What age did you first take your son/daughter hunting?

[dcahsr23]

No kids personally, but I went hunting for the first time with my dad at age 5. Goose hunt in the field behind the house. I had my little toy pop gun and my dad has his 1100. I shot one that day, he missed

Took my air rifle dove and uck hunting at about the ages of 8 or 9 I'd say. Actually hit one every once in awhile. Went squirrel hunting with it around the same age.

Went deer hunting when I was 10 and 11, but just sat with him and watched deer, then sat by myself for awhile to watch them. Got to carry a gun for the first time by myself at age 12.

I have asked about others input and never stated my own. I was around 8 when i first went out in the field and didnt get to carry my own until i was 12. First thing i got was a pheasant with a mossberg 12 guage

 

[bstewrat3]

I took my son on his first hunting trip at 2 years old. We were coyote hunting and he was the caller using a rabbit distress call. He called up the only red fox I have seen while hunting. That was 17 years ago. He has no interest in hunting at this point in his life. The only booms in his life come from a stereo.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

my oldest (now 7) started tagging along dove and squirrel hunts two years ago. the warm weather and easier hours made for a comfortable introduction. recently, she expressed an interest in going deer hunting, so we're going to get her geared up for next year, including her hunter ed card.

 

[hammer24]

My boy has been shooting his .22 since 5. Got his first squirrel this year at 7, then his first deer this year as well with his .44. We shot alot this summer, and did alot of shot placement study before deer hunting.

 

[Skip]

Oldest son was about 9. He carried a bb gun while I went rabbit hunting. He was fooling around and got it plugged with dirt. We had a talk about that right then and there!

Youngest son was only 2. We went rabbit hunting together, he was in an aluminum backpack. It was maybe 30*F or so and I knew I would have to cut things short for his sake.

While we were walking though, we kicked up a coyote and just when I went to shoot, he swung up and over my shoulder to get a better look. Needless to say, I missed the coyote!

After that, he promised to stay sitting until I shot. Got onto a rabbit and sent it tumbling. He thought that was cool and I fished him out of the pack and let him go get it. He fell a couple of times but came back with the rabbit by the ears and an ear to ear smile! He has been hooked ever since.

I used to take them out of school too on the opening day of rabbit season. I would show up in the truck with all of the gear, go in with my hunting orange on and tell them I wanted my son! Off we would go with all of his buddies wishing I was their dad! hahaha


That was a long, long time ago, probably, almost 30 years. Man time files! WOWSERS!

Forgot I had this picture:

Quite a crew! hahahahaha

 

[Dirty Steve]

I started taking my sons deer hunting when they were about 5. We would go in the evening close to home where I knew we would see deer in an alfalfa field. Those first trips were always short,..an hour or so in length. I gradually increased the length as they got older and always took a break at noon and went to McDonalds for a break. I let them carry a gun and actually hunt with me when they turned 9. They always had to sit with me and I would coach them through what to do when.

One son killed his first deer at age 9. He is now 19. My second son has yet to kill a deer and he is 11. The second son gets buck fever so bad he can't hardly hold his gun steady, but is a crack shot,...it will happen one of these times.

The biggest thing you can do when you first start is keep the trips short. Kids get bored just waiting and not seeing anything. Get them good equipment. If you have a backpack, binoculars, calls, etc...get them their own. They feel like they are involved then and not just tagging along. Don't get upset if they tire of it early, fall asleep or all of a sudden have to pee at prime time. That stuff is going to happen.

Squirrel hunting is a good way to start them out. We can't afford to not have new hunters in the field so get them involved.

Dirty Steve

 

[GM_Geezer]

At 9 he asked me to take him hunting. So he joined the 4H shooting sports club. Got some great instruction. Really the same things I had went over with him but coming from an instructor it was like the 10 commandments. We took the hunter safety course together. Watched him fall asleep in his book studying the first night. He wanted it bad. Then for his 10th birthday an 870. We have been going ever since. Im so glad he asked. Now I've got him and a fine collection of nephews to get outdoors wirh
. And it all started with a couple of bricks of . 22. What a blessing.

 

[rem788]

Took my son and daughter squirrel hunting when they were in grade school, son was probably 8 and daughter 6. We "saw" bears, lions, assorted other big game and one squirrel which I managed to bag. They helped clean and cook it but weren't to keen on eating it. My son went deer hunting with me a few times but unfortunately I never got a deer those times, we did see some though. I also took them fishing and shooting numerous times when they were young. If you take your young children fishing, don't plan on doing any fishing yourself. You will be too busy removing fish, baiting hooks and untangling lines to fish! Over the years neither seemed to have any long term interest in hunting though my son did go fishing with me on occasion. Fast forward to Christmas 2010 and I was talking about purchasing some property, suddenly my son (now 30) said he wanted to go in with my wife and I on the property. What a great surprise! By May we had completed the purchase and spent the summer working on the property. My son was excited to go deer hunting this fall and got his first deer on opening day of gun season. We have spent hours together at the property and I couldn't be happier. My son has even told us that after working and relaxing at the property his blood pressure which was very high has come back down significantly, another bonus. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you start your kids out young, even if they don't seem interested at first, you never know, they might surprise you.

