KIDS AND HUNTING, HOW OLD??

[GUNDOGS]

i have never brought any of my girls along with us, none were really interested..my 12 year old is showing alot of interest, although at this point she isnt thrilled about seeing a bird shot i know she would really love to see the dog work..how old have your kids been when you first took them out just to watch and spend the day with you doing what you love?? thanks...ruth

[willt]

I have had my 4 month old in the duck blind with me, and my daughter is 3 and she trains dogs with me and goes hunting in fact she wants to shoot them already.

[mcclinj]

I grew up around hunting. My brother and I started going going to the processor and posing for pictures around 6-7. We both started to actually pull the trigger when we were 12, killing squirrels and deer and even a grouse that scared the crap out of me when I was around 14. My only regret is I didn't get a dog and start bird hunting sooner. I'm taking my wife's co-workers kids with me this year, they are 8 and 11 and super pumped!

-John

[bwire]

My boys were out "helping" me train the dogs before they turned 3. I had them both out with me last year twice. We went to a preserve and they were able to help plant the birds and drive around in the side by side. Then they walked the fields with me and flushed some of the birds. My oldest just turned 5 and the youngest was not quite 3 when we went out. They even caried some of the birds after they were shot. Here are a couple of pics from the hunt. And my wife and I are taking them out this saturday for a few quail and chukar. Kind of an early season warm up.




In the end I think its up to you and when you think your kids are ready for it.

[Ron R]

There is no actual age that is right or wrong. It's about upbringing, respect for firearms in regards to there surroundings, maturity, along with ability to safely handle a loaded gun. It's when the parent is confident in what they have taught the child with extreme subjectivness and honesty. All of the above equals safety.

An adult can take a baby hunting, if that is the question. A kid is only hunting when they are carrying a gun and taking game.


Good Luck

[Hattrick]

The younger the better. With all this tec stuff its hard getting kids going when they hit the teens you need to plant the seed young. I had my greatest memorys with oldest daughter from 5-13 yrs old if i would have waited till 12 like my dad did with me it would never of happen. She's taking a pheasent or 2 with a bow in flight age 7 (i anit joking either) killed her 1st deer age 8 a turkey 10" beard age 10 shot gun, called in many deer and passed up shots on bucks i would of shot 10 times over and killed the biggest buck in the family to date by age 12. Talk about a good luck charm !!! best hunting buddy i ever had, too bad shes getting to old to hang with dad. Kids can do more than you think when they want to. first and foremost they need to be safe..good luck

[quackaddict]

I don't have any kids, but I started tagging along deer hunting at the ripe old age of 3. I killed my first duck at 6, dove about a year or two later. Maybe we(South Carolinians) are different, but everyone I knew started taking their kids when they were @ the age of 4. Most people started tagging at that age back home. I find it very weird that folks wait until their kids are 10 or 12 to take them hunting for the first time. I couldn't imagine having to have waited that long to get outside.

[Sharon]

I was about 6 when I started to tag along after Dad at Saturday morning rabbit hunts. (We bred beagles.) Back then a child could carry a gun. If I could carry the .22 the whole way without chugging it full of mud/snow, I could shoot at some cans when we got back to the car. Great memories.

[ezzy333]

Have no idea when they started going along as that happened when they asked if they could. They did not carry a gun till they were 10 I think and it was not loaded till they demonstrated enough maturity mentally as well as physically to carry it safely in all kinds of conditions. That took a year or two so I think they were somewhere awfully near 12. It is my strong believe that it is important for kids to earn their privileges and you do more damage by starting too young than you do by making them wait till they prove themselves. Three of the four boys love to hunt, all four love to fish, and spend time in the woods and fields. My daughter also enjoyed it but has since quit. They all had to clean what they shot, and we didn't shoot anything they wouldn't eat except for some varmints.

Ezzy

[Thinking]

Never too young. I started going hunting and accompanying my Granddad on his trap line when I was about 3. My oldest daughter is 3 and has already accompanied me for last years grouse season, and gave me holy heck when I didn't take her along for the first morning of the early goose season this year. She's dog and hunting crazy, and I hope to keep it that way.

[Onk]

Whenever starting a kid hunting, make in short and interesting! If you see interest fading stop for the day and do something else. Make it a positive time in the field and they will want to go back. If your daughter does not want to see a bird killed off the bat then make it more about the dog work the first few times to increase her interest and desire to go again. I've killed a lot of birds, but its the times I spent with my kids and now granddaughter that I remember most! Good luck and have fun! Oh and 12 is plenty old enough, I started young first carrying a toy gun, then the BB gun and the last training gun, the ole .410!

