my 12 year old

[bnsafe]

he always talks a good game when it comes to hunting but when its time to get up in the mornings he always quits. this year though he has been shooting his bow quite abit and worked out with me yesterday then we bought him some elk calls and we came home an practiced. he really wants to go antelope hunting with his bow so I told him if he could keep his shots in a 6 inch circle at 20-25 yds I would let him shoot, if not he can come with me and watch. then he ask about elk hunting with his bow, but im thinking just letting him rifle hunt this year but maybe take him with me during rut to hear some bugles and and make some calls then cow hunting the first rifle season then bull the second or third. btw he is at 36 lbs on his bow now and im sure I could get him to 40 in 6 weeks. so, assuming he still feels the urge come season does this all sound about the way I should do it for you guys that raised older kids here in the mnts. we are heading to the mnts to camp in a couple hours so we are gonna do some driving around, and scouting. should be fun.

[RockChucker30]

I don't have kids, but I was a kid a few years ago, so I'll tell you how my Dad handled it.

I started hunting when I was four, and vividly remember Dad taking a four point buck that year. I savaged the local frog and starling population with my Red Ryder BB gun for years, so much so that flocks of birds would fly away in terror if the door to the house so much as cracked open.

I moved on to hunting with a 22 under supervision, then without as I got older.

I hunted deer under supervision with a rifle until I was 16, and started bowhunting that year. I had 7 deer under my belt at that time.

Bowhunting is a lot more exciting. I took a five point buck with a bad neck shot my first year and had to put a follow up shot in him. The next year I took a three point with a great shot.

I'd start him off with tagging along and if he's the shooter, make it a rifle. It requires experience to not fall apart when a 700 lb elk is within range.

[Lefty]

Im a high school teacher who somehow got labels as one of the district behavior specialist. I deal with a lot of students with a high percentage that are from broken homes or special education students.
I don’t know how to say this without sounding like Im chastising someone. But if a son wants to archery hunt( or do anything else with you) do it without stipulation . Question yourself. Why would you place a stipulation on him? Other than being a real danger and unsafe.

You can “expect “ high grades” or better behaviors but don’t make it conditional. for your time with your children.
Train him now and you will have the best hunting partner ever. (It can be daughters also)
I know there is two sides to most stories but I have had students in my office with tears because their “dads” had some lame excuse, and they are lame why their son or daughter shouldn’t be on the hunt.
I listened to one senior girl . Her desire to hunt was so strong , her father and step dad always had an excuse over a 3 month season. Some old Native American lady had to take her.
One 15 year old student who did all the research and drew on a special turkey hunt. he called landowners and got permission. Yet in 6 weeks dad, granddad and mom were all too busy to drive him 20 minutes to where he had permission. It5 tore the kid apart.
Another kid, the above kids best friend, Dad always had an excuse why his son shouldn’t interrupt his hunts by taking his son.
I began taking two boys when one of my daughters would also be hunting. This year as two 19 year olds we hunted 4 times. I brought the gear, they brought me breakfast and set up all the decoys . Why aren’t there dads hunting with them?

As far as getting out of bed; Start on going to bed earlier, most kids dont get enough sleep anyway. Most kids can get up and go if they know they are hunting. Just dont expect any kid to funtion all day on 4 or 5 hours of sleep
I could go on and on. I have yet to ever hear a real reason for a father not to take his kids hunting

[Swede]

I have to agree with Lefty. He makes a lot of sense to me. I remember my teen aged daughters commenting that they did not want to ever marry a hunter or fisherman. I replied that every man has things he is interested in and does when he has an opportunity. Then I asked what they wanted the person they marry to be doing with their available time? Hunting and fishing are wholesome, and enrich a person's life. If your boy or girl wants to hunt or fish, by all means encourage them as much as possible. It sure beats a lot of the alternatives that kids can get into these days.

[Freebird134]

Lefty, I think I'm misunderstanding....or maybe I disagree? It sounds like bnsafe is going to take his kid hunting, but asked that the child be proficient with his weapon first. That seems like a fair stipulation. If you can't hit a 6" circle @20 yards every time at the practice range, you probably shouldn't be flinging arrows at a live animal. Isn't marksmanship a condition that should be met first? It's not like bnsafe said he wouldn't take his kid at all---he just has a condition if the kid is to hunt too.

