Spot and stalking with my 2 1/2 year old son

[Duh]

I’ve been jonesing to take my son hunting since he was born. Well today was the day and I couldn’t be more pumped.My boys 2 1/2 years old and loves looking at deer and elk.

Threw him in his home made blaze orange jump suit and stuffed him in the Kifaru this afternoon to fill one of my doe tags.

I’m not exactly a patient person and tend to be a little intense about hunting so I had to remind myself to slow it down. Took lots of breaks and tried to make it fun for him. He cried to hold the binoculars, or in his words “nocklers”, but was a saint the rest of the time. He even whispered the majority of the day and only made his famous elk bugle a couple times.

We ended up stalking into a bedded doe in the late afternoon and killed his first big game animal. The doe died pretty high up a clay butte so that made the pack out and carrying him in my arms a little dicey but we managed. Don’t think I’ll be able to pack him and whole deer out for too much longer haha.
I could not be happier and can’t wait for him to start slinging lead himself. We got a bonus shed on the way out too.

 

[mlob1one]

I’ve been jonesing to take my son hunting since he was born. Well today was the day and I couldn’t be more pumped.My boys 2 1/2 years old and loves looking at deer and elk.

Threw him in his home made blaze orange jump suit and stuffed him in the Kifaru this afternoon to fill one of my doe tags.

I’m not exactly a patient person and tend to be a little intense about hunting so I had to remind myself to slow it down. Took lots of breaks and tried to make it fun for him. He cried to hold the binoculars, or in his words “nocklers”, but was a saint the rest of the time. He even whispered the majority of the day and only made his famous elk bugle a couple times.

We ended up stalking into a bedded doe in the late afternoon and killed his first big game animal. The doe died pretty high up a clay butte so that made the pack out and carrying him in my arms a little dicey but we managed. Don’t think I’ll be able to pack him and whole deer out for too much longer haha.
I could not be happier and can’t wait for him to start slinging lead himself. We got a bonus shed on the way out too.

Daggum. That's some A-1 fathering right there.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[Duh]

Daggum. That's some A-1 fathering right there.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

Thanks man. I’m trying.

 

[Calbuck]

%100 perfect! Keep it up! My dad and I hunt together and he’s 77…age is just a thing but your forging those lasting memories now. Good job! And congrats!

 

[Duh]

%100 perfect! Keep it up! My dad and I hunt together and he’s 77…age is just a thing but your forging those lasting memories now. Good job! And congrats!

My thoughts exactly. I got left home a bunch as a kid and hated it. Trying to talk mom into homeschooling so we can have school in the woods for elk season haha.

 

[Calbuck]

Yeah it’s a great feeling. My son was the only one to fill his tag here at home and I couldn’t be more proud. Your boy will no doubt be a huntin machine when he’s older! Enjoy, they grow up quick!

 

[Backofbeyond]

Well done dad. I dropped $20 on a used pair of POS binos and made a big deal out of giving them to my oldest, now he has his own “noculars” and keeps his grubby fingerprints off mine. Money well spent!

 

[Marshfly]

This is awesome. Great job man.

Vortex just dropped a cheap set of binoculars designed for kids faces and hands. Would be a great Christmas present for him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Duh]

Never heard of the kids line of Binos. That’s a pretty good deal for 70 bucks. Got him some
little cheap handhelds already but he wants everything I have haha. I’m surprised we didn’t have to fight over the gun this time.

 

[Marshfly]

Never heard of the kids line of Binos. That’s a pretty good deal for 70 bucks. Got him some
little cheap handhelds already but he wants everything I have haha. I’m surprised we didn’t have to fight over the gun this time.

Let him bring a red rider and shoot at pine cones and squirrels. They make a super tiny one.

 

[schmalzy]

Awesome post.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Silver Wings]

Well done!
I have two boys who’ve been hunting with me since they were very young. They are in their 30s now and I’m in my 60s. The roles are somewhat reversed now and they are better hunters than I ever was. I really can’t put into words the joy that hunting with them has brought me throughout their lives. From wiping butts out in the field to their first trips with a hunting license to essentially being guided by them…it’s all been some of the greatest moments of my life.
Fantastic start to building your best hunting partner!

 

[atmat]

Great job! I have two young girls and am not brave enough to have them out with me yet haha

 

[Duh]

I have two boys who’ve been hunting with me since they were very young. They are in their 30s now and I’m in my 60s. The roles are somewhat reversed now and they are better hunters than I ever was. I really can’t put into words the joy that hunting with them has brought me throughout their lives. From wiping butts out in the field to their first trips with a hunting license to essentially being guided by them…it’s all been some of the greatest moments of my life.
Fantastic start to building your best hunting partner!

Thanks! Yeah I was fortunate enough to only have to change a piss diaper that day.

Definitely the best day of my hunting career so far and I’ve been tipping stuff over for a while now.

 

[Luke S]

Cute. When I was 15 I got a rifle for my birthday. My 1.5 year old brother tried to pull it out of my hands.

 

[The_Dinkmaster]

I have a 2.5 year old daughter that will be 3 this deer season. Considering taking her, but when my shots are limited to about 100 yards due to my landscape it will be hard to sneak up on anything to get a shot at that limited range.

Also I dont have a suppressor and that is concerning; I dont want her completely scared of guns because I took her out too young and she got scared of the 'bang'

 

[wapitiwilly]

That's Awesome! Some A+ fathering right there!

 

[Duh]

I have a 2.5 year old daughter that will be 3 this deer season. Considering taking her, but when my shots are limited to about 100 yards due to my landscape it will be hard to sneak up on anything to get a shot at that limited range.

Also I dont have a suppressor and that is concerning; I dont want her completely scared of guns because I took her out too young and she got scared of the 'bang'

Might not be the “ideal” or favored method but I started by letting him sit with me while dry firing at home. He even gets behind the gun with my help and gets to push the bolt a bit.

Then I take him to shoot just about every time I go out. He knows that he’s gotta wear the kids ear protection and gets excited when I bring them out, because that means he gets to go shoot. I find that I don’t have to fight him to keep the ear protection on anymore because he wants to be with me shooting.

I think if you get your kid around it enough and make it enjoyable for them, they won’t be as timid about it. Sometimes it really hinders my range time and I have to avoid 100 yard firing lines because guys are mag dumping AR’s. I just take him over to the longer ranges or in some open land and let him be involved. No issues at all when hunting now. I’ll probably start packing him around coyote hunting this next season.

 

[The_Dinkmaster]

Might not be the “ideal” or favored method but I started by letting him sit with me while dry firing at home. He even gets behind the gun with my help and gets to push the bolt a bit.

Then I take him to shoot just about every time I go out. He knows that he’s gotta wear the kids ear protection and gets excited when I bring them out, because that means he gets to go shoot. I find that I don’t have to fight him to keep the ear protection on anymore because he wants to be with me shooting.

I think if you get your kid around it enough and make it enjoyable for them, they won’t be as timid about it. Sometimes it really hinders my range time and I have to avoid 100 yard firing lines because guys are mag dumping AR’s. I just take him over to the longer ranges or in some open land and let him be involved. No issues at all when hunting now. I’ll probably start packing him around coyote hunting this next season.

Do you pack hearing protection for him when you’re hunting?

 

[Duh]

Do you pack hearing protection for him when you’re hunting?

Yep. Just had it slug on the pack.