[gotpointers]

I feel that a hunter safety course is a must before them actually hunting, in our state its the law.
Having my kids with me has greatend my interest. My 15 year old doesent really care much about it but he will go. They have always been with me hunting and traning since they were 4. But My 12 year old now obsesses about it. Wants a duck commander beard, calls ducks better than i ever could. Has my dogs loaded along with all of our gear. Makes the coffee. I just get home from work get the guns from the safe and we are gone. He has a done shorthair that was given back to me from an old friend who can't hunt anymore due to health reasons.
Its really cool to have your kid into what you are into. He's been after my benelli super black eagle for a while now since that is the brand duck commanders use. We couldint find a reasonably priced one but we made a deal on a beretta extrema 2 and a 16 guage sxs today so he's going to have a duck and quail setup similar to mine now. Its also renewed my fishing interest to the point i am replacing the bass boat i sold years back since he's getting into that in the off season.

[GUNDOGS]

Love the stories, and pics ..its awsome how young and interested some of your kids were at such a young age..i wish all my girls were interested in coming along with us, they pretty much went from diapers to boyfriends in no time and didnt really care to tag along, i think my 12 year old is getting more interested cause she just got a lab/britt pup and wants to learn to teach her to retrieve birds, and i think, at least i hope she is interested cause she wants to spend more time with mom and dad .. its VERY true about knowing your kids and their maturity to handle a gun and i dont think shes there yet, but after some time in the field and a hunters saftey course i think we may have ourselves a great little companion on some trips, and of course another dog coming along is great too ..keep the stories and experiences coming, i like reading them to her, shes fascinated of how young some of your kids are and she didnt believe me that young girls go out, she thought it was mainly boys so its great to see her interest ...ruth

one thing i will add is that my 4 year old is an avid fisherman..she loves icefishing and i think will be out hunting in no time..she also is addicted to swamp people but then again so am i...ruth

kaitlyn waiting to set up for ice fishing


kaitlyn with her bluegill..

[gotpointers]

I love catching bluegill also ounce for ounce they are probably the best fighters. Cute kid, i am glad to hear she's going to get every oppurtunity the boys do to experience the outdoors. I love it when i see the girls out manuver the boys at the flag football games. My boys know i am going to comment on the drive home about how a girl kicked his butt.
I have a nine year old daugher that goes hunting and fishing with us also. She tends to choose going to the mall over hunti g if given the choice though.

[fishvik]

My oldest daughter used to go with me, but didn't want to hunt. My two youngest, a daughter and a son both hunt and enjoy it. They have all gone with me since they were little. They also enjoy fishing both on open water and the ice.

[Suds77]

At the age of 27 I remember telling my dad I wanted to go hunting. I think I was 10 years old at the time. He told me he didn't think I wanted to and it wasn't what I thought it was. I gave him the proverbial try me answer. Then in the Middle to late of Novemeber my dad asked me if I wanted to go and of course I said yes. He took a bag out with camo clothing for me and the next day I went. It was the coldest day of my life!

I helped put out decoys, picked up the decoys, listened to them call, practiced calling and sat there being quiet.

After that was done I said I want to go again. The next year I was in Firearm Safety class and got to go out to a game farm for pheasant. I carried an unloaded .410 side by side with the action open. When a bird got up I closed the action and aimed and never got to fire. Once we were done my dad rewarded me with shooting an empty box of shells then I got to learn to shoot from his friend with skeet and trap. Ever since if I didn't have football I was thinking hunting.

[gdog]

My son has tagged along with me since he was 6. It has always been his choice whether he wanted to go. Have never pushed the issue. Some times he's game on..other times not so much. In the beginning it was more about the snacks, but each year he has shown more and more interest. Have gone through hunter safety and have spent a fair amount of time shooting his bow and firearms He's 12 now and has drawn his first deer tag. Hopefully he'll stick with it...but if not that's ok...just enjoying our time together.

This pic is from a turkey hunt in TX when he was 8 (a posed shot for the camera...hence the reason for no hearing protection).

[gotpointers]

this is my son at 11 with our 8 year old lab "bob the builder"most of the birds were his. We let the kids name the dogs most of the time. we have had "swingset"" Necklace"Charlie brown"in the past. The names are progressing with what they are into now. he just named our last one "country girl" after the"country girl shake it for me "song

[GUNDOGS]

LOVE the pics and definitley love the stories, keep them comin ....ruth

[DogNewbie]

We never had dogs growing up so my Dad always joked that my brother and I were his dogs. He take us pheasant hunting and make us walk threw the thickest stuff kicking every little clump of grass. We loved it! The anticipation of the loud gunfire was always exciting. Dad always thought 12 was too young to responsibly carry a firearm and made us wait until we were 15 before we actually carried our own guns. We did trap shoot before that, but never carried in the field. At the time I thought that was BS, but looking back, 12 years old does seem rather young to carry a tool that can cause tremendous damage. I'm not sure I'd let my 12 year old use a circular saw...A family friend introduced his kids to guns by taking them grouse hunting early season when the dumb birds are still around and letting the kids use a BB gun. They'd just aim for the head and if they missed the bird usually didn't move so they'd just try again. Those kids grew up to be sharp shooters!

