RE: took 12 year son for first hunt
 

That says it all right there. Sounds like a great hunt and an awesome time.

RE: took 12 year son for first hunt
 

It might be nice if the first time he went he didnt kill a monster anyway. I killed my first deer when i was eight, i thought it would be easy to get deer, but i was wrong. My first buck was a nice pointer, but no monster. If my first deer was huge then it might not be as satisfying to shoot smaller bucks. I made a lot of costly mistakes when i was around that age, and still do, but its still fun and gives you something to not do next time.

RE: took 12 year son for first hunt
 

Mother goose those are memories that neither of you will ever forget, my daughters have sat on stand with me for the last 2 seasons, not every time, but often enough to where even though they didn't actually hunt yet we all have memories forever, next season they will actually hunt for the first time. A suggestion for your son is to let him sit in a stand during the off season to where he can learn how to spot deer easier, with the leaves still on the trees it will teach him how to just see that ear flicker or that tail wag rather than looking for the whole deer.

RE: took 12 year son for first hunt
 

That is great, I got a late start on hunting, 15, but my son will start alot earlier then that. I will start taking him over next season as a 5 ear old. We sit in the backyard and spot squirils and he does a good job of sitting still but not for a long period of time. I am looking forward to the memories that we will make in the future.

RE: took 12 year son for first hunt
 

Even though we did not get a deer this year, I believe the whole experience will make him a better hunter in the future. He was not allowed to shoot without permission. I wanted to make sure that he was aware of what was beyond the deer that could possibly be affected by a shot. He needed to understand the limitations of how far of a shot was ethical for a clean kill. We went over basic safety issues like checking the safety, making sure the gun was pointed in a save direction, and when crossing a fence we always unloaded. Also have to be aware of any movement or sound he makes can alert a deer. (The blind definately helps with movement). But all in all we had a amazing time.