Taking 5 year old hunting?

[BROOKS5]

I don't have any personal experience with taking kiddos hunting myself. But I loved doing just about anything with my dad from a young age. Fishing, mushroom hunting, hiking you name it anything outdoors from learning to work on cars and homes. All those experiences where a huge gift and have shaped my life to this day. So in my mind you can't go wrong spending time with your kids. I'd just say have the mind set that it's more about sharing the experience and time together than filling a tag. Be prepared to limit or cut short the hunt. You can always make it all about the hunt later.

 

[Bobcat]

My 4 & 7 year old boys have been spring bear hunting With me a lot the last two Springs. It’s amazing how far they can walk and quiet they can be when they’re hunting. With that said, there still a lot of areas that get blown out at the most in opportune times. Lots of jolly ranchers are key for my boys.
This photo is of my seven year old this past spring with the bear we got

 

[kda082]

Last I’ll chime in but daughter moved out a couple years ago for school, son moved to college last weekend. Spending time with kids is never a bad choice. Went by quick and I look back fondly at all those memories.

 

[jhm2023]

My wife and I always hunt together and that naturally means our now 5 year old daughter has been on every hunt since she was an infant, with the exception of our annual sheep hunts. It makes things more difficult in some ways but it's worth every bit of the difficulty. She has been there for a lot of caribou, bear and moose kills and is always excited to go and be a part of every aspect of the hunt. One big thing we changed is purchasing suppresors and always hunting suppressed now. I don't want her to have bad hearing like me and it's overall more enjoyable for everyone both at the range and taking shots on game. It's always a priority to make sure she is comfortable, not hungry and has plenty of activities like coloring books for when we are sitting glassing or in camp, also keeping the bugs away from her. Keep them involved in all aspects of the hunt and use every opportunity to teach. I think I'm just as excited as her for the time to come when she is ready to the take her own animals. Probably start her off with spring black bear over bait using a suppressed 300 blackout. So I guess the biggest priorities are to keep them comfortable, try your best to mitigate boredom, keep them well fed and have snacks available, keep the bugs off of them, focus on the memories rather than just the kill, and teach good hunter ethics and respect for the animals.

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[Matt mi]

I took my step son hunting at 6 with him behind the gun (rossi 410) I bought the gun for him when he was 5 I worked with him for almost a whole year with gun unloaded let him handle it shoulder it aim it. The stock was still a bit of a reach for him then.
The gun was a 22/ 410 combo so we started shooting the 22 after he turned 6 in january he kept asking to shoot the 410 I kept saying it's not like the 22 and it is gonna hurt you. That was in March so I switched out barrels and put a 410 slug in. I really only planned on getting the gun to shoot 22 til he got older then 410.
So I told him to hold it tight keep his cheek on the stock he was all smiles he sits up settles gun in and sqeezes the trigger bam. He looks at the gun looks at me smiled handed it to me then went in the house it got him pretty good he didn't say anything to me but told his mom it hurt he didn't ask to shoot it for 3 months.
So July rolls around and they had just started the mentor youth hunt in michigan that year and I was talking about it and he overheard me and started asking when he would be able to hunt deer I told him he would have to shoot the 410 alot and be accurate with it before I would let him shoot at a deer.
You could see the determination in his eyes. I set him up reminded him to hold it tight and don't close your eyes slowly squeeze the trigger,he totally missed the target I had it at 20yds I said you missed he said I closed my eyes I said I know. I asked wanna shoot again he say no I said ok and we put the gun away. The next day I came home with a full sized deer printed on cardboard showing heart lungs liver explained to him where he was to aim and why then asked if he wanted to shoot the gun again he say yes he shoots 3 times hit the target high in shoulder and missed over back twice I said you are gonna have to get more comfortable with the and keep your eyes open make sure you don't see the barrel just the bead.
Few days go by and says he wants to shoot again he shot twice one at top of heart and one 2 inches above that I was excited then I saw that the gun had got him that time I said you ok he said I didn't hold it right I said next you won't forget will you.
Couple weeks before youth season opens and he's shooting at least 2 a day and shooting well everyone heart and lung shots. Two days before season opens he shoots 5 rounds 3 in heart 2 above at this point I am just amazed what he had done in just those few weeks I said to him I think you are ready. That was a smile ill never forget.
Opening morning we couldn't make it out my boss had passed away and we went to the funeral the land we hunt is owned by the company I work for so we made it out for the evening hunt. There was so many what ifs and what's that it about drive me crazy I said to him we are gonna have to be quiet the deer will be moving soon I was watching out the side window of the pop up blind where the deer like to come out of the swamp and I turned my head looked out the front and 18yds away is standing a nice 6pt it almost startled me it was like the deer was just put there never seen him come in. So I told him move very slow as I put the gun on the rest the deer was quartered to just a little past broad side I said wait til he turns the deer looked back over its should and exposed the whole shoulder to us I said put it right on his shoulder and shoot.
So he pulls the trigger and the deer drops dosen't even twitch I'm like no way did that happen we were giggling like a bunch of school girls when we called his mom.
I told him that doesn't happen the deer normally runs off and we have to track him. When I skinned the deer the bullet had split in two from the shoulder blade one went across the top of heart and the other went straight into the neck bone craziest thing I've ever seen. He didn't handle the gutting out very well and still doesn't but he's got 6 deer and 7 turkeys under his belt now.

