How old should the little guy be?
 

My oldest boy is going to be 6 (Sept 14)two days before the Wisconsin bow opener.(Sept 16) He is tall enough that he could pass for 8. But anyway he is trying to sweet talk his way into going hunting with me this year, at least a couple times. What do you guys/gals think? I have 3 or 4 box blinds on the property so there isn't a question of him being safe.Both my boys havebeen in them after season while we were shed hunting. The other ploblem is if I bring him what do I do about the other little guy.He is 4. I myself would feel fine with either of the boys out there. Not at the same time though. My wife and her family I think are a little hesitant in the idea. What do ya think

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I think take the 6 year old, he had to wait this long to go hunting, so the 4 year old should have to wait till he is 6. I think that would make it far enough.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I would take them with you to the stand. They have to learn all the little details and tricks to hunting sometime and its better when there young. Yea you mite not see any deer but you got to remember that when your gone your kids are goin remember everything you taught them and they will pass that down. I think i was around 5 or 6 when my dad took me i dont think we ever saw a deer but he was very pacient with me and never yelled at me. Plus you have to let them have fun. Dont yell at them for not being quiet or droppen a glove out of the stand its all about haven fun. Let them have fun cuz if they think its boreing its goin be hard to get them back in the stand with you. So i say take with you.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Why not? If he's hunting he'll need to meet the minimum requirements for draw weight,hunter safety and liscense. There is a minimum age for firearms not sure if for bow. Asan observer I see no problem. If you don't see deer he might get bored.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Never too young to start if they want to spend time with Dad and you make all the necessary arrangements to ensure their excitement and comfort and, you don't take hunting too serious when they are there.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I agree , I started my grandkids out as young as 5 . Talk to your wife and assure her that they will be safe , she has some say there , your inlaws do not . Take the boys out separately .

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

He won't be hunting. A pair of binocs will be his only weapon. I will share some pic with you this fall. But I think you guys are right. He will be going. You know I told the ladies in the offices around me that I was thinking about it and they flipped. Glad to see some folks share my opinion

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Why not? There good be some great memories made while he is that young, not to mention all of the good lessons that could be learned.

Good Luck!

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Copper, it sounds like we are in the same boat. I have two boys also 6 and 4. I have taken the oldest boy out for the past two squirrel seasons, the first year just to sit and watch and let him see and experience the woods, and the second year I was actually going to let him shoot one, but never got one to stand still. However, after the hunt, we (myself, my son, and my father)set up a can and he hit it all three times he tried with my father's .22 rifle. (I was very proud, but I think my father was even more proud). This year, if the weather isn't too bad or if we get our hunting shack built, I am going to take him doe hunting. Also, I promised my youngest son that I will take him squirrel hunting for the first time this year. This is the first season in a long time that I've been this excited about. Take them hunting and have a great time. Good luck.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I take him at 6, but probably not a 4 (but it all depends on their maturity).

Can they sit quietly? Do they have patience?

In any case, I would defintely take them as soon as they are ready (whatever that age may be). You and your wife are the best judges to that.

On a related note, I think all kids should be required to go hunting even if only to observe. After they do that, then they should be required to visit a slaughter house if only to observe, so they can see where their hamburgers and chicken nuggets come from and how they are processed.

If this was all required, I think we would not be losing the younger hunter.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

You've at least gotta bring him w/ you! :)

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I'd take em both. My daughters were hunting with me at that age when ever they wanted to go. I just cut the days short so they wouldn't get to cold. I used them as bird dogs when we were dove hunting. They would retrieve the doves and if they were wounded they would pop the head off. They helped me drag out plenty of deer to. Have fun.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

If your rifle hunting in a box blind, make sure you bring hearing protection also.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

LOL I thought I was the only one that used their kids as retrievers. My 2 boys love dove hunting with me. They each killed a tree rat last year, andd they are marking off the days until August 1st, when they can go again.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I think there may have been some confusion. I will be taking them out but armed with only binocs. No weapons for them. I will bring the bow but I can imagine it will be for show only. But it sounds like a few of you have had a great time with your kids and that is great to hear. I plan on having my wife read this forum and there should be no problem. She really doesn't come from a big hunting family and has no idea how improtant it is to teach them young. As far as taking them rifle hunting, I may wait awhile on that. The late novembers mornings can put a chill in some of the most seasoned vets of the season. Thanks for the input folks. Feel free to add more. Would love to read the stories.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Yeah, he is too young for any type of hunting here in WI, I believe the age is 12 for hunter safety still. Also, he might get bored being out there unless there is constant deer activity.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