 

[jdklvans]

Started him with hunters safety at age 13, then we went out that fall for deer season. The first fall season out he had an 8 point 40 yds away furious that we were in his back yard, but he refused to take a frontal shot, just as they had instructed him in class. He later shot his first deer with his 20ga 500. I had him in a ground blind at the time. After the shot and brown was down, we celebrated in the blind and he said, 'I'm so excited I gotta take a leak!". It was great. He swims a lot and he didn't have any time to go with me this year but looking foward to next year for sure. I really missed being with him out there, but I don't want to force anything to turn him off either. Looking forward to our times together in the future.

 

[vwarren]

the first time I took my son hunting he was riding shotgun while I turkey hunted. he was 4 yrs old. we had several turkeys about 50 yds strutting and gobbling and the excitement was more than he could bare. he started clapping he was so excited and of course the birds took off. at first I was very upset then I just started to laugh and realized that this is the real reason I go hunting.

 

[acersbull]

I started my oldest son deer hunting at 10. My youngest is now 13 and will start deer season next year. He has sat in the blind with me the last couple of years and has had the attetion span of a gnat....lol. He assures me he will be ready by fall.
I have found with my kids, and myself as well, small game hunting was a far better option at a young age versus sitting in one spot for an extended time deer hunting. By the time they are 3 they are ready to carry the pop gun around and shoot at squirrels or ground hogs with dad.

 

[BERGYMON]

Begged me , fially took at 12 after lots of range and gun safety time.

 

[Cavman]

Didn't tale my son but went with my nephew on christmas eve night coon hunting. He is 7 and got a brand new coon light for christmas. He was so pumped up to go. He kept playing with the light non stop and when my brother gave him a red lense for it his excitment doubled. We didn get any coons that night but man did he have fun. His little legs even kept up through out the night and never compalined once. Cant wait till he's big enough to cary his own 22.

 

[Glock_Man_21]

Started taking my boys out when they were 5. Being from Colorado my oldest got his first elk when he was 8 he is 12 now and has quite a few trophies to his credit. Think the biggest thing is making sure they are ready both mentally and physically.

 

[baldguy637]

I started taking my stepson out when he was 12, his mother and I got together when he was 10 but he'd never handled a firearm prior to that. I spent a couple of years grooming him until I thought he wad ready and he took his first deer in 2008.

And he tagged his first buck/bow kill in 2009.

My step daughter on the other hand had absolutely no intrest in hunting until this past year. She took her hunters ed class when she was 8, but just never went. She bagged her first deer (small button buck) during this years youth hunt and now she's after a wall hanger. She passed on a few decent bucks this year waiting on "the one" but he never came.

I started my daughter out last year at 3, she would take her toy gun with us squirrel hunting. This year Santa got her a bb gun and she's been on me to go squirrel hunting since then. Hopefully get her out in the coming weeks. Here is a pic fromast year with her toy lever gun.

 

[trapperDave]

just tagging along? all my kids have been in the woods by age 6.

 

[Cpt Caveman]

My two oldest boys ( 12 and 10 )each killed their first deer this season. It was during ML season and the oldest was having an attitude with me and decided he didn't want to go just to " show me" who was boss. Took his younger brother instead and he wacked a HUGE( second biggest bodied deer I'd ever seen) doe that night, it was a Friday evening. Got home with the good news and all of a sudden the oldest is motivated to go. They have a competitive relationship.
Took him out the next night and sat under the same tree on the edge of the same winter wheat field where his brother killed the doe the night before. Just before dark a fork horn came sauntering in and he hit it perfect.
They'd both killed a dove each the year before. Man talk about buying shells, dove hunting with kids will wear out your wallet!
Oldest killed his first squirrel with my brother this year.
Get your young-uns into the woods its good for 'em.

 

[Willie]

I took my son with me when he was about 7. He saw his first deer and it was an albino doe..

He killed his first when he was 14 and that was with a bow.

He is now 49 and hunts harder and better than I do.

 

[dcahsr23]

I started taking my stepson out when he was 12, his mother and I got together when he was 10 but he'd never handled a firearm prior to that. I spent a couple of years grooming him until I thought he wad ready and he took his first deer in 2008.

And he tagged his first buck/bow kill in 2009.




My step daughter on the other hand had absolutely no intrest in hunting until this past year. She took her hunters ed class when she was 8, but just never went. She bagged her first deer (small button buck) during this years youth hunt and now she's after a wall hanger. She passed on a few decent bucks this year waiting on "the one" but he never came.





I started my daughter out last year at 3, she would take her toy gun with us squirrel hunting. This year Santa got her a bb gun and she's been on me to go squirrel hunting since then. Hopefully get her out in the coming weeks. Here is a pic fromast year with her toy lever gun.

nice family time together.

 

[dcahsr23]

looks like avg age is 10-12 years i should have put a poll on this thread