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

[omomi]

Kids doing pretty better than me lol

 

[Carr5vols]

I started about age 10 hunting and fishing way before that, I introduced my sons and daughter around age 6. Only afternoon whitetail hunts out of ground blind that I knew would have alot of action. From there moved them into other hunting/fishing activities. I would not say there are die hard but they do enjoy it.

 

[wentright]

My oldest girl 10 now love going and setting in the stand with me. If it’s cold I take a kids sleeping bag with us so I can zip her up in it so she doesn’t get cold

 

[johnvan74]

Just involve them and it will take care of itself. I wounder what he is dreaming about???

 

[GVDocHoliday]

My 8yo and 4yo daughters love every aspect of hunting and they can't wait to go. I've taken my 8yo out with me for a few sits and turkey scouting/roosting and she'll be going for her own turkey for the first time this spring...she can't wait. They both love to help track deer and have no queasiness about field dressing or meat processing.

 

[Newtosavage]

I could post a lot of pictures of my smiling kids with deer, etc. but if I'm being honest, none of my three kids love to hunt like I do, or even like I did when I was their age. They all have other things they would rather do.

And you know what? I'm totally fine with that. I don't need my kids to validate my interests, and they don't need me to validate theirs. We are all our own people. That's how I raised them.

Would I have loved it if one of my kids ended up loving hunting like I do? Sure I would. But I also don't lose any sleep over it.

I've had some great hunts with all three of my kids. Memorable hunts. But they are their own people with their own interests, and I admire them for that.

 

[WyoWrangler]

A point of view from a kid who was literally surrounded by hunting even before I was born. My mom was hunting whitetails in a treestand at 8 months, I was born in November. My father enjoyed bird and waterfowl hunting and my mother is a better hunter than most men even to this day.
I grew up going hunting, first day of whitetail season in Missouri was one of my favorite days of the year.

Then something happened from about 12 to 22, I lost desire to go hunting/fishing, still went but just didn’t have that drive. I moved to Wyoming at 14, which you would think would bring it back, but it didn’t. Then 23 hit being in college I started to get it back, started with fly fishing, and really finding out all the outdoor opportunities I have. Now being 26 I’m going on my second year of elk hunting, and it’s all I think about.

I think some kids really enjoy it and some don’t, I do know some of my best memories growing up involved friends and the outdoors. Get them involved young and be positive, more than likely you’ll see them gravitate towards it even if it doesn’t involve them actually taking the shot. If you get them hooked they’ll be like me and have no money for beer because they’ve spent it all on hunting gear.

 

[30338]

My son likes to hunt as much as I do and has been quite successful at it. He now makes his plans, does his scouting and research, and is doing quite well. Great to see. My daughter thankfully enjoys it as well. I started them both going into the woods on fun hikes, then on any hunt I could get them comfortable on knowing my success would suffer lol, as well as fishing trips too. Basically just being involved with your kids and showing them how fun the outdoors is. Small game is awesome to start with.

I instilled in them a strong sense of confidence along the way. That was important, particularly for my daughter, as so many females seemed to be brainwashed against guns and hunting. She doesn't chat up her hunting with those types of women but great seeing so many young ladies now hunting. There is absolutely nothing better than hunting with your kids.

 

[Motown]

My 10 year old son has been hunting with me since he was 4. In PA we have a mentored youth program which allowed him to hunt at a very young age as long as I am with him.

In the past 6 years I can think of maybe only a handful of times I have gone hunting without him. He was able to shoot hit first doe at 7 years old and his first buck this past fall at 9

My wife doesnt hunt but also doesn’t mind that we do either.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

Hook em where you can hook em. My son doesn't mind hiking and as gets older/stronger his interest level is coming along. Hiking to a destination is helpful so there's a reward at the 1/2 way point. My son loves fishing. Since he was little I brought him along. I let him reel in every single fish we caught. He's 11 and I still let him reel in 95% of the fish. It also helps that he LOVES to eat trout (smoked with a Traeger Rub).

He loves shooting. I don't let him shoot the big game rifles too often due to recoil. He enjoys shooting the 17 HMR and 22 LR. Targets bore him beyond belief. He loves to shoot the 4" orange self healing ball because they move when he hits them or spinning targets or clay pigeons. Surprisingly, this past fall he wanted to try shooting clay pigeons with his 20 gauge. He loved it. So I added that to his list.

He loves camping and is in charge of the fire. Give that boy an axe and he's content for a long time! Chainsaw here and there with me holding it of course. Loves that!

