Did your kids end up enjoying hunting as much as you!!!??

[traviswdalton]

I have 4 sons 24,21,12 and 1. Yes I spread them out. My 2 oldest went hunting a few times but never really showed any interest. My 12 year old absolutely loves hunting. I know this will be controversial but I think his interest came from using a crossbow. It allowed him to be successful at an early age. I should add that I only bowhunt so none of them were interested in rifle hunting. He started when he was 8 and has killed deer every year. He had an amazing 2018.

He said next year he wants to hunt with a recurve so we have started that journey together.

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[elkguide]

I have 4 sons 24,21,12 and 1. Yes I spread them out. My 2 oldest went hunting a few times but never really showed any interest. My 12 year old absolutely loves hunting. I know this will be controversial but I think his interest came from using a crossbow. It allowed him to be successful at an early age. I should add that I only bowhunt so none of them were interested in rifle hunting. He started when he was 8 and has killed deer every year. He had an amazing 2018.

He said next year he wants to hunt with a recurve so we have started that journey together.

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Do you want to adopt another older son?

AWESOME smiles there!

 

[nodakian]

I tell my kids that in adulthood a vigorous outdoor life will be entirely up to them. However, I also expect them to learn skills and be comfortable in the outdoors, including hunting, as kids so they have a firm foundation for proper understanding of issues that will arise in the future. My goal is to find a middle ground between pressuring them into my preferences (and getting rebellion) and letting them make choices they aren't educated enough to make yet. If they aren't required to dig somewhat deeply, how can they make an educated choice?

My oldest boy is 12, academic, creative, deliberate, a naturally good shot (as a shooter, think sniper), and ambivalent about hunting. The other is almost 11, action oriented, destructive, fast paced, and enjoys hunting and shooting (as a shooter, think machine gunner). They're both comfortable outdoors already, great hikers and campers, and their peers in Scouts look to them for leadership. Do they enjoy the outdoors? Absolutely, just not every time I want them to.

The packs I build have made a serious improvement in my kids' outdoor experiences. As with us adults, good gear increases their enjoyment and ability to stay in the field longer, a goal folks on this forum have for ourselves and our kids. Less suck = more fun. I figure if they like it now, they're more likely to continue liking in the future.

Loads in this picture are pushing 20 pounds with the guns. No way they (or I) would do that with regular shoulder-hanger packs.

 

[orionthehunter1]

Mine started shooting when they were 4 and have been hunting with me on numerous trips. They are both 4H champion shooters now and enjoy hunting as much as I do. My daughter killed her first antelope in New Mexico when she was 9 and another one at 10. My son got a turkey at 8. They both shot javelinas in New Mexico last year and we are headed to Texas after Christmas as they both drew WMA tags down there. It is nice with states that have no minimum age for kids to hunt as they both got their hunter safeties at 8. Their passion really seemed to grow after they got to punch tags of their own.

 

[roadrunner]

The first hunt my oldest and middle daughters went on was my wife's off range oryx hunt when they were 4 yrs and 10 months old respectively. We have a pic of my wife with her oryx and those two, one in a pink coat and the other in pajamas.

To date, my oldest has taken two mule deer (bucks), three cow elk, 6 meriam turkey, antelope, and an oryx. The second muley taped at 173 and the antelope 79. Her sister has taken 3 cow elk and 3 meriam turkey. Their youngest sister hasn't shown as much interest in it yet, but does make comments about doing it one day.

They are now 16, 13, and 10. The oldest is also a fishing fool. No boys and wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, I beleive the statement "anything boys can do, girls can do better" has some truth to it...

 

[BAKPAKR]

My daughter started shooting when she was pretty young.

She subsequently tagged along with me on a few doe hunts and she helped me skin a couple of bears. She showed quite a bit of interest in hunting, and she got her first deer when she was six.

She shot her fifth deer this year at age nine.

She says that she would really like to hunt moose. I hope she still enjoys hunting by the time she has the opportunity to go.


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[Rs3003]

I also have a 2 1/2yo and a 7 mo. old sons. I’m really enjoying reading the responses. I started going along small game hunting when I was about 6. I took my oldest out for the 1st time this year. Checking trail cams and in October for squirrel. He really enjoyed walking in the woods.

 

[Mcmahonff]

My 3 year old boy loves riding in my pack on training hikes. He also loves looking for elk poop. I try to get him out as often as possible and he is usually very excited about it.

 

[Mcmahonff]

And my 4 year old daughter on the other hand, can't wait to go hunting. She was looking at pictures on this thread and is excited. Wife and I are thinking about getting her a bow this year. Any tips?

 

[AK Troutbum]

Here are a few pics of my sons hunts over the last 4 years.