[laxhcky4]

I wasn't allowed to go hunting until I was 10 or so. I always expressed interest in going. My dad mainly deer hunted and I was always opening the tailgate when he got home to see what he shot. He butchered his own deer so I helped with what I could and did some packaging etc. The first bird hunt I went on, I was about 10 and carried and empty .410 bolt action. Got my hunters safety at 11 and started hunting at 12 for both deer and birds.

My dad loves to tell the story of the first time I was able to carry that little .410. He said I just worked that action all day long walking in the fields because I liked the sound haha.

[RM Oyster]

My dad took me deer hunting for the first time when I was 6 years old. Mom wasn't thrilled with the idea and was conveniently reading Bambi to me. As we left she told me to remember that I was going to help dad kill Bambi. When we got home after that first hunt I proclaimed, "Guess what, Mom! We didn't kill Bambi! ... We killed his mother!". She later told me that she knew I would be the hunting partner my father wanted.

Thirty-eight years later I took my 8 year old daughter pheasant hunting with me last fall. She loved every second of it. Including the miserable weather, dog getting sprayed by a skunk, and subsequently helping me clean the dog up. At least 3 times a week since, she has asked me when bird season starts. I think I might have the hunting partner I've wanted for a while.

[GUNDOGS]

My dad took me deer hunting for the first time when I was 6 years old. Mom wasn't thrilled with the idea and was conveniently reading Bambi to me. As we left she told me to remember that I was going to help dad kill Bambi. When we got home after that first hunt I proclaimed, "Guess what, Mom! We didn't kill Bambi! ... We killed his mother!". She later told me that she knew I would be the hunting partner my father wanted.

Thirty-eight years later I took my 8 year old daughter pheasant hunting with me last fall. She loved every second of it. Including the miserable weather, dog getting sprayed by a skunk, and subsequently helping me clean the dog up. At least 3 times a week since, she has asked me when bird season starts. I think I might have the hunting partner I've wanted for a while.

Thats awesome i bet your mom loved that response!!..loving these stories ...ruth

[gittrdonebritts]

My boy Just turned 2 and has been "helping" with the dogs since he was walking good he rode on my shoulders early last season while I was handling the dogs for friends and this year sat with me while dove hunting and will take him on a few waterfowl hunts as well ( he got some hearing muffs for his birthday) ever since he could walk he has had a Job he puts the hose in all the water pails and puts the feed dishes in the kennels so I can feed and pulls em out when the dogs are done and in the house feeds our Mastiff.

[Az Draht]

I think they are never to young


Here is my brother and nephew. He is 3 here





As long as they have fun.

Whatever it takes for them to enjoy themselves


His first game animal at age 5.



You know your child best, so whenever you decide it is the right time.

[GUNDOGS]

i cant believe how young some of the kids are in the pics, i really enjoy seeing that..what a bond and memory for the kids that get to be with a parent on a hunt..if i had to do it all over again i would have taken all my girls out early too..glad i at least have the 4 year old to experience it with early..i will take her into the blind this year for the first time, so excited!! ...ruth

[Ron R]

Here's my helper. She has also been bowhunting with me since she was 3yrs old (when I couldn't find a baby sitter) and she loved it.

[Grange]

I barely remember going duck hunting with my father. He brought his wife and all three children and the first time was. For upland hunting I was going with my father since I could walk. Now most of the time my mother was there with the kids and once it was too much for us we went back to the truck or cottage with mom and waited for dad. Those are some great memories. I started bird hunting as soon as I legally could, which was 12. I started with the same gun that both my dad and brother did, a single shot bolt action .410.

For deer hunting I also started when I was 12. I remember once sitting in a tree with my father when I was quite young waiting over a bait pile for a black bear and that was probably the only time I did that .

[Ryman Gun Dog]

Ruth,
As you can see the tradition of starting children at a young age runs deep, myself I was walking the Grouse woods with my father and grandfather at 5 years old and I was bird hunting by the time I was 8, the dog work even then meant more to me than anything else. All this depends on how mature your child happens to be and how much interest she really shows.
RGD/Dave