Hunting we have been fortunate in his first 2 seasons. He's harvested a WTD buck, Mule deer buck, and a Pronghorn. Now he's hooked. He jumps right in when field dressing, he's proudly in charge of sealing when we are processing, and he is one proud guy when we use meat from his harvest for dinner!

My daughter not so much! She's goes and has harvested a pronghorn and elk. She doesn't mind going but her interest level is not really there.

I've learned by watching him what he really enjoys and I make sure to include those activities as much as possible. When we go outdoors it's more about what he wants to do versus my itinerary. I really think that's the salient point.

 

[cowsandgrass]

I have a 7 year old boy. He loves everything there is to do in the outdoors especially fishing and target shooting. However he cannot stand To be around the act of killing. He is a smart kid and fully understands the relationship between killing and food, but will not partake in the killing himself.
I have tried to ease him into it first with fish, which he tolerates but will not do the dead himself. Once I shot a skunk with him present and he refused to speak to me for days.
im not sure how to guide him through this.

 

[Stalker69]

I have to grown boys. They like hunting, love fishing. But they are not “ addicted” to it like I was at their age. I pretty much have to plan, and get everything ready to. And clean up and put away when we get home. They like the hunting part but not much else of it.

 

[jmcd22]

Then something happened from about 12 to 22, I lost desire to go hunting/fishing, still went but just didn’t have that drive. I moved to Wyoming at 14, which you would think would bring it back, but it didn’t. Then 23 hit being in college I started to get it back, started with fly fishing, and really finding out all the outdoor opportunities I have. Now being 26 I’m going on my second year of elk hunting, and it’s all I think about.

This sounds just like my experience. Dad and grandpa went out of state every year and I would sit by the kitchen window every day waiting to see if they got anything. When they stayed in state, I went on every trip. When I hit 15 or so, the sports picked up and girls too. I lost all desire to even go. Dad would try and get me out of bed but I just had no interest. When I started college the switch flipped and hunting is all I could think about. I started going again around 20 and haven't missed a beat since!

My wife and I are starting to think about kids and I hope and pray that they love it as much as I do. My wife doesn't hunt but she has been on a few hunts with me since we met and she loves to fish...and she can outfish me any day of the week (I hate admitting that) so I know our kids will love the outdoors and in today's world, that would be a win for me.

 

[tp308]

Great thread... I have 3 sons (13, 11 and 4) my older boys love all things outdoors (mainly baseball, camping, hunting and fishing). I don't think I've hunted solo even once since my oldest turned 5 and I wouldn't have it any other way. It started early on for them watching Drury Outdoors with me on Sat mornings when they were 3 and 4 yrs old. Then seeing them at 5 waiting by the backdoor all bundled up @ 4 AM in 15 degree weather to get in the truck and drive and hour and half the farm we hunt. No doubt, I love to hunt, but it's gotten to where in the cold of late season, they're pushing me to stay motivated... I love it. We were joking that one day when I'm old and in diapers, I'm counting on them taking me hunting. They laughed but agreed that they wouldn't let me down. Involve your kids in your hobbies, it takes time and maybe a change in mindset but the memories are priceless and irreplaceable.

 

[keller]

My dad didn't hunt after returning from vietnam.i really wanted to hunt bad.my cousin took me.then I took my brother when he got old enough.now my kids are old enough took my daughter she killed a deer her first time out. Then her friend was shot to death by her stepdad she won't touch a gun anymore. My son was excited to go killed 2 deer his first day and said can I go back to the house now.didnt get too excited.i think upbringing helps but feel it's more it's in your blood or it isnt.

 

[Dead eye BT]

You never know. I am a complete hunting fool. I have 3 daughters, late to early teens. They’ve all been exposed to hunting since a very young age- going out checking trail cams, hanging//building deer stands, spending weeklong summer camping trips that revolve around seeking out deer and elk, hunting upland birds, and tagging along in all sorts of big game hunts.

The oldest is as crazy about all types of hunting as I am, seeks out 3-D archery shoots, trained her own pointing dog, and is an absolute game magnet. She’s just as crazy about fishing (more than I am- I enjoy fishing, but live for hunting).

The youngest is mildly interested in hunting and fishing. She still goes, but I can tell it’s more because I want her to, not because she really wants to.

The middle daughter has kindly let me know that she’s really not interested in hunting at all anymore. She still enjoys fishing, but only if the weather is good.

I feel extremely fortunate to have three great daughters, and one of them truly enjoys spending time with the old man in the great outdoors.

 

[MattWll]

I would not want my children to go hunting with me at a young age, this is too cruel for children

 

[Customweld]

I have 3 daughters, all of them have been hunting with me since they were little . They range in age from 16-20. They all have grown out of wanting anything to do with hunting.