I think your asking the right questions to yourself. And that speaks volumns about you and your concern for your son.

I know for me, it would be about impossible for me to miss a week of school when I was in high school. I was taking precalc, and classes that was cumulitive. It would be very tough for me to get back on track by myself. But your son may not be in that spot.

And its only one day. Not a week.

In Pennsylvania in my neck of the woods opening day of deer season was a schedualed school day off on the school calendar.
Growing up in N.J. families that had hunters and kids that hunted most went on how the school grades as longs as it didn't interfere with any other activities. It's up to the Parents to make the call taking off opening day and any other days for hunting ,but no matter the situation school work must not suffer in any way.

I read an interesting article one time about kids learning abilities and different techniques that were used.

One set of kids went on summer vacation, but their parents kept them involved in activites all summer long. Going to the museum, traveling to different states, countries, all kinds of activities.

One set of kids went on summer vacation, but their parents didn't keep them involved in any organized activities, they sat home and watched TV, played video games, etc.

Another set of kids stayed in school all summer.

The first set of kids performed better on standardized tests at the end of the calendar year than the kids that stayed in school all year.

You can only learn so much sitting behind a desk.

Family time is most IMPORTANT! Let hiim Skip, Go kill a deer! I wish I had a better relationship with my father when I was younger.

I did at times with my son. He was a straight A student in an excelerated class so I knew it wouldn't hurt him to miss once in a while.

I would be curious seeing that article. Could you show a link or a resource?

I know I sure don't buy it. I work with some of the smartest people in the world. So smart, many lack your normal common sense. All Ph. D's. They keep thier kids in school almost constantly. They spend 20K/kid/year for the best schools in the MD/DC area. And you know after working with these folks for 15 years, I have watched many of thier children grow up. You know what I have saw? Almost all recieve full scholarships to top schools.

Now, a few reasons they generally come out on top.

1.) Just good stock? I don't buy this. They all are russian, Chinese, or Indian. I never for once thought it was because their race. I am a good ole boy from Ky and compete with them.
2.) Just good enviroment. Thier parents ended up top of the top in thier home country with resources twice as less as kids have today. I can't buy the idea that it was enviroment.
3.) American kids are just plain dumb. I sure don't buy this. Americans have been innovators long before these counties like China, and India ever thought about it.
4.) Top notch education and attention putting it first and foremost. I have to think this had something to do with it.

I am not sure where you got your article, but it sure doesn't jive with how America ranks with the rest of the world in math and reading.

Big! So much more to life than sitting behind a desk. I really don't know who your working with but if I were to guess, I'm sure those kids are completely deprived of so many great opportunities. That's great that they someday may have a full scholarship and eventually get a PhD, but I would rather grasp life knowledge and that you can't learn in school. Don't get me wrong, school is extremely important and having a degree myself makes me push advanced education even more. But to think that education is THAT important is ludicrous. If the student is doing well in class, I see absolutely no reason why he can't skip school.

In WV many schools take the entire week of gun season off. Granted, it's Thanksgiving week...but they know what attendance will be like if they have school.

I'm a H.S. teacher and I think it's fine to take your kids out of school to go hunting. They'll be able to make up what they miss. Nobody's ever been on their death bed and said...."I should have spent more time at school or work"

Shure, letim take ooff for deer huntn. I always did^ and I got by jus fine. Prolly learn more in da woods any how. I alway hadda sain " never let yer schoolin interfere with yer education"

My parents always let me take time off school to go deer hunting. I have very very fond memories. Unforunatly my dad passed away when I was only 21 yrs old. But we spent alot of time together fishing and hunting and I am so glad we did. Sad thing is that the firearm season here in Michigan is nowhere what it was 40 yrs ago. The compound bow brought alot of changes. One being the amount of time hunters take off. It used to be most would take a week or 5 days now maybe 2-3 days. People use vacation time to bow hunt more.

Why not have both? education and life knowledge? Thats the route I took. I reload all my ammo. I long distance shoot. I hunt quite a bit, and am pretty successful. I build my own longbows, and use em to hunt with. And I didn't skip school to do it.

My parents let me skip school on the first day of turkey season all through middle school and high school. In indiana the season always comes in on a wednesday. I was alos allowed to miss school when opening day of bow season would come in during the week as long as I did not have a football game. I graduated from HS with a 3.4 GPA.

You were allowed to miss school? As long as you didn't miss a football game?

my dad always let me miss for the first day after I got out of school they went and closed for the first day because most of the boys went hunting and now they dont close the school cause ohio has a youth season that is on a weekend since they went to allowing hunting on sunday so they dont need to miss now

My parents always let me miss 4or5 days a year for deer season I always made it out alright. When my son gets older I'll let him too life is too short to miss out on quality time with family

Use it as incentive for your kid. good grades and he can get out of school to go hunting.

When I was in school in the 80's, the school actually let kids miss one day of deer season with an excuse from the parents. I don't know if any schools do that today, but I thought that was pretty cool even though I didn't deer hunt at the time. I don't have kids, but if I did, I would definitely let them miss a day.

for sure let them...if grades are good.

