Best investment for kids hunt.

[TheCougar]

I’ve got a 10 year old daughter and 12 year old son that drew really good rifle bull tags this year. I was thinking of getting them something that would make their hunt more enjoyable/successful/memorable. I’m already heavily invested in improving their shooting with multiple trips to the range and getting them confident behind a rifle. What else can I invest in that has a high ROI? I’ve got a crappy set of old bushnell binos that they share and a old women’s kelty backpack that is too big for my daughter and just barely fits my son. My wife made two woobies and I’ve got them decent clothes and boots for season. They each have a “hit and run kit” with emergency essentials and headlamps. What would you get them to improve the experience? Maybe better binos or a SG/Exo/SO pack that they can use? Should I pay for a day of shooting instruction, beyond what I can teach them? What am I not thinking of? I’m open to any ideas. I feel like this is a once-in-decade opportunity with them and I want them to be confident, comfortable, and invested in the experience with their dad. Especially my daughter... I’m not sure how she will do.

 

[WCB]

Personally, I'd say if they have the correct clothes and boots...and the firearm is taken care of it would be between Binos and packs. I'd lean towards binos considering at their age they may outgrow a pack in a year or two but they can use the binos indefinitely.

 

[TheCougar]

Personally, I'd say if they have the correct clothes and boots...and the firearm is taken care of it would be between Binos and packs. I'd lean towards binos considering at their age they may outgrow a pack in a year or two but they can use the binos indefinitely.

Boots, clothes, and training are my highest priorities. If they are comfortable and can shoot well, then I have done my job. Binos make them more involved, a pack makes them more productive and comfortable. Shooting lessons, I’m not sure if that is money well spent. I’m taking shooting instruction this year, but not sure if they will get much from an instructor.

 

[nowen22]

Shooting definitely helps, but I wouldn’t pay for an instructor. Repetition is going to do them better at that age. Keep them warm, fed, and entertained (binos) and they’ll have a good time. Hopefully you can get the opportunity on a couple bulls!

 

[Huntindog45]

double up on their clothes. there are really good youth jackets and shoes now. and they make your kids so much more comfortable. aside from that... shoot often. not just at the targets at the range go out in the field and find random things to shoot (in a safe manner of course) ground squirrels and jackrabbits are great training. get them used to the idea there is not always a benchrest. The 22 rifle is the best training tool there is for big game hunting.

 

[Felix40]

The kids I have taken out often want to be involved in the butchering process. Sometimes is as simple as just poking holes in the hide after skinning and sometimes they want to be shoulder deep in there cutting off meat. A knife for each of them would be a cool and fairly inexpensive thing that they could actually use and keep forever. Not to mention the entertainment value of carving sticks and stuff during down time.

 

[Antarctica]

If you've got the basics covered, I'd go with bino's. With their own pair, they are their own hunter. It is frustrating for people getting handed a pair and then pointed to 'look there'. Much more effective and engaging to be able to see "Go to the bump on the ridge, OK, now go down to the big dead tree, got that? Ok now you see the rock to the right? The buck is just under that rock" Doing that in conjunction with another person looking through their own pair is a lot more fun...

Plus you get two more pair of effective eye's hunting...

 

[Marble]

I have been guiding kids in the 12 to 16 years of age range for 10 years. Gear and gadgets are helpful but are not what will make the hunt. Expereince and training on what to do when will make it successful.

Expereince can be gained by having them practice shooting and killing squirls or other game in situations similar to what you expect to be in for Elk.

Training is the part where they are accustomed to the gear and what to do as they walk around. Knowing their weapon, how to check it regularly, how to wear their pack.

Do not put the kid in a shooting situation that is even somewhat difficult. They need to have time to set up their shot and do it when they are comfortable. I have put pressure on kids before and they freeze up, close their eyes (while shooting or the entire time the scope is up), do wierd things with their trigger finger etc.. Then they miss their shot and are defeated and its difficult to bring them back to even wanting to continue.

Keep them warm, fed and comfortable.

 

[MattB]

Make sure they ate comfortable.

 

[silverbullet555]

Comfort first
Snacks and junk food goes a long way. Special or unique foods.
I bought my son a new alps pack this year as an upgrade. Also bought him some new firstlite gear on clearance from STP.

Things that make it special.

I let my kid spend a little more time playing on the phone while we are hunting. It has to be enjoyable for them to want to come back. Eventually, the trip becomes the enjoyment.

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[Doc Holliday]

A nice skinning knife.

 

[Laramie]

Not sure what your budget is but I believe these to best the best binoculars for the money out there- https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...&ved=0ahUKEwiA3rPJlPPpAhXrYd8KHevbA1YQ8wII3wM

I bought my son and wife a pair. Having their own quality glass really changed the experience for both of them. Another investment that was a game changer for them was a Primos tall trigger stick. I use the tripod version. New hunters can really struggle to get a solid rest so having them practice with one of these in various positions helped them both feel confident in the field. Hope this helps- good luck on the hunts!

 

[AKSilent1]

I’ve got a 10 year old daughter and 12 year old son that drew really good rifle bull tags this year. I was thinking of getting them something that would make their hunt more enjoyable/successful/memorable. I’m already heavily invested in improving their shooting with multiple trips to the range and getting them confident behind a rifle. What else can I invest in that has a high ROI? I’ve got a crappy set of old bushnell binos that they share and a old women’s kelty backpack that is too big for my daughter and just barely fits my son. My wife made two woobies and I’ve got them decent clothes and boots for season. They each have a “hit and run kit” with emergency essentials and headlamps. What would you get them to improve the experience? Maybe better binos or a SG/Exo/SO pack that they can use? Should I pay for a day of shooting instruction, beyond what I can teach them? What am I not thinking of? I’m open to any ideas. I feel like this is a once-in-decade opportunity with them and I want them to be confident, comfortable, and invested in the experience with their dad. Especially my daughter... I’m not sure how she will do.

