Input wanted - Hunting with a 10 year old

[Elkchaser]

This is great. I like the BB gun idea and having him pick out his own clothes. He outgrew everything from last year already... we've been working on him adjusting the zoom. He's doing pretty good with it starting at low power and zooming in when he finds his target. We were lucky and did our field day for Hunters Ed before he turned 10. He's good to go there!

Hynoon - he has 3A/C for elk and 36A for deer

Catfish - I'd love to see your set up

Lance - I hope to have that problem with him lol

[lancetkenyon]

I hope you have that problem too.  So proud to tell those stories.

[stanley]

Don't have anything new to add to all of the above input/comments.  I echo most of them.

I would simply reiterate to soak it up and have fun!!  My three kids are 25, 23, and 21 now.  The time I've spent in the field with them over the past 15-20 years is by FAR the best times I have had hunting.  To this day, even as young adults, there is no greater joy than spending time with them in the field and on occasion standing over their shoulder as they pull the trigger on an animal.  Precious times!!

S.

[bigorange]

If the 36a hunt is the November hunt before Thanksgiving, look into the AZSCI youth camp. It’s a lot of fun for the kids with meals provided, raffles, and mentors available to help out and maybe show you new spots to hunt even if you don’t feel like you need help. Had a lot of fun at that camp with my daughter. 

[Outdoor Writer]

To add a little levity, be sure to have an apple with you. Here's why................

My oldest son's first hunt for deer when he was 10 in 1972 was on the N. Kaibab. He had already shot a pronghorn that Sept. Along on the deer hunt was my dear old Italian grandfather, referred to as Papa or Pop by us. He was already in his 70s, so I usually left him at an ambush point with a decent view of the surrounding area. Back then, a buck or doe was still legal for every tag. Then I would take off and still hunt, trying to make some semblance of a circle where my return to where I had left him would be a mini-deer drive. It normally worked like a charm, and he would end up tagging a doe for the pot. Sometimes a deer just wandered by him naturally, like a 3x3 buck he tagged one year. Knowing my son wasn't ready to hunt like I did, I left him with Pop. So on this trip I had two people to help fill a tag one or way or another. And that's what happened: my son tagged out the first morning, and Pop did so on the second day. 

Now fast forward a bunch of years after Pop quit hunting and my son was an adult (he's now 58). He and I were driving somewhere to hunt and we started discussing the old days. That's when he told me about the apple. After I had left them on the first deer hunt, Pop cut up an apple and handed two slices to my son. He told him to put a slice in each of his jacket pockets because the apple odor will attract the deer. He also warned my son, letting him know that he shouldn't tell me because I would think Pop was a bit goofy. Obviously the apple did its magic since they both killed deer. 🤣

 

 

[Swivelhead]

Protect your youngster from the elements: Sun, cold, wind, rain, etc.  Prolonged exposure to tough conditions can be a turn off for anybody.  Great thread BTW.

[Rag Horn]

+1 to all the advice given about snacks and weather protection etc.

 

+5 to the charged iDevices and downloaded games lol

 

Every kid is so different so what works for some may not work for others. That being said I have had good luck looking over maps at home with my 11 year old. onX and google earth. then out in the field we can talk about the terrain "man the map made this hill look easier to climb" "oh there is the creek we saw on the map" "there is that big rock outcropping we want to get to". It seems to keep him tethered to and invested in the gameplan. Its also an easy thing to keep a running conversation about. We look for "deer spots" on the map together and talk about why we think there would be deer there. My kid isnt some map reading prodigy it was a surprising thing he took interest in and i think its helped him  stay engaged out in the field rather than just getting blindly lead around. 

 

we also got a rock tumbler and look for "cool rocks" when things get slow we rock hound a little.

[Elkchaser]

Bigorange - we've already registered for the SCI camp. I've found he always has more fun when other kids are around.

Outdoor Writer - very cool story about the apples. I convinced my 75 year old grandfather to chase turkey with us in 12A. This may be the one and only time my son and grandfather get to hunt together. I'm very much looking forward to it.

