First Youth Hunt-Gear-Area-Expectations?

[Jxferg7]

Let me start by saying as a Midwest Flatlander I started hunting the mountains 8 years ago-I did this to instill a new passion that would force me to learn something new and stay in shape year round. My son was 1 and I knew I wanted start slowly in hopes that I could learn how to traverse the mountains and iron out any kinks while continuing my annual mountain adventures with him. He has adopted the same passion without leaving the flatlands! He just turned 10 and going to plan on taking him along this September.

Expectations are not the highest with some of the area I am familiar with being very steep and nasty country-it used to be the case where this country would limit some hunting pressure but this is not the case any more HA. Planning on going out a couple days before season as he wants to try some fishing in the high country and then will pursue some Elk for the remainder of the week.

My question is for Gear. I have learned over the years that Boots, Clothing, and Pack can make or break a hunt and turn a GREAT hunt to a miserable week in the mountains-learned from experience. What companies have you had a good luck with youth gear?

For the experience itself would you change up your hunting area to area you have never seen, researched, or set eyes on to coincide with your youth hunter or stick with the deep, dark, steep, deadfall timber your used to and take it slow and do the best you can to make sure you don't ruin it for your new hunter. My son is not new to hunting or fishing living in South Dakota but new to the mountains. Any information you could send my way would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[TaperPin]

Dark timber is really cool if you’ve never seen it before. It will also be nice that you know what’s there already.

Years ago there were two guys who sit around all winter and are quite overweight, barely pass a forest service physical, yet they would sign up every year as a seasonal grunt. I don’t know them, but I’ve seen the crews they’re on go 10 miles up and around some fairly steep country first thing in the summer, with a number of guys getting washed out after a week because it’s so physical, yet they always hung in there, which made me really curious. Turned out they have discovered how taking regular breaks lets them recover enough to go all day. I don’t mean hiking until they’re whipped then a break, but at regular intervals on steep sections, say every 20 minutes, they would stop for 10 minutes and take their boots off. It kept their feet dry, which helps with blisters, and letting muscles take a break really paid off at the end of the day. It took them 50% longer to get up a steep mountain, but they always made it. Amazing if you ever saw them.

I’ve been on the mountain with some friends that were in really bad shape and we just did the same thing. Every 20 minutes a short break if they want it or not. It works surprisingly well. So well, it’s shocking that it’s rarely talked about. If your little dude is getting whipped stepping over downfall and going straight up, it might be worth trying. I will warn you those 10 minute breaks feel like forever.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Keep him warm and well fed. Focus on the priority, which is to give him an experience that he will always remember fondly and want to repeat.

 

[spdrman]

Nothing better than getting your kids out! Gear for little ones that grow faster than weeds is so hard, I have no problem spending money on my kids but hard to justify stuff they grow out of before they wear it out, luckily I have 2 boys that are 2 years apart so I can extend the use out of them

Pants always seem long, my boys run gaiters year round. Really helps save the bottom of the pants and if they are too long you can tuck the extra up in the gaiters. Kryptek and OR have smaller gaiters that I had my boys wearing at 8 years old.

Don’t let him see the tags are marked women’s but my boys do run quite a bit of woman’s pants just because I can get them smaller.

For the money these pants have been awesome and are holding up very well, they aren’t the quietest material, we only use them for rifle hunts

Amazon.com

I spent the money on kuiu zip off base layers, a little big but not having to take their boots off was totally worth it to have them get them on and off with ease.

Upper layers I was lucky enough to catch Kryptek’s youth line when they where blowing it out and have a good layering system for them, I’ve seen a few pop up here on the classifieds over the years. Honestly it’d be worth starting a “want to buy youth clothes” post in there, as mentioned before most kids grow out of stuff before wearing it out. Could find some good deals on lightly used stuff.

Boots are the hardest part, where he is not used to mountains your going to want something with good ankle support, small sizes of premium boots are usually a harder sale in stores and I’ve been able to find some good deals on them.

As you know a good pack with a proper frame and load lifters is the only way to go, I have a few friends that found really good sales on the Kuiu and mystery ranch woman’s line that fits their kids well, western edge is great pack dedicated too kids sizing and exo also has a EXS frame for women and youth.

I’m not sure on how to get mountain legs but we had a S3DA archery shoot in Colorado last year, the kids from back east really struggled going up and down the hills and fell a lot, meanwhile my kids and other local kids where running all over the place stressing the kids out. I never thought it’d be that hard to walk un even terrain but that was a big eye opener on how hard it really can be, if you have some sort of terrain you can get him side hilling on in the summer I think it’d help him during the hunt.

September I’m assuming you’re archery hunting elk? My kids like more open country, and enjoy glassing, chances of seeing animals is better, my kids pack tripods for their binos, they’ll sit in one spot for hours glassing if they have some good country to look over. Without the tripod they get fatigued and loose interest fast and also glass way too fast.