Way back in the mid 1990's, my Father took my younger sisters to a game ranch for a hunt. The 777 Ranch, near Hondo, Texas, if I recall it correctly. It was a jeep ride and a sight seeing afternoon and the young girls got to take a shot at a deer or two, at close enough range to have a high chance of success. It was dry, sunny, comfortable, friendly. Not exactly hunting as we consider it but a smart first move for a first step.

 

[MTPipeliner]

Hand warmers and lots of snacks. If it’s cold my boys love to make hot chocolate on the alcohol stove while we’re out hunting.

I’m not sure what caliber of bulls are possible on this hunt, but it’s worth keeping in mind that any elk taken on a fair chase hunt is an accomplishment to be proud of so keep the expectations for both them and yourself realistic, you don’t want them to be upset if they get a rag horn instead of a monster.

Their own binoculars is a good idea so they can get used to using them, I would consider getting them a bino harness as well so they don’t have to deal with just a strap that is banging around. Unless it’s a backcountry hunt I wouldn’t buy expensive packs for them, they aren’t big enough to be hauling serious weight anyway. You should plan on hauling the bulk of their gear, so having a big enough pack for yourself would be good.

 

[22lr]

A pair of binoculars will grow with them and last for awhile. No need to buy the top tier glass, this is where I love budget glass with a good warranty like Vortex. My daughter is only 3, but loves going on hikes so while we go on smaller hikes we will stop to take a break/use the binoculars, and I got her a Viper monocular that's a little easier for her to use with her little hands. Just tie a simple lanyard with paracord and she is off to the races!

Other than binoculars, for gear that will grow with them, don’t get super crazy. A decent knife can be had for under $30 pretty easy (I grew up with a Gerber Gator, although there are tons of good and super affordable options like the Mora blades). A decent used pack can be found pretty easily (look at the smaller Osprey or Kelty, they are super nice packs for the money, and used ones are not hard to find). It would be worth it to get good trekking poles as they are going to be usable forever/and are semi-hard to lose just by nature of how you use them. If your kids have social media accounts, don't forget to just take plenty of pics for them to post later if that is there thing. Don't underestimate how important it can be for some kids to post a few pictures of the scenery or animals.

If your kids have an allowance or do things like cut grass for the neighbors, let them buy some gear for themselves. Help them find a good deal and walk them through what to look for. Take them to different stores and flea markets (when they open again) or yard sales and let them take the time to find gear they want to buy with their own money. It’s a huge life lesson to start buying your own gear, and give them a chance to learn what to look for. I'll spend hours of research on gear, give them a chance to explore the options as well. Even if it's just getting them to a store and letting them look at a few options and making up their mind what ones they want to buy (or for you to buy for them). Let them truly decide what they want and then talk with them and help them decide if it's what they want. But don’t pressure them into wanting a specific brand/product if you go that route. My dad was never much of a hunter, but he was a super gear freak with tools. He did the same thing, would talk with me about what to look for, a good price range and then support me if I asked him what he thought about XYZ brand tool. Not in a "that’s a crap socket set" way, but in a "that’s a good deal, but they may not last too long, what if we go around and found you a used Craftsman set for the same price? Would you be interested?" My point is just that we can often lose sight of the fact that we are gear freaks in our own way, find a way to support yours kids own gear choices. To me, that always made it more special. If my dad said it was a good tool and helped find a way to make it more affordable for my budget it was always a win win. I still have some of the first tools I ever bought with my dad because they are just that important to me now.

I guess at the end of all of this, im trying to say, the best investment for gear is probably the time you spend helping them pick out gear. Shoot, get them on the forums looking for gear reviews on the more affordable gear.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Exactly what type of hunt are you looking to do? Are you going to be doing just overnight trips, or are you looking at upwards of a week or more backpack hunt? Don’t take this wrong, but I guess I’m kind of confused about exactly what kind of information that you’re looking for. If you’re looking at doing a serious backpack elk hunt, I think that good, properly fitting backpacks is a must. Don’t worry about everyone having good optics, if you have one good pair of binos, you can share those. You absolutely want them to be warm and dry, so adequate clothing is a must, but also keep in mind that a little bit of suffering only builds character, and I think it makes the overall experience much more memorable and will give them something to tell their children later on. Kids are a lot of times much more up to the task than adults give them credit for, and I think that, having good leadership is, in most cases, the best thing you can provide for them.


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[16Bore]

Just don’t be a Little League Helicopter Parent Travel Sports My Kid Can’t Fail parent and everything will be fine....

 

[bowhuntrben]

A good camera. Quality pictures capturing the memories are the most valuable thing to me. Much moreso than a harvest.

 

[mooretitan]

For my kids and they have done lots of hunting starting at an early age was to make sure #1 they are dry and warm. Being cold and wet will make them hate it and in return will drive you crazy listen to them. #2 keep the well fed. I also made sure to bring candy and snacks for them. It’s amazing what a bag of skittles can do. #3 know your kid and what they want out of the hunt. My oldest son has no problem going on a death march just for the chance of seeing an animal. My youngest not sure much. He likes to go but it’s a different pace and experience for him.
Don’t do the phone thing. Let me enjoy the outdoors without a phone. If anything get them a cheap camera to take pictures.
If you just have extra cash and wanted to get them something that they can use a good knife goes a long ways and will last them a life time

 

[Phillyd044]

I bought my nephews 8 and 9 a insect/bug catching kit, it kept them busy for hours while at camp. I don’t like the social media while being out so I try and get new games like cornhole or horseshoes anything really to not have them say I’m bored.