By all means take the boys! If they're showing an interest in the outdoors,don't hold them back.And if they get bored or fidgety-so what-You guys had some quality time spent together and there's always another day to fill a tag.I wish my old man was around when I was a kid.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

He will finally have a use for the new camo I buy them every year. Kid won't stop growing. I shouldn't have a problem with them seeing deer. Getting a shot off or keeping the deer from bolting may be another issue. I figure I would take him early season. Not to cold. And to answer the question of age, they must be 12 in order to carry and type of firearm or bow and complete hunters safety classin Wisconsin. They had talked about an changing the age to 8 but it didn't go through. As of right now the only thing they are allowed to shoot is the Red Ryder BB gun at targets only that I got them without mom knowing. The youngest had to tell on me so I had to come clean with the wife. I beleive his words were " MOM I CANT TELL YOU ABOUT THEBABY GUN ".

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

My boy's been going with me since he was 4. He's now an avid bow hunter and qualified for the cubs division IBO world championship 3d in WV at the tender age of 12. He's a straight A student and plays on every team with the word "ball" in it. A kid with that IQ and that many interests and still prefers hunting over them all - gotta love it. Gotta take him!!!

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Take them if you feel they are ready. Attention spans at that age are questionable (my son just turned 5) so make it as fun as possible. I take mine with me on short hunts in the evening or sometimes when I go to my club on slow days. I think you will find they are gonna just love getting to go with you but I try not to put too much on mine as far as expectations. I just try to make sure he learns a little bit and has a good time with me. That seems to keep his interest sparked and he is always excited to go again. Good luck and its great to hear, sounds like we have 2 more hunter apprentices joining our ranks.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I took my daughter when she was 5, bowhunting on the ground. Had a little doe come in about 25 yards from us and stomp its foot and blew at us. It ran off then she looked at me and said "Daddy, why didn't you shoot it?!"

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I think you should take them out and I would take both at the same time. They will keep one another entertained when the action is slow. Just remember to ensure they have fun. My daughter came with me a time or two when she was 3 and then tracked her first deer (I did the shooting) at age 4 with a flash light and impressed the stew out of me. She has been a great hunting partner and took her first deer last year just before her 11th birthday. My son will soon be 4 and has made serveral trips with us over the past two seasons. I only hunt a few days each year without at least oen of them and that is fine by me. They are only young once.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

MY BOY IS NOW 7 AND HAS BEEN HUNTING WITH ME SINCE THE AGE OF 5. I WOULD TAKE HIM ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, PLUS TAKE HIM WITH ME WHEN FILLING FEEDERS AND CHECKING CAMERAS. I BELIVE THAT YOU AND YOUR WIFE WILL KNOW WHEN IT IS TIME. WHEN I FIRST STARTED TAKING MY BOY I JUST PLANNED ON BEING HERE FOR MAYBE AN HOUR OR SO. TO HELP THE BOYS OUT TAKE A DVD PLAYER WITH HEAD PHONES OR A HAND HELD GAME WITH A MUTE BUTTON. THIS HELPS THEM PASS THE TIME WHEN THINGS ARE SLOW.
BE CAREFULL AND GOOD HUNTING.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

My son was 2 years old when he started goin to the stand. In fact, he was in the stand with my wife and I when she killed her first deer. He is 6 now and he still remembers the whole thing, seeing the deer, waiting FOREVER for mom to pull the freakin trigger, waiting after the shot, getting down and following the blood trail.

Go ahead and take your kids to the stand sometimes. You never know when you'll get lucky and make awesome memories.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I was around 6 when my father started to take me with him when "hunting". I knew later that he wasn't expecting any real hunting, but just had me along to learn to sit and watch, but more so to learn about the woods and the animals.
(face it, how many 6 year olds can actually sit still long enough, or walk and hike far enough to "go hunting". I know my 9 year old nephew couldn't)

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I took my son for the first time last fall at the age of 5. I build a "stand" forus that was 6'X3' with 24" side walls out of 5/4 treated deck boards and 2X6's that was 10' up in the air.
I brought him with me 3 or 4 times in early bow season when it was still pretty warm.
The best advise I have, is bring something quiet for them to snack on (gold fish, little crackers etc.) and put them in a bowl, so they're not reaching in a bag.And a bottle of water. It just gave my son something to help pass the time.

