son wants to go hunt

[dieselbeef]

i haven't been hunting ..like really hunting..in 20 yrs. opportunity abounds where I live. saw a herd of 10 or so deer the other night out riding the quad down the fenceline. turkey literally next to my pool.
I took him out to shoot hogs one night and he just don't have the patience. wanted to some back before we even got to the spot.
hes 9. thinks its all about just walking out there and shooitng something. showed him some videos of cleaning and gutting deer and rabbits. he wasn't much on that part.
squirrels would be a good place to start and I figure he could shoot good enough to get one.

never had to teach anyone how to go out and sit for hrs waiting for something to happen. he doesn't get that ya gotta find em and figure out where they go..and track em when ya shoot em...clean em...ice em...qtr em...all the after kill prep work

so gimme some advice. I was just gonna walk him out there w/o a rifle and let him see if we can see some up close or maybe take a pic. sit under a tree for awhile. stands are on the property already but im not going up in one w/o a belt and he sure isn't ether..

 

[M-5]

squirrel hunting is fun and good eating. all you need is to establish a corn pile for the deer and the squirrels will find it or just set up in the woods about daylight and you should start seeing them.

 

[M.Magis]

Squirrels are a good start. As he gains experience and enjoys it more, his patience may improve.

 

[bball]

I think you're on the right track. Hunting is so much more than just the killing part (while important of course). I started my boys out coon hunting at night. They love the action and pace. When it came time for deer, I take them in the woods late summer (and anytime opportunity presents) to show and teach them about sign, habits, wind, trails, good places to set stands, etc. Really try to teach him about the important aspects of hunting. Teach him about the preys strenghts and weaknesses and what we as hunters have to do to overcome their natural advantages. As far as cleaning goes, they watch me once, then the knife goes into their hands and I 'coach' them through it. Can't beat hands on training. Squirrel hunting is a good time too!

 

[skyhightree1]

I posted pics in my thread of my son squirrel hunting he hasnt tried shot anything but he can call the He11 out of them and make them come out and I whack them. I also let him sit in the shooting house with me still hunting deer he doesn't mind. The thing with kids and hunting is they either have it in them or they don't. Some want the instant gratification of the kill and do not want to do the work after they do the easy part of squeezing the trigger. My kids watch me clean deer and help. I personally think if a kid has patience to fish they got patience to hunt. I start with fishing then squirrel. I spend nov - jan hunting everyday literally and when they are out of school I take them and teach them about animal signs etc.

 

[J&D Cattle]

I started both my kids out just going with me. We talk about hunting and wildlife a lot anyway but use a lot of the stand or blind time to discuss all the varying aspects of the outdoors. I would have them take something that would keep their interests for a while. Even I take a book to kill time occassionlly. I had them bring books, coloring books, Ipads, and even a DVD player. Let them pick the snacks and drinks as mine at 8 and 6 still love treats. To me it was about being together in the outdoors even if we were doing an indoor activity like reading a book or playing a game. Just being in the outdoors naturally presents so many topics to talk about as well. My son at 8 has killed 4 deer. I always make him help trail the deer, drag if needed, and he holds the legs when I'm cleaning it. I figure he'll be old enough before long to be trusted with a knife but for now I'd rather do it for him. He does watch me process it as well and helps where he can but again I keep the knife. I can say that he now has probably more patience than I do. He doesn't want to take near the items with us and will happily sit for several hours. My little girl says deer are just to cute to shoot so she doesn't pack a weapon and won't hardly let me shoot without some convincing. I will say that pop up blinds are great for concealing movement and for taking a bunch of stuff. Good luck!

 

[SJB]

you're trying to start in the middle.

hunting is nothing more than a way to enjoy the woods/outdoors and man's place in it. i would start with some hikes/walks. if he doesn't enjoy being outside in nature, he's not going to be interested in hunting.

my kids are younger, but i'm trying to make the connection early about where food comes from. since you're a beef producer, this will be easier for you. that deer, is just another source of god given protein.

