How old should my boy be?

[luvdemcoues]

I appreciate the comments so far. I talked with one of my brothers last night, not wanting to throw him under the bus, but he said he has decided to not take his boy until he is 10. My boy wants to go now and it would crush him if I told him he couldn't go until he was 10. That's 5 years away. Plus I don't think I want to wait that long for him to go either. I think I will for sure start bringing him along on some quick rabbit hunts, etc. And depending on if I get drawn for Javelina in the spring I will likely take him along on that too.

[azsagebrush]

WOW, what a great topic!

 

I can't agree enough with all of the others, take the kids NOW.

 

This is how I look at it, each and every time you don't take them with you it is a day you will NEVER make up. This doesn't just go for hunting it is for sports, school events, anything.

 

I had a rule of thumb that i would use, if my boy didn't go I did go. Now with that said it was very painful when he got older and ran with his friends, girls and trucks. When he would go out in the woods I would just wait for him to invite me to join him and his friends, he didn't invite me very often so I would sit at the house like a dog that you didn't take hunting. I knew this would happen as he got older, but I still to today have not learned to accept that he and I can not always be in the woods together, i'll get there.

 

I told my wife this summer that I would like to adopt a young child so that i had a "partner" again like the old days.

 

Enjoy them kids!

Azsagebrush

 

 

[soazarcher]

+3476!

 

Take them now! You will never regret it!

 

I can't keep my 4 year old indoors!

 

First Matched Set!

 

Looking for BEARS!

 

Pigs at 2 1/2 years

 

And Deer at 3 1/2

 

 

He's now getting excited for 4 days of mule deer hunting New Mexico next month

 

 

 

 

[WOODSAZ]

Take them out now! I had Maty in the back pack @ 2 1/2 quail hunting.

 

It is funny how different boys and girls are though. Last Year Ron G and myself took our 6 year old daughters on a HAM pig hunt. We had to laugh when we got to the top of the hill we were going to glass from and unloaded a full pack of Barbies, coloring books, and leapsters. We both looked at eachother and said would you ever would have thought that our hunting packs would be filled with this stuff.

 

Well last weekend Ron and I took our 3 year old boys down south to scout for Coues. They did a great job considering how long of a day it was, starting at 4AM. Well the difference between boys and girls is that all you need for boys are sticks ,rocks and bugs! They spent the afternoon building a "Beaver house", even though there probaly wasnt a beaver with in 200 miles! LOL.

 

Anyways take em out. I have found squirrel hunting is perfect and rabbits as well. Maty helps chase them up the tree while toting her red ryder. Those kids beg me to take them out now.

 

Jay

[luvdemcoues]

SOAZARCHER, love the pics. Thanks for sharing!

[regge090]

i was 5 when i started hunting and fell in love with it now i have 2 deer 1elk

[DUG]

They are never too young! My boy was dove hunting at 8. He's now 18 and can't get outdoors enough now. I'm taking my 11 year old daughter on her 1st elk hunt Friday. Like other people have said, do it on their terms and pace. Make it fun and ice cream on the way home helps!

[kmwellslv]

my daughter started bird hunting with me when she was 2, in a child backpack thing, & with ear plugs of course. shes almost 7 now and always goes bird hunting with me. she even got to come on some archery hunts this year, just to tag along of course. when she was 5 i got her a small bb gun rifle and she carries that when we chase quail and dove. she has a list of rules to abide by and when she no longer breaks a rule EVER she will graduate to the cricket(which im thinking will be her bday in dec). this way she can learn how to care for her weapon, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, etc. and i dont have to worry about gettin shot in the back! your boys 5, get him out there! i recommend ear plugs(the little squishy ones you jam in your ear) so he doesnt freak out or become gunshy when you unexpectedly start unloading.

[WHT_MTNMAN]

My son has hunted with me from a very young age, watched me spot and stalk mulies at 5, chased rabbits etc.. younger than that and was my spotter on my rifle NM lope tag last year. He has been with me a few times this last week looking for bear, got to see his first sow and cubs etc.

 

My spotter as I belly crawled to within range of this buck. I asked if we should shoot this buck and he said yeah and I couldn't pass him up.

 

[tjhunt2]

How lucky you are and all the other parents who take their kids hunting and fishing. Get him out now and remember to log all your his adventures. I envy each parent and thanks for the pictures. My Mom&Dad started us out fishing when we were in diapers. There were 4 of us kids and they made beds in the bottom of our 16ft boat. Maybe not the safest thing but we survived.

 

TJ

[luvdemcoues]

Hey Whitemtnman, you may need to talk with my brother to get him on board with this!!!

Josh

[loco4coues]

I finally got my 7 year old step son out (custody issues) with me to scout for coues a few days ago. He had been begging me since he was 5. He did great beating the brush up to our glassing point. He had a hard time seeing the 2 does bedded at over 1000 yds, but grandpa went around the corner and glassed up 3 does and a 2 point at 130 yds, we set up the spotting scope on the buck and just let him watch, the buck was "attacking" a yucca plant, Tanner loved it! He's bummed that he won't be able to come on the hunt this year(custody issues). Maybe next year.

My dad started me young and I even remember him letting me drive the suburban down a two track because we didn't see any deer, it was awesome until I told my mom when I got home, Haha. Good times

[elmergoo]

my daughter started bird hunting with me when she was 2, in a child backpack thing, & with ear plugs of course. shes almost 7 now and always goes bird hunting with me. she even got to come on some archery hunts this year, just to tag along of course. when she was 5 i got her a small bb gun rifle and she carries that when we chase quail and dove. she has a list of rules to abide by and when she no longer breaks a rule EVER she will graduate to the cricket(which im thinking will be her bday in dec). this way she can learn how to care for her weapon, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, etc. and i dont have to worry about gettin shot in the back! your boys 5, get him out there! i recommend ear plugs(the little squishy ones you jam in your ear) so he doesnt freak out or become gunshy when you unexpectedly start unloading.

Hey "kmwellslv" I think that her pink nail polish maybe gave you a clue that she wanted to go. It matches her gun perfect. Good times.

[shylopolito]

I started hunting when I was about 11, being 15 now I wish I would've started as early as possible, because hunting has become a passion to me at my young age.

 

[luvdemcoues]

Hey all, I took your advice and brought my little man along on a bird hunt this morning. He didn't walk very fast and it was hard to get into the birds, but we had a blast! We also got to see 2 javelina real close. Those were his first ones. He thinks he is pretty neat stuff right now since he got to go hunting with his dad. We will try it again soon!