Definitely have the weather suggestions noted. I'm glad to hear others resort to electronics from time to time... I felt guilty about giving him my phone on and off when we sat in a ground blind.

Raghorn - I like the maps idea I'll have to get him more involved in the prescouting. We also like to find cool rocks.

[Pine Donkey]

Lots of good information, I will restate some from my experiences:

It all comes down to, ‘Make it about them, always’

     Get them quality gear and clothing, not hand-me-downs

     Get them their own gun, that fits them.  Have them practice target acquisition.  This is an easy quick activity that can be done almost anywhere, even in t he living room at home.

     Practice shooting in different positions and distances.  Let them take a shot that they are confident in, not the one you think they should be able to make.  The size of the animal does not change their shooting ability.

     Make glassing a game and competition, let them find an animal and talk you into it.  Get them quality, (but not stupid expensive) optics and tripod set up.  Don’t discourage them by looking through blurry wal-mart optics to find the animal you found in your swaros.  I like upper mid-level vortex for the warranty...kids drop a lot of stuff.

     Plan for mistakes and things to just not go your way.  These can be frustrating if you let them, but can easily be a learning experience and will always be a memory.  Make it a good one.

     Let them be kids, they have short attention spans, they are sometimes loud, they get bored, they eat a lot.  While glassing let them do their own activity after they get bored, BB gun, hike a hill, climb a tree, play catch with a friend, or set out the archery target and let them shoot their bow.

     Use the back road, midday times to let them learn to drive.

     They are not tough yet, they will get cold easy, have extra layers available.  Thick mittens are good right up to the time of the shot.

     For the pack out, let them take part, but don’t over load them.  They will do this with pride.

     For the elk hunt, talk to the child about the fact that the season is timed so that the calf elk is ready to survive on their own.  We have had many times, that while quartering and packing a cow, the calf shows up.  Expect this to happen, and prep them.

    Have fun!  With a 10 year old you may think you have lots of years of youth hunts ahead of you, it will fly by.  Soon you will be inviting yourself on friends kid’s youth hunts because you miss it so much.  Next you will be waiting for the grandkids to turn 10.  As the song says, ‘don’t blink!’  Take lots of pictures, they are priceless.  In our digital age, get them printed so you can pull them out and reminisce.  

    As your kids become older, teenagers think they are adults, and have it all figured out.  You as a parent will not always be their favorite.  Hunting can be the safe space for both of you to retreat to; it is really something special.  It is hard to overstate the importance of this point.

Youth hunts have long been my favorite.  I have been part of 40+ youth big game kills and each one of them has been special.  Many of them were marked by opportunities missed on great animals, thing going wrong, or frustrating situations, but those feelings and memories quickly fade into the back ground as the good stuff becomes so prominent.  Enjoy every minute, and post some pictures so we can enjoy your hunt a bit too.
 

 

[Elkchaser]

18 hours ago, Pine Donkey said:

Lots of good information, I will restate some from my experiences:

It all comes down to, ‘Make it about them, always’

     Get them quality gear and clothing, not hand-me-downs

     Get them their own gun, that fits them.  Have them practice target acquisition.  This is an easy quick activity that can be done almost anywhere, even in t he living room at home.

     Practice shooting in different positions and distances.  Let them take a shot that they are confident in, not the one you think they should be able to make.  The size of the animal does not change their shooting ability.

     Make glassing a game and competition, let them find an animal and talk you into it.  Get them quality, (but not stupid expensive) optics and tripod set up.  Don’t discourage them by looking through blurry wal-mart optics to find the animal you found in your swaros.  I like upper mid-level vortex for the warranty...kids drop a lot of stuff.

     Plan for mistakes and things to just not go your way.  These can be frustrating if you let them, but can easily be a learning experience and will always be a memory.  Make it a good one.

     Let them be kids, they have short attention spans, they are sometimes loud, they get bored, they eat a lot.  While glassing let them do their own activity after they get bored, BB gun, hike a hill, climb a tree, play catch with a friend, or set out the archery target and let them shoot their bow.

