8 point with a couple drop tines. We hunted for 4 1/2 days….he passed up a pretty nice 8 on the first day waiting for a bigger one to pass by and after seeing less deer each day he finally took the little 10 pointer on day 4. He is also my fishing partner in tournaments and we bow hunt together too. Hopefully we’ll get drawn for a spring turkey license this year. Anyway, I’d say to introduce him slowly…with nobody else around to distract him…you should be able to judge his progress in how safety consicence he is and how capable he is of handling the firearm. I’ve had a great time teaching my son about hunting and fishing and luckily he enjoys it as much as I do.