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Post by royalcoachman on Dec 28, 2009 10:30:59 GMT -5
Well this was my final hunting season before my first child comes along in March. Having put some thought into "fatherhood" while out in the woods...I'm posing a question to all out there (especially dad's with little girls):
How do you explain hunting to a child? How do you get them to understand and tag along in the woods with you and enjoy the sport?
I'll have a little girl this time next year and as she grows up I want her to appreciate hunting and to become interested in it. Hints, tips, suggestions are appreciated.
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Post by vectrix on Dec 28, 2009 10:52:53 GMT -5
I have 3 kids, boy 5 - girl 9 - boy 15 on dec 19th. My kids grew up surrounded by the hunting atmosphere. Deer heads, deer meat for supper, hunting videos etc... I never pushed it on my kids, when my boy was little there were times when I tried to take him but he didn't want to go. At the age of 8 or 9 I was seriously concerned he wasn't that interested in it due to sports and fishing. At 11 he killed his first two deer and has been hooked ever since- 12 deer, 3 turkeys and more squirrels than you could count. My daughter is becoming interested but on a slower pace, she is asking about her hunter safety course this year. It has to come natural, if they want it fine but if they don't that's fine too. The most important thing IMO to strive for is #1 safety and #2 ethics. There have been times while hunting I actually took my sons gun from him after witnessing him with the gun pointed in an unsafe direction finger on trigger etc... My son saw death close up many times at 5, I used to hunt behind my house and he learned what a bullet can do to a living animal, this ain't video games. As far as ethics, teach your child the right way of doing things. Teach them to be an ethical hunter, our kids are our creation and will do the things as adults they witnessed their parents doing as children. Start with plinking, buy her a red ryder for her 5th or 6th b-day and set up some cans. If she seems interested move up to a .22 cricket they even have pink ones. Good luck, hunting with your kids is the greatest pleasure you can have in the outdoors.
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Post by omegahunter on Dec 28, 2009 13:30:41 GMT -5
I have a little girl that will be 4 January the 14th and she told me that she wanted to go hunting with me this year and I told her that she would have to wait a little while. All I had to do to get her interested was to continue with my hunting life as usual: watch the videos and shows on the weekends, go hunting, show her the deer I had harvested, and explain to her that we were eating those deer for supper. This year she stood at the counter and helped me cut and package the buck I took. In short, just involve her and she will accept it and look forward to it. I just can't wait to have her with me in the woods.
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Post by vectrix on Dec 28, 2009 13:35:54 GMT -5
I have a little girl that will be 4 January the 14th and she told me that she wanted to go hunting with me this year and I told her that she would have to wait a little while. All I had to do to get her interested was to continue with my hunting life as usual: watch the videos and shows on the weekends, go hunting, show her the deer I had harvested, and explain to her that we were eating those deer for supper. This year she stood at the counter and helped me cut and package the buck I took. In short, just involve her and she will accept it and look forward to it. I just can't wait to have her with me in the woods. Cool, a couple years she will be in charge of burger grinding! My daughter just took over as burger grinding supervisor from my 15 yr old. |
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Post by HighCotton on Dec 28, 2009 13:49:02 GMT -5
Big time +++  to vectrix! That is the same way I brought my kids up. They're grown now and my oldest son never did latch on to the hunting/fishing passion. I remember the day I took them to a friends house to learn about guns. My daughter and youngest son couldn't wait to shoot and eventually hunt after taking hunter's ed. We have made some awesome memories in the woods. My oldest son sat at the bench that day and started taking my marlin 60 apart because he wanted to know how it worked and that was cool by me. He became an electrical engineer for Cummins Engine and works there to this day. He does not hunt with me but loves venison. Now his sons (my grandsons) are the ones that seem to be interested in everything outdoors and I love it. I could not agree more with vectrix. Safety, Ethics, Training and Education will lead to some Great Experiences! The only other comment I would make is to take them Camping. This really fed my kids love for the outdoors, too. |
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Post by turkeyscout on Dec 28, 2009 13:49:37 GMT -5
