How Old for Kids?

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cpinkert
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How Old for Kids?

Post by cpinkert » Mon Sep 21, 2015 6:46 pm

How old were your kids the first time you took them hunting? I've got a 9 month old and a backpack he loves to ride in. Too soon? Ideas for earplugs for the kid?

I'm only about 35% serious about this...

Neil
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by Neil » Mon Sep 21, 2015 7:23 pm

I started taking mine at age 4. I picked fields with easy walking, kept the trips short, and carried him as soon as he tired. I was not hunting as much as I was training a hunter. He carried the Red Rider he got the year before.

It has paid off, in the 40 years since we have had many wonderful days in the Field.

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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by RayGubernat » Mon Sep 21, 2015 8:02 pm

My son loved messing with the dogs...almost as much as I did.

I started taking him with me on training runs with the dogs when he was about 4. He was on my shoulders most of the time, but that was OK because he could see the dog and more importantly, the dog could see him. 'Ol Chipper could not care one whit about me or most of the rest of the world, but he loved that little guy. I could call him, scream at him, shock him and ...NOTHING. Danny called him ...and he was there. I used to get upset about it, but I got over that.

My son went on his first bird hunt with a real gun when he was 9. It was at a members only club. Shot his first bird over a solid point by a dog he helped to train. He took is hunting test at 10 and has hunted every year since. I got into field trialing when he was in his mid teens and he was my go to scout for a bunch of years. He still comes to ride when he has the chance, but with a wife, family and demanding job, it is tough for him to get away to play with his old man.

We manage to log a few hours afield together every year and it is special. This year we are actually going on a deer hunt together. Neither of us is real big on deer hunting, too much sitting/standing around... but Dan though he should know how to field dress a deer and some of the things that go with a big game hunt...so we are going to.

I hope I can still navigate when his kids get old enough to go afield. There is a shotgun waiting for each one of them. I hope I get to see them used.

If not...I am pretty sure he will carry on.

Keep it fun and exciting for your child. Show them how much you enjoy it and it will likely rub off.

RayG

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Sharon
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by Sharon » Mon Sep 21, 2015 8:48 pm

I was 7 ; carried the .22. (Old days when that was allowed). If I dragged it at all and got dirt in it , then I wasn't allowed to shoot it at all that day - lesson never forgotten.

edited : I wasn't shooting birds at that age ; I was allowed target practice if the gun was clean.
Last edited by Sharon on Tue Sep 22, 2015 6:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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deke
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by deke » Tue Sep 22, 2015 11:17 am

I grew up in a non hunting household. But by the time I was ten I had begged my dad enough that he took me out with some of his friends who were avid bird hunters, I was hooked instantly. We had to carry bb guns unloaded for two years without making a mistake ( pointing in an unsafe direction, dropping the gun etc...) before we got to actually join in on the hunt, and even then our guns were unloaded until we walked up onto a bird.

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bonasa
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by bonasa » Tue Sep 22, 2015 12:13 pm

We would put them in backpacks around 6-9months depending on when they were born when we went hiking. Stopping as needed to tend to them. Bird hunting/training around 4 yrs, wearing eye and ear protection and firing blank guns, still need to carry them a lot of the time. At 7 they can do a lot, keep up and participate the most with the birds and dogs.

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Dakotazeb
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by Dakotazeb » Tue Sep 22, 2015 12:24 pm

cpinkert wrote:How old were your kids the first time you took them hunting? I've got a 9 month old and a backpack he loves to ride in. Too soon? Ideas for earplugs for the kid?

I'm only about 35% serious about this...

9 months? Are you nuts? I see nothing good that could come out of it. If the kid can't tag along by walking on his/her own in the field they are too young.

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ezzy333
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by ezzy333 » Tue Sep 22, 2015 2:14 pm

I have always felt the best thing is for kids to earn there toys or trips. My boys were made to wait till they were big enough to carry a gun and then had to wait till they demonstrated they were mentally mature enough before they got to load it. Those couple of years they had to wait and demonstrate they could handle the gun safely in any circumstance really whetted their appetite and they all love to hunt yet today. My grandkids are going through the same procedure now and I see the same results with them. Anything that comes too easily lessens the desire and responsibility associated with it. There are a lot of years ahead of them and it is our responsibility to insure, before they make the first mistake, that it will not happen.

All of this said there is nothing wrong with letting them tag along occasionally with you as long as you don't let it become boring or too tiring for little legs and short attention span. Taking kids should follow the same rules as you use with a puppy. Short fun training sessions and no mistakes from the trainer. Patience and more patience and building desire.

