Bring kids along when?

[Solitude]

What age did you start to bring your son/daughter along on your archery elk hunts and why?

I can remember my old man tying a rope around my waist so I would not slide down the hill and pulling me to simply keep up with him while he was toting the ole 30-06.

I have committed 100% to archery and am trying to get a read when to bring my son/daughter along for the hunt? I am sure we the durations and terrain have helped form your decisions, but what's your thoughts given your situation?

[Indian Summer]

Depend ds on the kid. Some kids are pretty physical and some aren't. My niece followed her dad up mountains no problem. She bitched a little but he is insane too. Her brother, much taller than her and a big snowboarder was following up last year and at one point had tears welling up in his eyes. When I heard that I had a fit! I told my brother you better not make the early days an unpleasant experience.

Plan accordingly that's all. No early morning death marches. Shorter days. Less elevation gain. Maybe think about some of the not so far away places that you've been wanting to get a peek at and take the kids when it's a bit of a scouting day instead of an all out hunt. Don't take them in the peak of the rut when you are ALL business.

Keep it fun. Let them carry a BB gun and be a part of the hunt and not just a spectator!

[Swamp Buck]

I will bring my two boys along as soon as my wife will let me...

My wife and I talked about this exact thing last night. She said when they are teenagers...I looked at her like she was crazy, and explained that they WILL be going with me when they are 12, just 6 years away... I have some work ahead of me.

[Lark Bunting]

My son wasn't old enough to archery hunt with me last year but will be this year. I was limited to Fri-Sun on my trips last season and he never missed a day. The only time he asked me to slow down was when walking through an area with grass as tall as him and tons of downed trees (old burn area). I was easily able to high step the logs while he had to climb each one and jump down.

The biggest issue we had was one day he got blisters really badly on his heels. We spent a good 20 minutes taping up his feet and then he was good to go. A quick change of shoes at noon made for an even better afternoon.

This year he will be hunting elk OTC like me and we are putting in for a deer tag as well. If he draws a deer tag he should have a good chance at a doe as we saw 40+ on our first weekend in the unit we hunted.

I'd say, get a feel from your kids. Do some scouting, do some camping, do some hiking. My son loves all of the above and has been coming with us since he was 4. Heck, as I've stated on here many times, he's the one that inspired me to learn how to hunt.

[ElkNut1]

I'm along the same line of thought as Lark - Tom, My two boys were of a different mold, both hunted at my side when they were 5-6 years old. One son didn't take to it so I respected that but the other took to it like a fish in water. We still hunt side by side today & he's 35. We did short outings when elk hunting & made it fun & showed him the different signs & sounds we were looking for from elk poop to tracks to hearing a few bugles as well as giving a few of my own! (grin) Make it fun! -- I was luck enough to have the luxury of living in elk country so these short outings weren't an issue. If I didn't live in elk country I would not have had them at my side now & then unless their mother came too to camp.

ElkNut1

[ishy]

I've got three girls that are 10,8, and 5. They aren't elk hunt ready but they already love 3d shoots and looking for sheds. The two older ones got to go pheasant hunting last year and did pretty good. I think it is all about keeping it fun and simple the first times till you get a feel for what they can handle. My 8 year old will be ready long before the 10 year old.

[Washington Wapiti]

Scouting and checking camera's last year when he was 4:

camcheck.JPG (310.46 KiB) Viewed 4389 times

He's 5 now loves his toy guns, dollar store bows, and his nerf bow. But he still does not know the meaning of quiet LOL. He doesn't have the patience to sit side-by-side in a blind yet, but loved when we got some deer action last year. Yep, keep it fun and simple and keep the distance shorter if possible. As adventerous as he is, on this camera check, mom and I alternated carying him the last 1/2 mile. I haven't taken him on a full blown elk hunt yet, but he and mom came up the last few days of our deer hunt last year. As other's have said, starting them off on little scouting adventures and not so serious hunts are good places to begin.

[stringunner]

Like Washington Wapiti, I have taken my oldest son with me since he was 3. Scouting trips, checking cameras, and such. My wife also brings him up the last weekend of the season so he can go with me to pick up tree stands, cameras, etc. I take him night bugling on this last weekend as well, last year he got to hear 3 different bulls going off. When we go, even just scouting, he thinks we are "hunting" so I play along and teach him how to walk, be still and stay quiet. Last year while on a scouting trip in April, we were checking a spring, while there, a heard of about 20 cows came running in. We were literally 20 yards from this herd, and we were hunkered down behind a fallen log. The wind was right and we got to watch them for about a minute and half before he finally jumped up and started yelling, "shoot daddy shoot!" What a fun experience for him and me. When I take him, I take along my meat hauling pack (he grew out of the kid hauling packs) that has a shelf on the back, when he gets tired I strap him to the back of it and carry him. He is five now and this will be his third spring/summer/fall going with me. His younger brother will be 3 this fall, so he will start the following spring. I like taking them scouting, particularly in the spring, we see a lot of elk during these times and that is the most fun for them, they feel apart of "dads" hobby and then in September I don't feel so bad leaving them home so I can actually hunt. On a side note, their most favorite thing to listen to while in the car, the Sounds by the Elk cd. I love it and it drives their mother crazy!