i would suggest first is going to parks and wildlife refuge,or d.n.r. fish and wildlife areas and just drive around and bring the neighbors kids also and just drive around ,and have fun in just what they see. and of course if they have a nature center, that a great experience too.my point is ...just having fun outdoors is more important than grooming them to hunt, and someday if they show interest in hunting, then education is needed in that area,like indianas" hunters" safety course...BOTTOM LINE "ENJOY THE OUTDOORS" try not to have NO bad experiences, like camping in the rain,or getting to cold or just staying out to long, short trips are better...most kids like to pick raspberries in the summer and mushrooms in the spring and of course fishing for bluegills is great too, enjoying the outdoors can be enjoyed for life...and watching and feeding the birds is a nice way to enjoy nature( some kids really like that at a very young age).....good luck and congratulations on becoming a father.......TAKE A YOUNGSTER ON YOUR NEXT OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE..................turkey scout
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Post by 36fan on Dec 28, 2009 14:35:45 GMT -5
First off ... CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also have 3 kids - boys 3 and 5, and girl that is 6. Like others have said, if they grow up around hunting, it will come natural when they are ready. You won't have to explain hunting to them, they will get it. Before you have to worry about your kid(s) hunting, you will face another dilemma - balancing hunting and being a Dad. During a tough season you will be pulled between going hunting and being at home and being a Dad ... and Mom won't always agree with your decision. Their is a fine line you have to balance between the two, and only YOU will know where that line is. I didn't start hunting until my daughter was almost 2. The first day I went hunting my wife went to the grocery with my daughter, and they saw Santa there. Santa asked my daughter which was her favorite reindeer, and she told Santa, "My Daddy's gonna kill a deer and we're going to eat it!" Santa didn't understand her, and my wife didn't translate, but it's still one of my favorite 'hunting' stories.  |
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Post by drs on Dec 28, 2009 14:46:11 GMT -5
I, for one, am very happy to see the younger kids being interested in sport hunting. For a while, I was worried that these young kids were not interested in sport hunting. We need EVERY youngster to develope an interest in hunting & wildlife conservation so our sport doesn't die off.
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Post by evolutionsthunder on Dec 28, 2009 16:55:34 GMT -5
every kid is going to be different, my oldest girl never got into any thing outdoors my son did for awhile but now is just deer hunting and fishing now my youngest daughtershows one of the strongest passions for the outdoors that i think i have ever seen. and its not because of killing she has only taken 1 rabbit and a squirrel but i think she is hooked for life...
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Post by featherduster on Dec 28, 2009 17:17:38 GMT -5
ALL THE ABOVE !
Just let it come natural.
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Post by jabba on Dec 28, 2009 19:27:17 GMT -5
My almost 3 year old boy is running around the house shooting "deer" and targets. I had him out spotting deer on the last weekend of ML season, and while we had a NICE 10 point in the light, he was saying Pow... Pow... Pow. He's seen deer hanging. He didn't like it when I cut it's legs off, but got over it. He like to eat deer, and I have no doubt that he'll want to go when it's time, without any pressure.
But he way... congratulations!!
Jabba
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Post by royalcoachman on Dec 29, 2009 11:51:34 GMT -5
Thanks for all the posts fellas. I guess I was just concerned because growing up I never had anyone to hunt with and only started myself going the last 3 years. Have been almost exclusively self-taught. My dad was never interested in it. I also have very few friends who enjoy the sport so it gets lonely hunting alone at times, other times its ok. I just was imposing my own selfish desire to have a hunting buddy (way too prematurely I might add) on a daughter who isn't even here yet. I'll just do my thing and if she takes to it great, if not, that's cool too. I appreciate all the congrats! I'm definately excited! Now...hopefully I'll make it back out this weekend for a last minute kill!
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Dec 29, 2009 12:15:46 GMT -5
Congrats!!!!!!
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Post by deerslayer73 on Dec 30, 2009 23:51:59 GMT -5
Congratulation on your daughter!! The only thing that I would add is be careful about taking her out at an early age and not seeing deer. My son went with me when he was younger and got antsy with not much action. I know that is just kids but you dont want to burn them out. My son is 10 now and all he thinks about is hunting and fishing. He killed is first deer this year and it was great!! You will learn that their experiences are much more exciting than yours or I was anyway. Good luck and God Bless You ;D ;D
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