And pay attention to theweather. I have a buddy thatlives for dear hunting,but his son (who is now 20) has nothing to do with it, and has really never had anything to do with hunting. I asked him why once, and he said that whenhis sonwas 5 or 6I (theboys father)screwed up big time. He took himhunting during shotgun season in November and hefroze, he got some minor frostbite in his fingers and toes and the kiddidn't want to complain because he didn't want daddy to get mad, and he has wanted nothing to dowith it since.

I really paid a lot of attention to that lesson, and when Zac said he was cold last fall we went home.
Like some of the guys said, have fun with it. You will get some great laughs from the silly little stuff they say or ask when you in the woods.

We got the chance to see a couple of twins just barely out of their spots playing 18 yards from our stand and the look on his face and the focus in his eyes gave me a feeling I don't think I'll ever be able to describe, and then to see him almost explode when we got home and was telling my wife about it, I knew that I'd done the right thing by taking him.

My dad told me the day I shot my first white tail (I was 11), that out of all the deer he has ever killed, none of them gave him the feelings and emotions that he had when he watched my doe fall. It brought teers to his eyes. And I know, as excited as I get just seeing my son's reaction when he see's deer and goes hunting that we are going to get to share that same moment! I can't wait!!

I'd say bring at least the older boy, I promise that you will get a feeling of satifaction and pride that you will never forget!

I think a lot of parents nowadays don't spend enough time with their kids anyway and in my opinion a couple of hours in the stand with your boy will be an investment that will bring you and him together each and every fall for the rest of your lives!

Happy hunting!

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Take him. I was young when I went out the first time. The guy I was with never got anything while I was with him but hey. I am hooked.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I agree with the some of the others and it's never too young to start. My oldest boy (now 12) started sitting on stand with me while bow-hunting when he was 8 years old. I put 2 stands in the same tree, kept them low, and of course he wore a safety harness. He sat with me at 8 and 9 years old to observe. At 10 he hunted for the first time with a crossbow ( I don't hunt with a gun) and he shot a beautiful buck his first year of hunting. Now I also have a 3 year old and he sat with me bowhuntingin a ground blind last year at the age of 2. This was more of a novelty thing because he is too young to sit still and quiet but I know that he loved that I was willing to take him even though he talked too much. At this point I enjoy exposing my boys to the joy of bow-hunting just about as much as hunting on my own. Here are some pics of his first hunt:

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Another one of the 2-year old last year:

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Here is one with the older boy with his 1st deer at 10 years old. He is showing his little brother how it's done:

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I took two 5 yrs olds last fall.. We shot a buck.. Saw a bear. It was the best time i've ever had hunting..All the questions and seeing their eyes and expressions was just fantastic... I'll be doing it again this year forsure.. Maybe for a bear hunt..

There's a story on it, if you want to read it..

Search for it...

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I think that you should take both of the kids hunting. I first started taking my boys out when they were 4 and 5. I have a ground blind so that they could still move around if they got tired of sitting. I also would bring some coloring books and crayons to help keep them occuppied when we weren't seeing deer. Also, don't plan on hunting all day. Usually they are good for about 3-4 hours before they really want to get going. This year I plan on taking my two year old daughter out with me. Make sure that you have fun when taking them out and don't be all serious because that will turn them off from wanting to go with you again.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I also wanted to respond to tell lovethebigguns that was a very well written post and you were spot-on about not overdoing it with the little ones. My dad pushed me a little hard when I started at 10 or 11 staying out all day long a few times. When my older boy says he is cold we go in but I have been suprised that he sits very still and quiet for 3 or 4 hours which is better than some adults!