I don't have any problems at all with letting my kids skip school to go hunting.
They are only kids once, and really they are not going to miss very much by missing one, two days or even a weeks worth of school.
I would much rather my child have great memories of hunting (or most any activity really) with family then memories of some classroom.

Yes,,you have my permission..LOL and I'm a teacher..with those grades your son has earned a break..

If my kids weren't off....I'd give them off myself, provided they earned it (were doing well). We get off the whole week of Thanksgiving anyhow so I haven't had to deal with it. I have given my son off a day here and there for various reasons, and as long as he continues to do well - I'm good with it.

I stopped reading this thread at this post because it says it all. I don't have to keep my son out to hunt, but twice a year during a fishing tournament I'll keep him out on Friday to go with me. For those two days a year he stands out with the adults and does all he can to help from catching bait to tying rigs to weighing fish. I enjoy spending this time with just him and enjoys feeling like part of the team, if he misses a few hours of school to feel this way then so be it.

Remember, we aren't promised tomorrow. My brother in-law was supposed to take him hunting and was killed a car accident right at the beginning of deer season the year they were supposed to go. I started hunting for this reason, otherwise my son would probably not have the opportunity to go and learn. I think 30 years from now he'll be able to look a pic of us holding or cleaning a big fish and remember that moment spent together like it was yesterday.....ask him what he learned in school that day and he won't have a clue.

Great post Beez, couldn't agree more.

My dad always let me skip Opening day of firearm season when i was a kid so I could go with him, my uncle, and my cousins. Kind of a family tradition.

I'll definately return the favor to my children someday

I'm a teacher, and I would skip to hunt.

My Dad let me skip school to go hunting with him. He wrote my note saying I had Buck Fever! The school asked me if it was a bad illness! I said really bad!

I always skipped the day before the season started so we could go out and get ready. It was something I looked forward to and my parents always made sure I was cought up on all of my homework. Talk to your sons teachers and see if they can get the homework to him before he leaves.

Hey I teach at a public school and have taken 3 days off for archery..I rarely take time off BUT hunting...different story..I get 16 days off after today...Christmas break

Teachers do have a few perks.

I am all for letting your kids take time off from school in order to go hunting, I know when I was a kid I always took off time during deer and elk season. Even when I went to school during hunting season, I would bring my rifle to school. The principle would keep it in his office and as soon as school was out I would go get it and go hunting. Boy how things have changed nowadays though, just the thought of that now would put you in jail.

"School" is not the only classroom.

Thanks greatly to everyone for your input. After reading your posts, I have changed from leaning somewhat against the idea of letting him take a day off to leaning somewhat towards it - with the understanding that he keeps up with his schoolwork.

Now for the scary part, running this idea by my wife (YIKES!) . I will definitely have her read through this thread and see what impact it has on her. Thanks again everyone.

Folks, i am curious. I notice many are extremely defensive over this for whatever reason.

With this though process, is in your home state, or where you hunt, is hunting only available thru school days???

I mean in Ky, WV, and MD, and TN, where i have hunted, hunting is available from Sept to Jan.

With this though process, can a kid "not" learn how to hunt unless he skips?

I am in complete agreement with Blackhawk and Beezer. Time spent with your loved ones, is forever. You can always make up the schoolwork. My dad checked me out of school one time my whole life and that has stuck with me. Don't take time for granted.

My .02!

I agree with the 3 of you.

I would let mine skip a day or two. There are some School Districts in the Southern part of Illinois(or at least there were)that allow an excused absence on the first day of first firearm season because so many kids were going to be gone anyway.

i can understand others points of family first,
but my concern, with season being months long,
where are the parents/ family on weekends?
why take weekday off when can hunt on weekends?
if family was so important wouldnt they be planning every weekend possible to hunt/fish with their kids?
also during school year, many times there are mondays or fridays with no school i would chose those days


where i hunt NY and PA
PA 2 hrs away but no sunday hunting,
NY has sunday hunting but my land is 6 hrs away

so saturday hunting sunday fishing in PA for me
and weekend hunting in upstate NY,
unless kid has no school, wouldnt consider weekday hunting

Hey Partner,
Every school is under the gun.Seeing your son is making such awesome grades...he's way ahead anyways where he should be at. Schools today teach about 1 grade level ahead to keep up with the federal government's expections.

Your son is doing awesome.
Congrats,
Chuck Borden

I surely cant speak for everyone, but here is my thought process on this matter.
School for my children is merely a way to help them learn how to learn. This can be accomplished in a variety of different ways, usually the least important of which I believe to be in the classroom.
I take my children out on weekends and weekdays whatever happens to fit our schedule the best.

Education takes many forms. As a parent you have responsibility to educate your children. Most people defer that to the public school system or to a private school. Some keep the kids at home and teach them themselves. There is more to life than just books. There is character education and that takes life experience. I would want to make sure they didn't suffer academically but I would be willing to pull my kids out of school for a day or two for a special trip.

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While this is extremely true, it appears that kids can't even keep up with the simple book stuff anymore. I guess too busy playing video games.