Youth hunter ideas

[cewoz560]

Hey guys newbie here last year my 10 yr old son wanted to learn how to hunt. I've never hunted b4 so we both got licensed bow/firearm and I read up on all l could.

 

Unfortunately he was not into after a few hours of sitting...only got him out about 6 times. This year i can't get him out to do anything! Too cold, it's boring, etc...I took him to anything hunting related youth pheasant, private youth deer day, expos etc. I try not to push him into so as not to discourage him. We of course saw few deer but we were unable to bring any home.

 

However I keep hunting and managed to get 2 deer this year so far, figuring that if i keep at it nd bring home some that he'd wanna try again.

 

Any of you have suggestions on how to get him back interested? Ideally him getting his first deer might do it, however as a newb I'm having issues finding a safe spot with deer for us to sit. I currently hunt the parks but in Monmouth County he needs to be 18!

 

Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

 

 

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[NJBowman]

Get him out to shoot some 3D shoots. They are lifelike animal targets and a blast. That's what I have done with my 2 daughters and never pressured them, the one has been hunting for a while and the other told me two days ago she wants to get her license. There is one coming up at the garden state outdoor show Jan 7-10 indoors and the first outdoor one will be the Cabin Fever shoot at Black knights in Jackson in a few weeks, I'll post the exact dates once I look it up.

[Matty]

10 is still really young. Short bursts of outdoor fun are likely what you need.

 

I think NJBowmans idea of 3d was great advice.

 

Also if you can find some extremely target rich environment (crawling with deer), use a ground blind where he can fidget or silently play a gameboy or whatever kids do these days....and keep the hunts short. Seeing a lot of animals keeps kids into it.

 

I have also struggled with this in the past with younguns....You're definitely on the right track, never push. That doesn't help. It has to be something they want to do.

 

If you can get on turkeys during the Spring too....I've found that's one of the best types of hunting for newcomers. Weather is nice, birds gobble, it's exciting.

 

Good luck and great job involving your son!!!

[Rusty]

For young kids short active hunts with lots of shooting are often best.  Try taking the shotgun out to chase squirrels.  

[tcook8296]

take him to range, 3d shoots as mentioned. Get him shooting some targets, maybe some clay birds

[Haskell_Hunter]

Scouting and hiking can be a fun activity for a 10-year-old.  Find new places to explore, etc.  Some parks, especially where I am in Passaic County have excellent trail systems.  Additionally, these trails also have Geocaches spotted along them.  I've used them to explain to my daughter that hunting is like a treasure hunt.  You have to follow the clues to where the animals are, and then you've got a chance to bag one.  So Geocaching was a good way to explain this while having a lot of fun.  Additionally, as you're looking for the caches, you can look for rubs, scrapes, etc.

 

Showing a kid (or an adult) how to sit is also tough, but I have a trick for this too.  I'll take someone deep into the woods and then ask them, "What do you see?"  Let them describe the forest and inevitable, they won't mention any animals (except for maybe some birds and a squirrel in a tree).  Then I challenge them to sit against a tree for 15 minutes.  And sure enough, during that sit something runs across the forest floor.  If you have a blind, then it's even better.  Can't tell you how many times I've had a chipmunk run under the blind and onto my foot.  I get ambushed by turkey, etc.

 

But to add with others have suggested, going to the range also works well.  The "bang" part is always a treat, and it's a good opportunity to reinforce firearm safety.  We shoot archery targets in our back yard, and a few of the kids in the neighborhood come over too.  Fun activity for everyone.

 

Best of luck!

[Buck154]

Try duck or goose hunting. They can talk and move around a little since kids have hard time doing when young. Lots of shooting usually.

[cewoz560]

Thanks guys...my son is a football and lacrosse player yet he doesn't like the bang! Wtf? I have taken him trap shooting, gun range etc...hurts my shoulder even with a shoulder pad...20 gauge youth 870.

 

I will try the geocashing he might be into that. Smart boy great in math prefers that damn Xbox over anything! Loves technology and building stuff! Perhaps that's the way!

 

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[NJBowman]

If he likes technology get a couple trail cams. Have him set them up then put them out, sometimes the anticipation of checking them is better than waiting for xmas morning. Then once he sees what is out there you might be able to get him into the woods.

[LittleM]

When my kids were real young, we'd start out sitting, but as soon as I saw they were getting bored, we'd start the "stalk".  Sometimes I'd have them crawl a hundred yards or so and they loved that.  I'd set it up to where we could crawl to a fencerow or other cover so if deer were in the fields, I could shoot.  Always action, whether we saw deer or not.  Of course, I only did this on private property where I knew we were the only one hunting.  I also set up a double-ladder in a spot we could sneak into late and not spook deer.  It was in a spot that had good views so even if deer were not close, we usually could see them and as long as I told them that they might come close enough for a shot, they stayed glued to the seat.

[rgw]

go squirrel or to a pheasant game farm, both will have a lot of action and are fun, but in the end hunting isn't for everyone, some kids don't start out liking hunting but when they grow up they get back into the sport

[Axiom]

.. Good luck dude... I've got 3 boys and could never get them to go hunting more than once.. For the same reasons you listed .. The great outdoors just cant compete with that dam X box.. 

[buckfever1974]

I spent a lot of time with my kids at a young age talking about hunting as if it were the greatest thing ever but did so in doses. If the chance came up because of a deer standing on the side of the road it was a cause for discussion. Try cooking wild game up as a regular staple at the dinner table. Get permission to take their friends along. Use positive peer pressure to your advantage. Take them shooting with little girls that can do it not problem and make it an ego thing if he is a jock. If all else fails....adopt another kid. Lol.

 

In all seriousness, go shoot .22 rifles and work your way up as interest devops.

[buckfever1974]

Unfortunately, the taking of an animals life isn't for everyone. Its just not.

[johnnyo8148]

My son really isn't into hunting, but I was able to get him out last spring during the spring turkey season. Although he did not hunt, he loved calling in the toms because he would get a response almost immediately after a calling session. I think that the interaction really sparked his interest even though he has not pushed to get his license. Deer hunting can be tough, especially, for new hunters. Another idea that seemed to peak his interest was shed hunting -- it was a good way for him to look for different deer signs. Start small and go from there -- he has his license and it doesn't cost anything for the license at this point so he may eventually take an interest. If not - take him to a good range and shoot some clay pigeons.