Am I a jerk? (Read before voting)

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

It depends if you want to drive him away from hunting or not, I guess.

When he decides he's rather play video games than go hunting with you this would probably be the reason why.

"Dad won't let me shoot something small and if it's too big he is going to shoot it."

To retain young hunters they need to have early success. Also, do you want him thinking hunting is all about the size of the antler. Let the boy help provide meat for his family.

 

[WCB]

The limit on the upper end of what he can shoot and just because it is bigger you get to shoot it is stupid. That is basically the definition of selfish. Others are wrong when they say your son is a "guest" in your spot. No your son is your son.

It is honestly like watching the T.V. hunters take people (mostly there close family memeber son daughter etc.) and being told they can't shoot Ole' Slammer because he needs another year to grow or they are only allowed to shoot a management buck...wtf?

I do kind of get the small forky Mule Deer buck thing IF and that is IF he has already shot a buck before. First deer or first buck in our family was whatever the hell walked out. After a couple small bucks the rule was something noticeably bigger than the last buck you killed. If you just want to shoot a deer shoot a doe but again that is after a few deer.

 

[String&stick]

It makes more sense to just exercise self control and not shoot one at all. A deer is a deer and in a low population environment, why not let the big breeder bucks do their thing?

You take the breeder buck out and leave the immature one alive, well, that just isn't logical at all...

While I agree with this some more explanation may help. Or mule deer populations isn't "low" but it is lower than it could be. We are in mixed territory with whitetails continuing to populate and Mulies holding steady. With that being the case we aren't harvesting any mulie does, and are letting bucks mature to try to hold that population steady or grow it. I can literally drive or walk to within 75 yards of Forky mule deer so we let them grow. It is more QDM than anything and trying to find off the whitetails.

Whitetails are a dime a dozen and are fair game. We hammer some does and couldn't care less what size bucks get shot because there are so many the age classes will fill out. If everyone whatever Muley buck they saw it would be a different story as they just can't reload like the whitetails.

But I totally understand your point.

 

[Randle]

Is this a muley specific tag?

 

[Laramie]

Quick story - I took my youngest for a couple days scouting before his first hunt so he could see some deer and formulate an idea in his head what he wanted to shoot, or wouldn't shoot. I had him lined up to hunt a very target rich environment. He understood that. We saw some amazing deer during scouting. Opening morning arrives and he chooses to pass several decent bucks- what I would consider great first deer. It was 100% his choice and I kept repeating to him he was welcome to harvest whatever made him happy. On day 3, he ended up shooting a great 6x6. It was the buck of a lifetime to some. We were all over the moon happy. During that off season I wondered if I had done the wrong thing allowing him to shoot a buck that would be difficult to top so I asked him about it and what he expected in the future. He understood we were hunting an area with amazing potential so that's why he was so patient.

Fast forward several years. My son has taken several lesser deer while hunting areas that weren't quite as good. He was just as happy hunting those smaller bucks and I truly think he is just excited to hunt now.

My point in saying all of this- parents don't give kids enough credit. As long as you make the hunt about the experience and put things in the right perspective, you aren't going to ruin them by allowing them to shoot something big early in their hunting career. They will understand.

I also think it is wrong to place a size restriction on anyone of any age. Telling kids they have to shoot something bigger every year places added stress that really isn't necessary. Teach them the joy of spending time in the field. Teach them that success isn't measured in inches of antler. Teach them about management. Teach them about herd dynamics. Teach them ethics. Most will eventually head in the right direction in their own time.

 

[String&stick]

The limit on the upper end of what he can shoot and just because it is bigger you get to shoot it is stupid. That is basically the definition of selfish. Others are wrong when they say your son is a "guest" in your spot. No your son is your son.

It is honestly like watching the T.V. hunters take people (mostly there close family memeber son daughter etc.) and being told they can't shoot Ole' Slammer because he needs another year to grow or they are only allowed to shoot a management buck...wtf?

I do kind of get the small forky Mule Deer buck thing IF and that is IF he has already shot a buck before. First deer or first buck in our family was whatever the hell walked out. After a couple small bucks the rule was something noticeably bigger than the last buck you killed. If you just want to shoot a deer shoot a doe but again that is after a few deer.

He killed two deer last year, a small white tail for his first and a 120ish inch buck for his second when I pulled him out of school to hunt another day.

He is 100% onboard with no small Mulies, and he knows most years he will be the only one with a mulie tag (youth) so he can have the trophy if he sees it because I can only get the tag as an adult every few years.

 

[String&stick]

Is this a muley specific tag?

No he has 1 tag for mulie or whitetail and one for whitetail only. And he gets those for 5 more years. So he knows most years he's the only shooter on Mulies.

As an adult it's every other or every 3rd year to have a mulie option. Otherwise it's whitetail only.

 

[sndmn11]

If he is old enough to be shut out of the bruiser buck so dad can shoot it, is he old enough to know not to tell dad when he sees the hulk first?

 

[WCB]

Your spot, your son is a guest in your spot, just as if you brought in someone else, a friend... so it's your rules.

 

[String&stick]

Quick story - I took my youngest for a couple days scouting before his first hunt so he could see some deer and formulate an idea in his head what he wanted to shoot, or wouldn't shoot. I had him lined up to hunt a very target rich environment. He understood that. We saw some amazing deer during scouting. Opening morning arrives and he chooses to pass several decent bucks- what I would consider great first deer. It was 100% his choice and I kept repeating to him he was welcome to harvest whatever made him happy. On day 3, he ended up shooting a great 6x6. It was the buck of a lifetime to some. We were all over the moon happy. During that off season I wondered if I had done the wrong thing allowing him to shoot a buck that would be difficult to top so I asked him about it and what he expected in the future. He understood we were hunting an area with amazing potential so that's why he was so patient.

