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Message
4 year olds first deer hunt
Posted on 11/12/14 at 11:12 am
Posted on 11/12/14 at 11:12 am
Im planning on taking my 4 year old son on his first deer hunt this weekend and wanted to get some tips from anyone whos gone through a few hunts with a young child. I already know the hunt will more than likely be a short one. One of my concerns is shooting with him in the stand (I dam near blew out his mommas ear drum a fw years back shooting with her in the stand) I dont plan on shooting unless I see a nice buck and I'm going to have ear muffs for him. I jus dont want to have his ears ringing for the next couple of weeks if brutus walks out.
12
Posted on 11/12/14 at 11:14 am to gamechanger4good
My little one isn't old enough to accompany me yet, but the guys that I know bringing out their kids say pack snacks, toys, and an ipad.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 11:16 am to pointdog33
Also a blanket and if you are in a box blind a heater. The more comfortable they are, the longer you can sit.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 11:27 am to gamechanger4good
Solid advice above. Hand warmer are a hit with the little ones also. Welcome to the board and happy hunting!! 
Posted on 11/12/14 at 11:29 am to gamechanger4good
Juiceboxes, snacks, maybe a game on phone/Kindle ect... ID book for birds, animals, plants, trees, and stuff like that.
My 5yo daughter has been with me a few times, and has a great time. Just have to remember they have short attetion spans, and the cold will only amplify it. Good Luck.
My 5yo daughter has been with me a few times, and has a great time. Just have to remember they have short attetion spans, and the cold will only amplify it. Good Luck.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 12:02 pm to pointdog33
quote:
but the guys that I know bringing out their kids say pack snacks, toys, and an ipad.
That, plus the good hearing protection. I also took my son out and shot with him wearing the hearing protection so he got an understanding that it wouldn't be loud but also use to the feel of being around a gun being fired.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 12:05 pm to gamechanger4good
I have a 3 and 5 year old, and don't plan on taking them in the deer stand for a while.
I do however take them on mini 'hunts', they last about 15-30 minutes, there is zero chance anything is shot or killed. But it is about all they can handle, no one is cold, no one is hungry, and they love it.
I do however take them on mini 'hunts', they last about 15-30 minutes, there is zero chance anything is shot or killed. But it is about all they can handle, no one is cold, no one is hungry, and they love it.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 12:05 pm to gamechanger4good
iPad
Posted on 11/12/14 at 12:15 pm to gamechanger4good
snack, juice box, heater for box stand, ipod or some game, switch, belt, or whatever you have to beat them with to keep them quiet.
jk
jkPosted on 11/12/14 at 12:20 pm to gamechanger4good
I didn't take my kids on their first hunt until they were 7-8 yrs old. In addtion to good points already mentioned:
-WARMTH!! It's not possible to keep a kid warm, but try your best. Their feet ALWAYS get cold. The best thing I ever did for their feet was to buy a pair of "Arctic Shield" insulated overboots Keep their feet dry walking in then put on the overboots when you get in the stand. Don't try buying nice insulated boots for a child. You can't find well insulated boots and if you do they'll cost $$$$; then 2 mos later your child's foot will have grown 2 sizes!!
-PM hunts>>>>>>>>AM hunts. For my kids, AM hunts were a tribulation.
-Do NOT expect to kill anything. You minght, but don't count on it. If you can't accept this YOU'RE not ready to take your child hunting.
-Keep the hunt SHORT. Once they get bored and fidgety, the hunt's over.
You're doing a good thing by taking your child hunting. The main thing is you need to do everything you can to ensure an enjoyable experience for you child. A bad experience can be ruinous for your child and maybe cost you your future hunter.
-WARMTH!! It's not possible to keep a kid warm, but try your best. Their feet ALWAYS get cold. The best thing I ever did for their feet was to buy a pair of "Arctic Shield" insulated overboots Keep their feet dry walking in then put on the overboots when you get in the stand. Don't try buying nice insulated boots for a child. You can't find well insulated boots and if you do they'll cost $$$$; then 2 mos later your child's foot will have grown 2 sizes!!
-PM hunts>>>>>>>>AM hunts. For my kids, AM hunts were a tribulation.
-Do NOT expect to kill anything. You minght, but don't count on it. If you can't accept this YOU'RE not ready to take your child hunting.
-Keep the hunt SHORT. Once they get bored and fidgety, the hunt's over.
