Should hunting be uncomfortable? -Bringing up young hunters

[Amos Keeto]

I took my 3.5 year old out for his first few squirrel hunts this year. I knew just sitting still would be the hardest part for him so I made sure I had as much stuff to make it otherwise comfortable as possible. He did really well at walking fairly quietly and not talking a whole bunch. He wanted to make sure he had his "onoculars" though so he could look at stuff. We hunted as long as he could stand it (a little over and hour) and then left. It's prime rifle season for deer right now so I don't want to have him in the woods with everybody else, but after Friday a good portion of where I hunt turns to buck only and most people stop hunting it. I'll let him decide if he wants to hunt anymore at that point.

As he gets older, my plan is to keep slowly building on his experiences, so long as he's still interested. There's a certain amount of mandated hunting that's going to happen just for the exposure. Kids don't get to make every decision.

I guess first, let me explain as to "Why?".
I was born in 1950. My dad and grampa bought a deer lease in 1952.
I am an only son. I was my grampa's only grandson. My maternal grandfather passed away in 1932, so i never knew him.
So to say I was the center of attention is an understatement!

The first time dad took me deer hunting, I was 3 years old!
He would piggy back me up into a tree stand, wrap me in a blanket and tie me to the tree so I wouldn't go to sleep and fall out.
First three years, we stayed in a surplus Army tent.
When I was 6, dad, grampa and grampa's brother (great uncle) built a 12'×12' one room camphouse.
I was devastated when 1st grade rolled around and mom told me I couldn't go hunting. I had to go to school!
I was absolutely heart broken!
I grew up hunting that same lease until 1981.
I'm 74 years old.
So I've hunted and fished for approximately 71 years now! LOL!

When I finally got old enough to sit on a stand alone, I sat patiently on a wooden platform, 12 feet off the ground, shivering like a dog passing peach seeds!
Rain dripping off the brim of my cap.
Mosquitos big as turkeys gnawing on my tender young hide through the 6•12 Mosquito Repellent.
Wading the Neches river bare foot casting an Arbogast #2 Hawaiian Wiggler in pursuit of pink eyes and large mouth.
Me and dad and grampa fished and hunted all over Anderson County!

Comfort was always secondary to the intended quarry.

When grampa turned 78, he decided he wasn't going to hunt on cold mornings.
One of the guys in camp showed up one day with a box stand and set it up for my grampa to hunt out of.
Grampa was sitting in a heated box blind, killing deer, while the rest of us were humped up in a tree on a frost covered board. Shivering like a .....well, dog! LOL!
Next year, there were box blinds in everybody's favorite "spot".

I have no problem, at my age, being as comfortable as possible.
I don't think today's kids would go through what I went through, just to go to the lake/river/creek/lease with dad and grampa!

 

[Rich M]

My earliest memories are woods and water related with my parents. I was fishing in diapers, "hunting" w mom's shotgun at 4 or 5 and falling into frozen creeks, backwoods adventures - canvas tents, feeding rabbits kix cereal, etc.

We bought some land and been dragging my 80-something father along every time we go - dad and i do something every weekend, usually fishing or hunting or shooting related anyway. Canvas tent, chain saws, and fire grates. Leaving in the morning - he's all packed and excited to go. Good stuff. Total reversal from all those years ago when I was the one who couldn't wait to go. Planting 150 trees this weekend, cutting up storm-downed trees, maybe some fishing or shoot a buck if one walks out in the pasture, but mainly doing what we have always done as a family - being together.

Bottom line is you raise the kid how you want them to be later in life. Your kids - your decisions, you will love them forever, no matter what. Enjoy your time with them.

 

[Amos Keeto]

"Teach your son to hunt and you'll never have to hunt your son!"