Fast forward several years. My son has taken several lesser deer while hunting areas that weren't quite as good. He was just as happy hunting those smaller bucks and I truly think he is just excited to hunt now.

My point in saying all of this- parents don't give kids enough credit. As long as you make the hunt about the experience and put things in the right perspective, you aren't going to ruin them by allowing them to shoot something big early in their hunting career. They will understand.

I also think it is wrong to place a size restriction on anyone of any age. Telling kids they have to shoot something bigger every year places added stress that really isn't necessary. Teach them the joy of spending time in the field. Teach them that success isn't measured in inches of antler. Teach them about management. Teach them about herd dynamics. Teach them ethics. Most will eventually head in the right direction in their own time.

Appreciate this and your story! Thanks for commenting!

 

[FalFreak]

I get the conservation aspect of rule 1. But the other is a bit much. We’ve been of the “who sees it first, gets first shot” camp. It will keep him alert and he’ll become a better hunter because if it.

who knows, once your in the woods you might enjoy getting him on a big buck more than you would enjoy shooting it while he watches.

 

[CorbLand]

He killed two deer last year, a small white tail for his first and a 120ish inch buck for his second when I pulled him out of school to hunt another day.

He is 100% onboard with no small Mulies, and he knows most years he will be the only one with a mulie tag (youth) so he can have the trophy if he sees it because I can only get the tag as an adult every few years.

If he is 100% on board with not killing small mule deer then it doesn't need to be a rule.

 

[String&stick]

If he is old enough to be shut out of the bruiser buck so dad can shoot it, is he old enough to know not to tell dad when he sees the hulk first?

Haha fair point, we've never ran across this in the field so I can't say how I would have handled it, I probably would play backup and let him fire away. I just had the Convo with my dad (who didn't sit with me as a kid but plunked me down and walked over the ridge) and he was mortified. So I figured I'd poll the ole Rokslide community to see how terrible I sounded.

I won't be waiting for my Rokslide father of the year award in the mail!

We love each other, have tons of fun, and i've had him hunting since he was big enough to throw in a back pack and carry along.

But I love conversations and seeing dynamics in how people think so I posted it up!

 

[Laramie]

Appreciate this and your story! Thanks for commenting!

For what it's worth, I think we are hunting the same area. I understand where you are coming from and agree that your post was worded in a way to make you look bad. There truly are easy small mule deer bucks all over. Guessing if we could all have a conversation with your son he would be the first to say those are just too easy.

 

[sndmn11]

Haha fair point, we've never ran across this in the field so I can't say how I would have handled it, I probably would play backup and let him fire away. I just had the Convo with my dad (who didn't sit with me as a kid but plunked me down and walked over the ridge) and he was mortified. So I figured I'd poll the ole Rokslide community to see how terrible I sounded.

I won't be waiting for my Rokslide father of the year award in the mail!

We love each other, have tons of fun, and i've had him hunting since he was big enough to throw in a back pack and carry along.

But I love conversations and seeing dynamics in how people think so I posted it up!

For what it is worth, my wife felt strongly enough that you were not a jerk that she dig up her password just so she could vote no.

I'd be on board with rule 2 if you shoot what you spot, and I would probably set myself a 30s to 2m countdown not saying anything when I see an animal just to see if he finds it. Our kid is four though, so the competitor in me will probably come out in 10 years as well.

 

[WallySegap]

I’d let them shoot whatever. I enjoyed the time hunting with my kids more than the antlers. Plus, I’m going to hold it over them when they want to put me in a home.

 

[String&stick]

For what it is worth, my wife felt strongly enough that you were not a jerk that she dig up her password just so she could vote no.

I'd be on board with rule 2 if you shoot what you spot, and I would probably set myself a 30s to 2m countdown not saying anything when I see an animal just to see if he finds it. Our kid is four though, so the competitor in me will probably come out in 10 years as well.

Tell the wife thanks! And I'm fine admitting there is a streak of selfish there, and that I can be wrong. I am enjoying the different views and comments (most of them anyway)

 

[Bubblehide]

Lol. I will admit I have not read through the entire thread after my first post. However, I have read some posts here Stating that dad was going to potentially shoot a buck on the sons tag. No where in the original post did dad ever state that.

It sound like a buch of guys here want their kids getting "Participation Points" so to speak. What we actually have here is a dad that wants his kid to earn any trophy buck he takes, rather then lead him to one and let him shoot it, setting unrealistic expectations for future hunts. Those trophy's are simply hard to come by, let alone harvest. The bottom line is that dad has put the work in and earned it, the son has yet to earn one.

I get the sentiment though; I often take out new guys, and some older that have not killed a buck at all, or in some cases in years. I have taken them to my honey holes. I have set-up camp prior to opening (tent, ultra light cots, stove fuel... all packed in about 5 miles). All these guys had to do was pack in with their personal gear, sleeping bag and food, and then pack out. They never scouted the spots, never set foot in the areas... prior to their first hunts there. In short, they did not earn anything. Yet, I still openly offered them first shot on anything they wanted to pull the trigger on.

What I see dad doing here, I view as very responsible, in many aspects. But hey, to all you "participation Point" parents, you are entitled to your opinion, as am I.

 

[BuzzH]

Glad my Dad and Grandfathers weren't like you...I'll leave it at that.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Not a jerk but you seem incredibly insecure. Most fathers would rather see their children succeed and do better than them, you aren't ok with your kid taking a bigger buck than you. That seems like incredibly bad parenting and priorities in general.

I grew up hunting with my dad, he always let me shoot first no matter how big the animal was. For him, it was more important seeing his kid get it done than bragging about having another or bigger rack on the wall.