 

[RS3579]

Yes. Ive taken my sons at the age of 2. We started squirrel hunting. It’s just a nice time to be in the woods. This year I took my 2 & 4 year old sons spring gobbler in a private land ground blind. They were really excited. Keep them warm. Bring a lot of hand warmers. Take snacks, drinks, anything they want (it’ll be a lot)! When they want to leave tell them 10-15 more minutes. You can get about 45 minutes extra by telling them that. Good luck. Enjoy the time spent in the woods,creek, or on the lake with them.

 

[Lowg08]

My wife and I always hunt together and that naturally means our now 5 year old daughter has been on every hunt since she was an infant, with the exception of our annual sheep hunts. It makes things more difficult in some ways but it's worth every bit of the difficulty. She has been there for a lot of caribou, bear and moose kills and is always excited to go and be a part of every aspect of the hunt. One big thing we changed is purchasing suppresors and always hunting suppressed now. I don't want her to have bad hearing like me and it's overall more enjoyable for everyone both at the range and taking shots on game. It's always a priority to make sure she is comfortable, not hungry and has plenty of activities like coloring books for when we are sitting glassing or in camp, also keeping the bugs away from her. Keep them involved in all aspects of the hunt and use every opportunity to teach. I think I'm just as excited as her for the time to come when she is ready to the take her own animals. Probably start her off with spring black bear over bait using a suppressed 300 blackout. So I guess the biggest priorities are to keep them comfortable, try your best to mitigate boredom, keep them well fed and have snacks available, keep the bugs off of them, focus on the memories rather than just the kill, and teach good hunter ethics and respect for the animals.

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I absolutely love the second picture in the snow. You should have that framed

 

[Mt Al]

If the kid wants to go, GO!! All been typed previously: bring snacks, get them some cheap binoculars and show how to use them, I brought ear muffs for the blast, show them all the other wildlife and if you do your part, they'll have a great time and it will change their life.

This should always be the case, but every time I shot something with my daughters, I made certain it was broadside, well within range, "chip shot".

They loved and still love deer, antelope and waterfowl hunting.

 

[Dos Perros]

Some of y’all are just badasses. Think my kids would trade up if given the choice!

 

[BFR]

I say go for it. The little one is about 2 years old the other is about 8 or 9 but has been going since he was a toddler. All my grandkids and daughters started as babies.

 

[Jaker_cc]

My dad took me starting when I was about 2, I killed my first deer the day after I turned 5. He created a monster no doubt about it.

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[Rob5589]

Heck yeah, take her. Pro tip: Bring LOTS of snacks.