[jmez]

Something you have to decide. Take them along once and see how it goes, they will let you know how ready you are. Honestly, I don't think any age is too young. You just have to leave home with the mindset that you are taking your child outdoors, you are not going hunting. I like the old saying, you can take a kid fishing or you can go fishing but not both.

When you decide to take them remember it is all about them. You have to be prepared to do things on their level and on their schedule. If they want to leave in an hour then you leave in an hour. If they want to stop and pick flowers then you stop and pick flowers. If they want to play in a puddle with a stick then that is what you do. You aren't going to be hunting. If you aren't prepared for that then best not to take them. The last thing you want them to equate hunting with is going on a stupid death march with dad that is boring. I took my 4 year old turkey hunting in a blind last spring a few times. Took a backpack with snacks and some toys. He spent the majority of the time with his head out the window hollering, here turkey, we're over here. It lasted about 40 minutes both times and he enjoyed it. I did as well because I went with absolutely no intention of seeing or shooting a turkey.

[Elkonthebrain]

My girl is only two and I'm already itching to take her out. I know its way to early but I can't wait. She caught her first fish the other day and was upset she couldn't bring it in her stroller with her. She still asks about it daily.

[Washington Wapiti]

"The wind was right and we got to watch them for about a minute and half before he finally jumped up and started yelling, "shoot daddy shoot!"

"He spent the majority of the time with his head out the window hollering, here turkey, we're over here."

Hahahaha! Precisely! That's the good stuff right there.

[Steve G]

Something you have to decide. Take them along once and see how it goes, they will let you know how ready you are. Honestly, I don't think any age is too young. You just have to leave home with the mindset that you are taking your child outdoors, you are not going hunting. I like the old saying, you can take a kid fishing or you can go fishing but not both.

When you decide to take them remember it is all about them. You have to be prepared to do things on their level and on their schedule. If they want to leave in an hour then you leave in an hour. If they want to stop and pick flowers then you stop and pick flowers. If they want to play in a puddle with a stick then that is what you do. You aren't going to be hunting. If you aren't prepared for that then best not to take them. The last thing you want them to equate hunting with is going on a stupid death march with dad that is boring. I took my 4 year old turkey hunting in a blind last spring a few times. Took a backpack with snacks and some toys. He spent the majority of the time with his head out the window hollering, here turkey, we're over here. It lasted about 40 minutes both times and he enjoyed it. I did as well because I went with absolutely no intention of seeing or shooting a turkey.

100%. what Jmez said. I don't have children but I have observed people attempt to take their kids fishing and then leave their kids to flail on there own or do everything for them. That's selfish.

[mrganser]

I've taken mine to blinds and to hike around some new, flat areas. I make the excursions all about them letting them glass, shoot their Bear 1st Shot, and check out their surroundings while I attempt to teach them a little. Lots of breaks for snacks and water too. They love it and go with me a few times during the season.

[elk-n-walleye]

as with any of the things I want my children to participate in I introduced it to them early. Jesus, reading, sports, earning money etc. What ever it might be I try to make it fun but at the same time teach them the things they are able to comprehend and achieve (with some effort on their part). For elk hunting it has been handling a gun/bow, sitting/hiking quietly, or making elk sounds. They experience some of the frustrations and learn with determination and practice they can overcome them.

Both my kids(ages 7, 6) ask about going elk hunting with me. I figure in a couple years I will start taking my wife and kids to camp so that I can take one of the kids out a couple mornings to begin to experience elk hunting in most of its entirety. They won't be able to climb some of the slopes or over some of the blow down I go thru so I'll have to make some adjustments. But I will fully anticipate finding elk because I want them to have that experience. Then when they turn twelve they will be legal hunters and hopefully mentally prepared for some of the physical challenges.

But what is the saying, "God laughs at the plans of men."

[Lefty]

My daughters had been on hundreds of different types hunts by the time they were in Jr. High, they all were on hunts before their first birthday.
So much depends on your type of hunt. But most early season hunts can be adapted for kids
Now granted I wouldn't expect a toddler to spend a whole hunt on an archery hunt but their is a lot that can still happen
My wife and her 4 sisters ages 5-11 years old all went on their dads combined elk/deer/ and killed one of each, no others along ( deer and elk not each of the kids ),.. one of my sister- in-laws favorite memories.


My neighbor takes his whole family for one outing archery elk: his wife, daughter and 5 boys, 12 years old and under, horses wall tent/spike camp. whole thing pull the kids from school. That week each of the kids hunt with him mom stays in camp. His 12 year old missed a bull at 20 ( dad ranged a further bull) 11 year old called in a bull,.. Im still listening to his kids stories from that hunt.

My in laws hunt with a family, Everyone shows up: Great grandpa and grandma, Two brothers, their waves and 15 kids with their spouses and kids and babies, not all at the same time but they show up,..
You talk about a production, Semi trailer lots of cars and pickups at the trailhead
A bivi hunt might need to change to a spike camp, but why would you leave your kids home because of their age
I have some great pics of my kids, pre schoolers with a Blondy deer heart, dressed for tukey hunting, sitting on a side hill glassing, wearing their hunter orange in Wyoming antelope hunts