I quoted the post above because there is no doubt the most excited I have ever been in my hunting life was watching the 10 year-old shoot that buck while sitting in the same tree with him. It was the most incredible thing I have every experienced and am getting goose bumps writing about it right now. I wasso excited that I literally could not sleep that night, I laid there all night playing the event over and over in my mind. I have shot several Pope & Young bucks myself and have never been as excited as experiencing it with my son.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

He's plenty old enough to tag along. Man, he's almost old enough to hunt. Get him out there and in that blind! The deer season is generally more weather relatedand touchy but I started my lil' guys out sittin' in the Turkey blind since they could walk well enough to make it to the blind. I envolve them in every aspect of the outdoor sports, from running the trail cams to tracking whitetail..... they love it and thank me all the time for the chace to tag along. Best of luck to ya this season and THANKS for passing along the outdoor heritage.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

My oldest is a boy and he is seven. I have taken him since he was 5. Not for long periods of time, but and hour in the evening in the blind, some squirrels in the morning. This year he will be 8 in archery and I plan on taking him for a couple of hunts.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

One of the key things to remember when taking young kids out either hunting or fishing is to make sure that the focus is on their "fun level." 90% of the time they're just happy to be out their with their Dad (or Mom). But that can be very short lived when the task at hand is sitting still and silent for an hour or more. A small doodle pad and box of crayons in a blind can extend the trip by another hour or two, or even a small tube of elmers glue and a pocket fulll of pine cones can keep a kid quiet and entertained for quite a while.

A box blind is a great way to start, but don't forget to pique their interest with a pre-season scouting trip or two just meandering around looking for tracks, bugs, toadstools, etc.

Also, child development experts say that children do not start to form what we call "true memories" until about the age of five. So don't feel too bad about leaving your 3 or 4 year old at home despite their protests.

Remember too that children are typically much more temperature sensitive than adults are. What to you is a brisk mornning might be downright freezing to them, or an "unusually warm" afternoon to you might seem broiling to them. Plan accordingly.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

I took my son squirrel hunting with me the first time when he was 2 1/2 years old. Just take him and stay as long as he wants to then call it a day.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Even today, with my son 12, we'll start out scouting, do some fishing, switch to bow fishing, back to scouting - keep moving and changing it up.

Turkey hunting is pretty pro-active and exciting for younger ones; keeps 'em moving and intrested.

Started my boy very young scouting, taking pictures, looking at sign, bugs and what ever was interesting. Found a deer skeleton from winter kill and talked about that for an hour once.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

Well My opinion is that they are never too young to go hunting w/ a parent. I knew when my daughter was 2 that she was into dead stuff... Picture below... This past year Diesel77 and I tooke her on an afternoon Goose hunt. She was fine... A little cold but fine. She is more excited about going out to see deer. I will put a two man ladder stand this year in one of my ok properties so that we can spend some time together in the woods. If something comes buy we may or may not take it.

I think the key is however, don't always say yes to the kid when he/she wants to go hunting.Get Them excited about being out there.Make them curious of whats out there. So when you do get out there, start out with a short hunt. when you are ready to leave, leave even if they say they want to stay tell them it's time to go. Even if they beg.... Progress each hunt a little longer. Botom line, MAKE them Earn it and want it.Your results from this simple drill will let youknow weather they are too young.

Everything in moderation as they devolop their interest.

RE: How old should the little guy be?
 

My son will be 4 in Oct, and he has gotten to go out with me a little for the last two years.. His first time, we went out on an evening rifle hunt for a couple hours, took cookies and toys, and tried to make him enjoy himself, even saw a really good buck, and ended up not getting a shot cause of tryng to get my sons ear protection on. Last fall he got to go out with me for deer a few different trips, and got to see some deer and a family of coons on one trip. He also got to go with me for a fall turkey hunt, and got to watch a flock come in to the calls, and watch me shoot one,, he was so excited, he loves going to the woods with me more than anything else, he always goes with me to check my game cams, and plant food plots, and anything else I do in the outdoors, I usually let him just kind of do what he wants, to an extent,, if he wants to dig in the dirt with a stick,, so what,, I ll get more days to hunt. On one trip last fall, we were squirrel hunting, and he started to just look everthing over,, he would go a few yards and look at a tree or stick, than come back, and then go find something else.. At his farthest, he may have gone 30 yards from me, and then bragged to mom how far he was away from dad and hiding,,lol. Take them hunting, fishing, scouting, walking, checking game camera,, and get ready for the questions,, and another plus is they arent in front of the tv. and they like it much better.