young hunters..?

[sureshot89]

I am a new father of about 11 days. Obiously it will be some time before my son can go hunting with me. I just want some input/experiences on a good age for my boy to start goin out to learn the ropes with me?

[ronn]

i know guys that carried their kids out in a papoose back scouting. I think its never to early to introduce the great outdoors to a kid. as long as its fun for them and it doesn't become a chore they may stick with it their entire life. meaning the weather needs to be nice and you can't be out there from sun up to sun down. go at their pace so it remains fun for them. their maturity level will tell you when they can start to hunt. mix in firearms, including bb guns, as you feel fit.

[onehorse]

That's excellent advice from Ronn.

[timberghost]

My kids were about 4 when I took them into the woods and started to show them different tracks/sign of animals. Now at 10/11 they are both pretty good scouters and love the outdoors. My son was 9 last year and shot his 1st turkey and my daughter is still a little too small for the guns just yet.

[hunt NH]

awsome advice from Ronn. a few other things i did with my son were to teach him the hunter safty rules when we went out scouting. and i started to carry an unloaded gun with me just to see how he was around it. then i started squiral hunting with him. (me carrying the gun) next year he will be carrying an unloaded gun when we squiral hunt. he has a bb gun, and once i am happy with what i see at the rainge, and in the woods his gun will get to be loaded when we go out.

[hunt NH]

i bet right about now you are wishing that scent loc made onezies.

[timberghost]

imagine "scent lock diapers" LOL

[hunt NH]

scent loc cost way to much to do dipers. your just going to toss them any way. but scent loc one zzz's. i think im on to something.

[kemster99]

started my son ot at about 5-6 with a bb gun. 7 with a .22, got his .410 when he was 9 and started deer hunting with his .243 at 11. had him in the woods with me at about 6. just remember, when the time comes, hunting with younguns can be quite hard. i had times i would take him and other times i wouldn't. kids can get pretty fidgitty. when he went, i knew we weren't going to be in the woods long, might see something might not. was there just to experience the outdoors together. and a harvest was a bonus. as he gets older, he has alot more patience. had to make it fun for him to go.

[buckfever]

Good post from kemster and ronn..

What i am getting out of this is take it slow with them.. Dont shove it down their face, make it fun, and dont have high expectations about how quiet and still you can get a 6 yr old to be for a length of time.