[cnelk]

A few years ago a buddy and I took our boys for opening weekend of archery elk.
They were about 10yrs old.
We didnt see a damn thing...

But the pic below says alot

[RockChucker30]

I don't think there is anything wrong with setting an accuracy requirement, and states set poundage limits all the time.

Starting out with rifle in hand is easier than bow IMO, with less risk of a wounded and lost animal if shots are close and from a rest.

Tailor the hunt to his abilities, but by all means take him, even if he's just a partner.

[pointysticks]

i would buy a bunch of cheap arrows and take the kid rabbit or squirrel hunting.

i cant imagine me loving a brutal hike chasing an elk or a mulie as a 12 year old. especially since the odds are against you when it comes to being succesful. i would lose interest. your kid is having a hard enough time waking up..put him in the woods, tired. no way.

keep in mind i am not a parent..but i remember how i got hooked to the outdoors as a kid. it was with a .22 and a jackrabbit running at full sprint. i nailed it with my marlin .22 carbine. hahaha.

same with fishing. bluegills on a worm. i wouldnt start a kid marlin fishing or fly casting to tarpon.

go small with a high success percentage. just my opinion.

[Lefty]

Lefty, I think I'm misunderstanding.....

Maybe
If a kid wants to hunt even why the 6" at 20 yards as the condition?

Maybe 6" will be the limiting range but not the condition to hunt or stay home.

I only let my daughters shoot standing geese at the very first. Then I limited their shoting to wing shots under 20 yards then 25.
They were slow enought where my two daughters only get to take the first shot, But it wasnt A standard you need to hit 10 out of 25 clays or 20 out of 25 clays. In fact each of my girls have kiled more geese than they ever shot at clays.
What Im saying is I only let them take the easy shot situation and didnt take low chance shots. I did the same when they hunt big game . Only perfect broad-side standing shots.
And Yes this fall I didnt let my daughter take a frontal 90 yard shot on a book moose

[Lefty]

Check out the grins on CNELKS pic does a hunt get any better?

i would buy a bunch of cheap arrows and take the kid rabbit or squirrel hunting.
i cant imagine me loving a brutal hike chasing an elk or a mulie as a 12 year old. ,...
especially since the odds are against you when it comes to being succesful. i would lose interest. same with fishing. bluegills on a worm. i wouldnt start a kid marlin fishing or fly casting to tarpon.
go small with a high success percentage. just my opinion.

A hunt needs to be different. Most kids cant handle a typical hunt much less a 5-7 day bivy hunt. Changes need to be made in your hunting style,. and yep you kill rate will drop( not your success rate) will be lower.
I spent a lot of time with my kids sitting on a hillside for that last hour of the deer hunt, maybe only 200 yards from the ATV. Even more time hunting ducks and geese from a willlow patch mostly eating snacks, coloring, school reading and throwing sticks for the dog.

I agree with the general anology about blue gills and tarpon,... however a kid cant physically handle a tarpon but if he can pull what is needed to stick a bull even if his range is 12 yards he goes with me. My neighbor kid now 12 has hunted since he was six. Each of his hunts were a success,... and last year the excitement he had from calling in a small bull is priceless
The success in a hunt shouldnt always mean a bull in the back of the truck.

[Swede]

I remember carrying a 22 rim fire along with my dad on several deer hunts when I was 8-11 years old. I knew I could not shoot a deer with that gun, but I could shoot a stone or pine cone dad placed on a stump or log, when he thought it an opportune time. I learned to handle a real gun and I felt good about being able to participate. Getting some training and being included meant a lot to me. Before that, I rode along in his pickup and got to go on short hikes. I do not ever remember feeling down because I was not shooting at the deer. It was being out and included to the full extent I was capable of managing. I received a lot of encouragement about my shooting. Those things still bring a smile to my face when I look back in my treasure chest of hunting memories.
I like the idea of including the kid now and giving them the assurance that they can and will participate to the full extent of their capability.

[pointysticks]

Check out the grins on CNELKS pic does a hunt get any better?

The success in a hunt shouldnt always mean a bull in the back of the truck.

Agree 100%! But a 12 yr old may not. There are adults here ( sadly I am one of them) that have yet to arrow an elk. A young kid the odds go down fast. I just want to see kids succeed. Get the hooks in them faster.

Some great dads here! Lucky kids and dads.