 

[coloyooper]

Took my 4yo turkey hunting in Michigan this spring. We didn’t see a damn thing. He gobbled out the blind window about every 5 minutes but he still talks about it a couple times a week so it was definitely a success. He’s obsessed snd wants to get out deer hunting this fall when I get back from Alaska. Do it. Just bring snacks, toys, iPad or whatever she can use to keep occupied if she starts to get restless. Good luck!!

 

[Blackcow]

I took my son elk hunting on the last day of the season when he was 5, so 2002. We left after kindergarten and had a drive, so we got there late, had about and hour of daylight left. As soon as I parked and opened the door, a bull bugled pretty close by.
I jumped out, got him out and strung my longbow up. He had his bite n blow cow call around his neck, and I told him to give it a whirl. He called, the bull answered. I picked him up and ran about 100 yards up an old logging road and tucked in some jack pines and told him to have at it. He’d call, the bull would answer, closer. Then I could see his antlers, a thin 6, bobbing through this old clear cut full of jack pine. I told him the bull was going to circle behind us to try and smell the cow( him), and I was going to the next clump 15 yards away and try to find an opening to shoot him before he could.
I go, and see those antlers heading to an opening, but I have to move around a tree a bit. He has 2 steps to go, I come to anchor, and then DAAAAADDDDYYYYYYYY!!!!!! The bull stops and I can see his antlers radar my direction. At the time I was shooting a 64# Sky, so I wasn’t staying at full draw long so I let down. Here comes the boy, crying and yelling for me. Now, I was 15 yards and a step to the right away, but for a five year old, in the woods and close to dark, I may as well have been a mile. I picked him up and we watched the bull run off. About as happy and as disappointed as I’ve ever been.
I was guiding a ton, he got older, wrestling, work, girls. So he’s been building points. He’s out of college, married, baby on the way, and ready to go now. So he spent his points this year, and I’m taking him. I’ve waited 20 years to call a bull in for him, and he is going…. to be……PISSED! Payback is hell, son

 

[Wrench]

I try to start em' early.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Take a booster seat of some kind with you. I took my daughter when she was about 5 on a hunt just like the one you are planning. The only problem we had was the windows in the shooting house were at a good level for an adult to see out of while seated. She couldn’t see anything while seated.

 

[BrushyHillGuide]

My 3 kids all killed their first deer at age 6 and I think we started taking them into blinds around age 4-5. Just bring along plenty of snacks, toys or iPad to keep them entertained and try to pick spots where you KNOW they’re going to see some things. Getting skunked is 100X worse for a kid. Last thing… keep sits short at that age! Don’t over-do it. When they’re ready to go… ‘okie doke,’ let’s roll!

Enjoy it! They grow up so fast. Now I’m waiting on a grandkid to do it with. Lol!


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[TheGDog]

Short Answer? "It depends"

No way in hell I'd have taken my boy at that age. And out here in SoCal ya gotta do a lot of driving to leave this Metro area and get someplace where you can actually hunt. And the hunting out here requires hiking in multiple miles, at least it did at the place I used to be going to.

 

[Robster]

I took my kids hunting at a young age.

A buddy shot a deer and didn't know how to gut it. I took the kids with me to help him. They were pretty fascinated with the process. At a young age they can see where meat comes from and the process that all animals go through on their way to the table.
Now my son is 21, lives in Wyoming, and wants me to Elk hunt with him! I seem to now have a western hunting connection!


Funny story
X-wife was not a hunter nor did she care much for it.

We were somewhere doing something and an odd smell was in the air. My daughter looked at me and said right in front of my X..........Dad, it smells like the inside of a deer.

It was all I could do not to laugh, X didn't think it was amusing....at all!

I think my daughter was around 10 at that time. Great memories for sure

 

[NateK]

I started taking my kids at two. They scare some critters and you have to be willing to hunt differently (i.e. the goal is to take them and have fun, not shoot the biggest critter out there). We never sit very long and usually end up walking around looking at tracks, etc. My daughter is better at staying quite (I was taking her bowhunting with me and shooting deer when she was four) but they all love being out there. They are just now getting old enough to maybe start shooting stuff themselves but the have already spent plenty of time in the woods with me.