After retiring from the Navy a couple years ago, I am finally in a position to be able to hunt here in central Iowa (really the first since college), somewhat to my wife's chagrin. I got my son started with me last year when he was 12, he watched me take a doe with a ML. He got one shot off last year at a doe, but missed. We hit the range over the summer and this year he took his first doe during youth season (one shot-one kill) and he is chomping at the bit for shotgun season to come around in less than 4 weeks, then late ML after that.....4 more tags to fill.
For shotgun season, we will be hunting with a group of about 8 guys, driving and posting several different wooded areas. That will be a good and different learning experience for him.
And if I can get him to go to college here in town, I can have him for a huntiing partner for about another 8 years anyway.