 

[BRYANT]

I started when I was 6yrs old will be 52 in 8 days and have not missed a opening day in all them years. My son started about the same age but I was a diehard hunter and he is not, if he kills one fine if not that's ok also I had to change the way I hunt to make it fun for him or I was going to loose him now he goes ever year with me, still may not hunt as hard as I like to but we sure do have a lot of fun and we kill deer. Now I am looking forward to when my grandson can start tagging along, him and his mother was in camp this year and he is only 1 month old, as soon as he is old enough he will be out there with us it may not be but for 30 min. on a nice sunny afternoon before he gets tired then we will do something else like shoot squirrels, rabbits or what ever it takes to make it fun for him. The joy of the hunt is not the kill its being out there with family I have many pictures, videos and lots of stories of good tines we have had as a family hunting and I had rather had them good times than ALL the money in the world. Teach your kids to keep a note book of the hunts I have stacks of them cheap note books with hunting stories wrote down in them, I can tell you every deer I have seen for the last several years while hunting and have the story written down of all that were killed I have told my son when I die you can keep them or throw them away its up to him, but maybe my grand kids will enjoy reading them.
''Hunt with your kid today and you won't have to hunt for him tomorrow"

 

[ram]

My boys hunted with me from the time they could walk. My youngest shot his fist deer when he was 4, a big doe with his BB gun. We'd be deer hunting and he'd start target practicing shooting leaves and bugs. I think your on the right trail Gary, just take him out walking around looking for deer with his gun. Then when he sees the white flags waving by, explain to him the importance of sitting still and quite.

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm no hunter, and like you haven't been in 20 years. So when me and the boy go hunting, it's strictly for him. I started when he was small. Like squirrel hunting at maybe as young as 5. We'd stay as long as he wanted to. I figure no kid has patience. If it was just 20 minutes, that's how long we would go. Graduated up to deer and turkey the next year. Same theory again. We'd get out at daylight some days, and be back before the wife had started breakfast. Few years later, he learned to wait. Then learned to wait for a big one. It's fun to me, just to watch him. We spend time together anyway, so I doubt he gets a thrill out of just being together. My dad never took me hunting (too busy and I understand why). I'd like for my dad to go with him before it's too late. Maybe they will.

 

[Jogeephus]

Turn him loose with a sling shot then work up to a BB gun and let him just shoot stuff and explore. The rest will come later. Of course you could do as some and just dose him good with Ritalin and set him down with a high powered rifle and hope for the best.

 

[ram]

Turn him loose with a sling shot then work up to a BB gun and let him just shoot stuff and explore. The rest will come later. Of course you could do as some and just dose him good with Ritalin and set him down with a high powered rifle and hope for the best.

And what happens if they leave the kids medicine at home?

 

[hillbilly beef man]

It might not seem like it matters as much to adults, but bringing snacks will make a big difference in how long a kid wants to stay in the woods. I took my wife's little cousin deer hunting quite a bit when he was little and I could gain a couple of more hours of attention with some jerkey and trail mix. I'll also second what SJB said, get him intrested in the woods first, then start hunting.

 

[dieselbeef]

we went for a walk last night at dusk. found a clearing I had seen many deer in before and sat under a tree while the mosquitoes had a buffet! we didn't see anything I think because they had been plowing a adjoining field but it gave him an idea of what its like to be out at dusk and waiting..in the dark. he was good for about 45 min and then started asking questions and I had to keep telling him the animals could hear us. we took our time walking back and he asked me again this morning if we were going back so it must have been good by him. we will I told him this weekend after things settle down well go out sunday. ill let him take his 22 and if he sees a squirrel or maybe a rabbit ill give him a go at it.
I showed him some youtube videos about cleaning deer and rabbits/squirrels. hes seen cattle done quite a few times so it isn't new to him just that I don't think he realized deer had to be done the same way. he didn't think bout how far the deer also might run if he was to take a shot. I am pretty sure he could get one with my 357 ruger but idk if he can handle the 3030. the ar works too but I think its a bit heavy.
here in fl we cant hang em outside either. its gotta go bleed out in a ice chest for a cpl days. more added work to the cleaning part. and I will need to qtr it and take it to my buddys to be processed since I don't have a grinder or anything to do it with cept the deboning. more to do.
if its something he wants to do ill give it a go with him but I want to make sure he is with the whole program not just the shooting it part.
hes a great shot so im not worried about any of that. at 9 yrs old he can outshoot some adults I know and a lot safer doing it too

 

[Brute 23]

Get a .22 and pop turtles in the tank or chop down bushes with the .22. Kids... even me... love to see them fall.

 

[M-5]

Learn to debone it hanging. A deer can be deboned and iced as quick or quicker than you can qtr it.