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[HunterEng]

I haven't gotten my 4yr old son out yet....but once a week I hide his stuffed animals all of the basement and we go on a hunt! If u ask him he has a couple trophy t-rexs! He's got to put his camo on and everything.

 

[rfra]

I have 3 children, now aged 12-15. My oldest son and daughter hunt with me a lot, I am rarely in the field without at least one of them. My daughter is the most interested in hunting. She loves it and will gladly spend a couple weeks camping and chasing elk with me rather than be at home. My oldest son enjoys it but its not a passion for him. My youngest son has had zero interest until this year. He just finished hunters safety this winter and we got him his first big game rifle and his attitude has totally changed, he's extremely excited to get out deer hunting this fall. My opinion is to expose them to it so they understand the natural world, understand the need to conserve public lands and wildlife, learn to have a connection to their food, and appreciate hard work and satisfaction. Beyond that I have no expectations that it be their primary interest or passion. I encourage them to seek after the things they love to do and respect others' interests. That all said, hunting is the one thing that I feel we all really remain connected through and will have a lot of great memories as they grow older and move out on their own.

I know that when I was a kid I loved hunting and trapping but never really cared much for fishing. My dad would drag me along on one fishing trip after another and it just burned me out more and more. I don't want to give my kids that experience, so we have a lot of fun and don't take things too seriously. I could be a lot more "successful" hunter without them, but I'd much rather spend the time with them.

 

[WVelkhunter]

My 5 yr old goes with my anytime I let him. I always let him tag along as long as the weather is bearable. I just hope he's holds on to the desire as he gets older, but i don't think it's anything that can forced on a child. I think the biggest obstacle is keeping things fun and interesting, especially for the real little hunters.

 

[woodbird]

My only is a girl who just turned 3. She’s naturally the biggest girly-girl I’ve ever seen. Every other day wants my wife to repaint her fingernails, only wears dresses, the whole 9 yards. I was working in the garden yesterday and turned up some earthworms and we played with them for a while so that was fun. She did ask to go hunting with my last year so I’m looking forward to that in the next couple years. Whether she ends up enjoying hunting or not I hope I can instill a general love for the outdoors and nature in her.

 

[missjordan]

Growing up, my parents were extremely non-hunting and not outdoorsy at all. However when my parents got divorced, my mom started dating a gentlemen who got my brother and I into hunting. I was 15 when i passed hunters safety and really only went during those first couple years just because that’s what we did as a family during the month of November. Took me a couple years to harvest my first buck and i was kind of hooked after that. Once my brother and i grew up my mom only really went with us just for the social aspect. But i look back after all those years of hunting and in the grand scheme of things i ended up being the more passionate hunter and my brother hardly goes anymore.

I really do think that females can have a good chance of being die hard hunters like males do, as long as they have the passion for it. There’s just not very many of us out there


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[Lefty26]

Jury is still out for both of mine. Sometimes they really want to go and love to be outdoors, other days it would take Mack truck to pull them away from their electronics.

 

[30338]

I treated hunting like I treated fishing. I took the kids when they were young out for multiple bluegill fishing trips. High success, got to help clean the fish. Love eating fried bluegills. They both got hooked on fishing and love it as young adults.

On the hunting side I took them hunting with me when they were little. Sometimes the bowhunting trips for deer became carving contests, or long discussions, or anything but a deer hunt. I never minded and we had great times. They soon enough got to shoot rabbits and prairie dogs. We had great fun shooting rimfires. And without really thinking about it, both my son and daughter gained my love for the outdoors and hunting. My best hunts have always been when they got their first deer, antelope, elk, bear, or mtn goats.

I mainly just focused on the kids and their hunts for many years. It was great for me and great for them. My wife does hunt some with us but also loves fishing and the outdoors. Can't wait for more adventures with both of them.

 

[Buckwise9]

When I first introduced my daughter to hunting at the age of 3 she was in awe and loved it which really surprised me. Ended up getting a doe first and then a decent 8pt. Had a great year. The next year as she was 4 it seems as though she lost interested in it. I’m hoping she comes back around for I really enjoyed spending that time with her and the wife did too since it got her out of her hair. We will see..

 

[TexasElevation]

Things are different in Texas. But mine can’t get enough at 6. He’s itching to chase his first Pronghorn.

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[FLAK]

My son, now 15, LIKES hunting and fishing.. He is not obsessed with it like I was/is. My wife says I'm just a freak about it.
Maybe he's spoiled as he's more into the "adventure hunts" out of state for different species. He does not like sitting in a tree stand and I cant do it more than a couple days in a row. We drew Javelina tags in NM and we're about to head to MT. for bear. That's the stuff he likes, a one and done checklist kind of guy. Then on to the next.