Leeza
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by Leeza » Tue Sep 22, 2015 10:03 pm

Had a niece tagging along at age 2. Stubble fields only, no tall cover. They get it right away, but short attention span for sure. Make sure you know exactly where the birds are when you get out of the rig. Don't dilly dally, puppies and little kids need to see the birds quick. They talk constantly or sing just like you would expect. :) A full set of headphones on a youngster is a good idea. Earplugs are impossible to get in right on a kid, spend the money get the noise canceling headphones. They have very sensitive ears and a shotgun blast in close proximity is too loud. Let that baby grow up a bit more and get some legs under him/her. It will be worth it. :D

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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by cjhills » Wed Sep 23, 2015 5:06 am

Dragging a small kid out in the field is hard work, somewhat dangerous, tiring for the kid and serves no usefull purpose. Anticipation will go a lot farther toward getting them interested.........Cj

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demsdogs
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by demsdogs » Wed Sep 23, 2015 11:32 am

9 months is definitely too young in my opinion. My boy is almost 5 and he desperately wants to go hunting with me, but I'm going to wait until I think he can fully understand what's going on, how to be safe and out of the way, how to defend himself if need be. I'm planning on waiting until he is 8 or 10 or so, make sure he has plenty of time to prep and get excited. Wifey doesn't want him to go at all (no surprise) but that first trip out is something he'll always remember, so I want to make sure he is old enough to remember it for the right reasons. Does that make sense?

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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by AlPastor » Wed Sep 23, 2015 4:41 pm

I'll be taking my 3 year old duck hunting with me this year. However, our blind is very comfortable and our hunts are relatively shorts. While she loves handling the dog, she's allowed to bring a book, a toy, and my tablet because her attention span is small.

As for training and conditioning, I take both the 3 yr old and the 1 yr old with me. For training, I wear the little one and the 3 yr old really behaves herself because she loves throwing fun bumpers at the end. For conditioning, i wear both of them. Yes, with the mileage and the trails and the extra weight and the elevation, I'm in sheep shape this year.

Although to be fair, initially I never planned on toting a kid along but my wife was such a rough go with our first that I started taking the kid just so she could catch some sleep. Now it has become habit, not only for me but, for my daughter as well. She loves taking stuff we've found on the trails to preschool for show and tell.

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Pheasanttracker
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How Old for Kids?

Post by Pheasanttracker » Thu Sep 24, 2015 7:41 am

I took my son and a couple nieces and nephews squirrel hunting at age 6. But they weren't allowed to carry the gun. I agree it is hard work. I backpacked my kids hiking until age 2 but wouldn't do that while hunting. I think they would need to be able to walk to go hunting and then watch for a number of years. My youngest son wants to hunt this year simply because we have a new Pudelpointer and he enjoys watching her work and felt he was missing out on something. Exposure at young age is great but I found out years ago that forcing it causes more problems.

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CDN_Cocker
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by CDN_Cocker » Thu Sep 24, 2015 11:27 am

My daughter started going out with me last year at age 6/7. I only took her on short hunts (I hunt mainly upland so expecting a kid to walk for very far or long isn't realistic) and I knew any time I took her that it was more about her than it was the hunting. She loves getting her camo on and face paint (I got her some from bass pro just to make it more fun for her) but tires easily out walking in the bush so we stop lots and I let her do what she wants like climbing up rocks or trees. We have seen birds while out but I haven't shot one yet with her as I'm usually not paying close enough attention to the hunting to make the shot. This year I hope to get her out for a couple short duck hunts. I think that would be a bit better for her as we'd be sitting so then it would just come down to her getting bored or cold lmao. I remember going out with my dad when I was young but I think realistically a kid isn't going to be super into it nor super capable physically (thinking of walking here) until they're around 12. It sure is good for making memories though.

tobytx
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by tobytx » Thu Sep 24, 2015 1:13 pm

Duck hunting I would imagine you could take a little younger than upland. I would not take a kid where I hunt upland unless it was a preserve can hunt. I get a little nervous myself so no way I would take a young child.

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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by rinker » Thu Sep 24, 2015 1:33 pm

I had one of those strollers that joggers use when my son was a baby. I don't know exactly how young I started taking him, maybe six months. Now, this wasn't hard core hunting, it was running dogs and having fun. Most of the time I didn't take a gun.

When he was about three, he started carrying a toy gun. I had an old pointer female that was a retrieving fool. We walked in to a point and I planned on shooting the bird. My son said, "Dad, stand back, I'm going to shoot this one". So, I stood back and he flushed the bird, and he must have fired twelve shots with his toy gun. Like I said, that old pointer lived to retrieve, and she ran that bird down and retrieved it. He was convinced that he shot that bird, and he informed me that he would doing the shooting from then on.

When my son got old enough to get interested in sports and girls, he quit going with me. He is now twenty years old and a junior in college. I recently bought a horse and I'm going to start competing in some low level horseback field trials. He was away at school when I bought the horse and I didn't even think to tell him about it. When he got home and found that we had that horse, he started riding him all over the place and can't wait to ride at a field trial.

cpinkert
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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by cpinkert » Fri Sep 25, 2015 6:32 am

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm not really serious about shooting with the kid on my back at 9 months, more just looking forward to when I can introduce him to hunting. I'm guessing I'll start by taking him on quick grouse hunts on old logging roads that are easy walking in a couple years. We go on hikes pretty regularly now and his favorite part is watching the dog. Guessing it'll be an easy transition.

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Re: How Old for Kids?

Post by fishvik » Sat Sep 26, 2015 9:32 am

I took my daughters and sons duck hunting when they were about 5 or six. I'd bundle them up, bring some hot chocolate and sit them in a canoe. Now my at home son is into girls and sports but my one daughter who is a soph at the U of Montana is hanging out with boys that like to duck hunt is interested in getting back into it.

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