I was talking with my cousins husband the other day who lives across the state and his 11 year old son started bow hunting this year. He said that they got out to the woods about an hour and a half before sunrise and were about to walk in when his son got very scared.... He is petrified of walking into the woods before the sun comes up so the didn't end up getting out there till the sun was up.... He asked me what I think he should do to get his son not to be scared... I really didn't know what to tell him... Any suggestions? Thanks!!

Tell him that there are such things as Monsters and boogy men, they're called rapists, petifiles, and murderers, and they all live in the city. The woods is the only place I feel safe, its the city you got to worry about.

I would say time will heal all wounds when it comes to the fear part.
Heck i am 46 and still jump at things that go bump when i am walking into the woods alone at night []

get him a good light and walk with him and show him there are nothing to be afraid of.it will take time and lots of walks in the woods to help.
The only thing is time.explain things as they are.make sure you don't scare him in any way.that would drive the last nail in him coffin.just be a friend and let him talk about it to you.show him we all get scard of something at some time.
hope you can help him.being scared is a terrible thing,it took me a long time to go into the woods by myslef.
start a first light and just at dark and work from there.start a few min earlier and later each time.

I am terrified walking in the woods when it is dalk. A 12 gauge Mossberg 835 with a 3 1/2" champer, full choke, and 3 1/2" 000 buckshot quickly solved that problem. Too bad I can't use it when bow hunting.

I used to be scared to walk into the woods in the dark, still am sometimes mind likes to play tricks or the imagination starts to go into over drive. The woods are alive at night it is amazing how much different things seem to be in the dark woods. I would just spend lots of time taking him to the woods start with the day and describe all the sounds he hears then slowly work your way to dark don't push just let him know that the sound he hears is just an owl or a rabbit. and when next spring/summer comes around take him camping lots. and by next season he should be able to control his fears if he still has any. Most of all keep letting him know and if possible show him that most every animal is more afraid of us they we are of them. Good Luck ( DO NOT LET HIM WATCH BLAIR WITCH OR FRIDAY THE 13TH ETC THAT WILL PRETTY MUCH END HIS WALKING IN THE WOODS DAYS FOR A VERY LONG TIME BLAIR WITCH STILL GIVES ME THE WILLIES JUST THINKING ABOUT IT)

I'd at least get him out for the evening hunt. Once he is there and settles down he will have to come back in the dark or dusk anyway. I don't always feel comfortable working my way into a new hunting site at dark either. Maybe some reflective tape along the path to his stand would be comforting. Knowing your not lost is always a confidence booster.