[pointysticks]

My friend doesn't hunt but his son is very interested. My strategy? A 20 ga and my buddies turkey rich farm. Hehe.

[Lefty]

[,........ I just want to see kids succeed. Get the hooks in them faster. .

Many times kids just want to spend time hunting with their dads or grandpa, or atleast hunting.
My nephew maybe went on 25 squirril hunts and dozens of waterfowl hunts befor he killed his first squrril , then first goose.
I hear students at school over and over . They really do just want to spend time with their dads doing something. Enter their teenage years and that starts to wane mostly because dad didnt take them early, It doesnt matter the killing success, really it doesnt
To many kids success is just being able to tag along on a hunt.
If any kid thinks they need that 350 bull or 180 buck to be successful they really may not have an intrest in hunting.


I dont mean this derogitoy by any means. I took my kids fishing to stocked pond, and have hunted roosters in managed farms in SD. If killing an elk i s important do a fence hunt ; cows can be had for a couple bucks a pound.
My brother has been taking kids to a fence to kill a young cow for years (he gives the elk meat for gifts and to my mom) Just like fishing a stocked pond there can be a lot of satisfation in taking a fence elk for those who can do a wild hunt.
A friend in Minnesota has 7 raised, enclosed and heated deer stands on his managed 80 acress. Kids kill 30-40 does every year on his place; He has a list of kids from the local Jr. High Principal

[Freebird134]

If a kid wants to hunt even why the 6" at 20 yards as the condition?

Maybe 6" will be the limiting range but not the condition to hunt or stay home.

bnsafe didn't say his kid would stay home. he said he had to be proficient to hunt. Seems reasonable. I love the idea of getting kids--or even nonhunting adults--into hunting. I've helped a lot of people get into hunting. But never at the expense of my or their ethics. I was taught responsibility and respect for animals and weapons before I was allowed to hunt. A high fenced hunt or a bad shot isn't the way to start a responsible hunting career.

[FemoralArchery]

Freebird, I think what lefty is saying is to the kid hunting, to let the kid hunt, no matter what. Take him hunting even if his effective range to maintain the 6 inch circle is only 8 yards. Just let him take shots he can make.

bnsafe implied that he had to hit a six inch circle at 20 yards to go hunting.

Lefty isn't implying to take unethical shots, just to get the kid out their no matter what.

[Freebird134]

Ahh...I gotcha. Thanks Femoral.

[Lefty]

Thanks FA thats what I ment

[bnsafe]

thanks guys, I just got home from a camping trip with him. im exhausted. yes he is always welcome to go with me, anytime, and he knows that. and I always change my hunts when he goes so I don't kill him. so if he wants to go goat hunting with me he is more than welcome. but, I think he has to understand shooting at an animal means you owe that animal the respect of being able to make the shot or don't shoot. we all set limits on ourself on how far we shot based on our own abilities, so should he. I have told him he is welcome to go and frankly I hope he does, and if he can shoot to 20 we will do anything we can to get htem that close. if they are at 45 and start walking I will shoot. I pretty much figured this was the responses. I grew up hunting but my dad didn't take me. I have taken my daughter every time she wanted to go and now she is a accomplished hunter. but she would work at it where he wont. there is a difference.

[FemoralArchery]

Just give a cute girl his age $20 to tell him how cool she thinks hunting is. That might do it, as far as motivation anyways.

[bnsafe]

lol, mite work at my age an im an old man, l0l

[elkmtngear]

Just give a cute girl his age $20 to tell him how cool she thinks hunting is. That might do it, as far as motivation anyways.

LOL, my 14 year old Son's girlfriend loves to hunt...seems to have motivated him a little more. I actually got him out shooting 3Ds with me the other day..normally he only likes guns and doesn't have much interested in shooting a bow.

My daughter is the bowhunter. It's nice that I can spend quality time hunting one on one with each of them, they both have different hunting interests.

[Lefty]

Just give a cute girl his age $20 to tell him how cool she thinks hunting is. That might do it, as far as motivation anyways.

I nearly spit all over my screen

[bnsafe]

put a very nice site on his bow and took him to the range today, turned him up to 35 lbs, and at 25 yds he was shooting lights out. im very proud. he should be able to shoot at this rate. now lets hope a goat gets stupid and comes to the water hole quickly so he doesn't get bored. 6 weeks.