     Use the back road, midday times to let them learn to drive.

     They are not tough yet, they will get cold easy, have extra layers available.  Thick mittens are good right up to the time of the shot.

     For the pack out, let them take part, but don’t over load them.  They will do this with pride.

     For the elk hunt, talk to the child about the fact that the season is timed so that the calf elk is ready to survive on their own.  We have had many times, that while quartering and packing a cow, the calf shows up.  Expect this to happen, and prep them.

    Have fun!  With a 10 year old you may think you have lots of years of youth hunts ahead of you, it will fly by.  Soon you will be inviting yourself on friends kid’s youth hunts because you miss it so much.  Next you will be waiting for the grandkids to turn 10.  As the song says, ‘don’t blink!’  Take lots of pictures, they are priceless.  In our digital age, get them printed so you can pull them out and reminisce.  

    As your kids become older, teenagers think they are adults, and have it all figured out.  You as a parent will not always be their favorite.  Hunting can be the safe space for both of you to retreat to; it is really something special.  It is hard to overstate the importance of this point.

Youth hunts have long been my favorite.  I have been part of 40+ youth big game kills and each one of them has been special.  Many of them were marked by opportunities missed on great animals, thing going wrong, or frustrating situations, but those feelings and memories quickly fade into the back ground as the good stuff becomes so prominent.  Enjoy every minute, and post some pictures so we can enjoy your hunt a bit too.
 

 

Excellent write up, appreciate the input!

[CatfishKev]

On 9/16/2020 at 9:20 PM, Elkchaser said:

This is great. I like the BB gun idea and having him pick out his own clothes. He outgrew everything from last year already... we've been working on him adjusting the zoom. He's doing pretty good with it starting at low power and zooming in when he finds his target. We were lucky and did our field day for Hunters Ed before he turned 10. He's good to go there!

Hynoon - he has 3A/C for elk and 36A for deer

Catfish - I'd love to see your set up

Lance - I hope to have that problem with him lol

Sorry it took so long man.  

So i use the triclawps on the front as you can see. Then on the back end i use a primos trigger stick, ill take a beannie inside a beanie or whatever we have on hand and put it in the cradle of the trigger stick and use the cord to hold it in place, the thicker the better which allows you to get a real good cheek weld.  Its gotta be the trigger stick though, it allows you to instantly adjust the back end just by squeezing it.  Rock solid set up, takes some getting used to but works great if laying prone isnt an option. 

[Elkchaser]

On 9/21/2020 at 7:01 PM, CatfishKev said:

Sorry it took so long man.  

So i use the triclawps on the front as you can see. Then on the back end i use a primos trigger stick, ill take a beannie inside a beanie or whatever we have on hand and put it in the cradle of the trigger stick and use the cord to hold it in place, the thicker the better which allows you to get a real good cheek weld.  Its gotta be the trigger stick though, it allows you to instantly adjust the back end just by squeezing it.  Rock solid set up, takes some getting used to but works great if laying prone isnt an option. 

That’s a sweet looking set up! We’re going to the range tomorrow to try out the triclawps. Fingers crossed 🤞 

[trp171]

This is a great topic, as this will be the last youth hunt with my kids. My daughter has her last deer tag! she is pumped to get to the woods for this one. I hope to have one of my boys with us along with my wife. looking forward to some great memories. 

I feel blessed to have a family that supports the hunting life and will keep the hunting tradition alive

 

[Elkchaser]

3 minutes ago, trp171 said:

This is a great topic, as this will be the last youth hunt with my kids. My daughter has her last deer tag! she is pumped to get to the woods for this one. I hope to have one of my boys with us along with my wife. looking forward to some great memories. 

I feel blessed to have a family that supports the hunting life and will keep the hunting tradition alive

 

Awesome! What unit is your deer hunt?

[trp171]

she has a 23 tag!!!!!!!! looking for a good mule deer buck!!