Originally Posted by
Night Crawler
My 3.5 year old loves to hunt. They either like it or don't. Start changing something to "appeal" to the ones who don't like it and there goes the sport right down the drain.
Its up to the seasoned hunters to take a child by the hand and show them what its all about.
Sums it up pretty good. I will add that you need to take them out when they are willing and curious but be ready to leave when they become too bored or cold/hot/uncomfortable. You have to make the experiences and memories enjoyable. You need to plant that seed so to speak, and hope it will grow inside them.
Many avid hunters I know today drifted away for a while but came back in to the sport after they started to settle down. I have fond memories of deer hunting with my dad as a young teenager in the early 80's. After getting out of the military and finishing college I began to gravitate back towards hunting.
I'm now trying to do the same thing with my son. He shot his first deer at 9 years old. He is now a 14 year old freshman in high school and is involved with high school football. He does not have much time to hunt anymore as his school work, practice, and organized work outs take much of his time. Hopefully one day he will gravitate back towards those memories and experiences.