You're doing a good thing by taking your child hunting. The main thing is you need to do everything you can to ensure an enjoyable experience for you child. A bad experience can be ruinous for your child and maybe cost you your future hunter.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 12:49 pm to gamechanger4good
I have 3 girls I take.
I usually bring a duffel bag of blankets and stuff to bundle mine up with and to make a soft place for them to lay down.
Take the kids shoes off as soon as he gets in the stand. If you don't, he'll kick the walls and floor repeatedly for some reason.
Bring enough snacks for 4 grown men.
Don't plan on sitting for long. The longer you sit, the more they get bored. I started out with 30 minute hunts for mine. My oldest daughter (6) can sit for about 1.5 hrs now before she starts to complain.
Shoot an armadillo with your rifle. Kids love that
I usually bring a duffel bag of blankets and stuff to bundle mine up with and to make a soft place for them to lay down.
Take the kids shoes off as soon as he gets in the stand. If you don't, he'll kick the walls and floor repeatedly for some reason.
Bring enough snacks for 4 grown men.
Don't plan on sitting for long. The longer you sit, the more they get bored. I started out with 30 minute hunts for mine. My oldest daughter (6) can sit for about 1.5 hrs now before she starts to complain.
Shoot an armadillo with your rifle. Kids love that
Posted on 11/12/14 at 1:13 pm to gamechanger4good
A small pair of binoculars will add 30 mins in hunting time. Make sure if you hunt out of a box stand that they have there own chair tall enough that they can actually see out the windows.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 1:20 pm to pointdog33
quote:
, but the guys that I know bringing out their kids say pack snacks, toys, and an ipad.
What is the point of bringing a kid into a deer stand if he doesnt have a long enough attention span to stay out there and you need an Ipad to keep him occupied. You may as well hunt by yourself. If your kid is not generally excited to be outdoors and is not generally excited about seeing/killing deer then he/she has no business being there. I dont understand why you bring a kid to a hunt for him to play on an Ipad
Posted on 11/12/14 at 1:24 pm to dnm3305
Thanks for all the feedback. I may just wind up taking the first doe that walks out to keep the hut short. I'll pst the results after the weekend.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 1:36 pm to gamechanger4good
Good luck. Hopefully the little man learns something and loves it as much as us.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 1:37 pm to gamechanger4good
iPod/ iPad, Capri suns, hot chocklate and little Debbie's. My oldest shot his first deer at 4 and has killed several since and he's only 6. He can drive tacks with a rifle up to a hundred or so yards. My current 4 year old won't be ready for several years. It just depends on the kid.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 1:37 pm to gamechanger4good
Another thing I do with mine is make it somewhat of a ritual.
We always stop at the same store and get the same thing on the way to the lease (chocolate milk and a honeybun). I also put the same song on in the truck every time when I get about 5 minutes from where we are hunting (Jerry Reed's "Amos Moses"). I try to get them to wear the same "lucky" hat. It's not that any of this really matters in the hunt, but it's something for them to look forward to. I make a big deal about it so they think it's special.
Good luck
We always stop at the same store and get the same thing on the way to the lease (chocolate milk and a honeybun). I also put the same song on in the truck every time when I get about 5 minutes from where we are hunting (Jerry Reed's "Amos Moses"). I try to get them to wear the same "lucky" hat. It's not that any of this really matters in the hunt, but it's something for them to look forward to. I make a big deal about it so they think it's special.
Good luck
Posted on 11/12/14 at 1:47 pm to gamechanger4good
All really good advice. Just tell him to put his fingers in his ears when a deer walks out. Hopefully he has at least heard a gun go off before. Just be sure to have a heater (if it's cold), some sort of electronic device (kids these days), and a small blanket. My kids would curl up and sleep on the floor when I first started bringing them. The guy that mentioned the binoculars was spot on as well. The first deer my kid killed, he was playing with some cheap binocs and saw 2 deer in the woods that I hadn't even seen.
I wouldn't even plan on it being a short hunt. Maybe before you go out, tell him we are hunting until "x" time. That way he knows what to expect. Just get ready for a bunch of " what time is it's"
I wouldn't even plan on it being a short hunt. Maybe before you go out, tell him we are hunting until "x" time. That way he knows what to expect. Just get ready for a bunch of " what time is it's"
Posted on 11/12/14 at 2:08 pm to gamechanger4good
Be flexible - if he gets bored then thats it, be ready to walk around and teach him some stuff or go get breakfast. Bring plenty to keep him warm and comfortable. Sounds like most here are on the same page and you have some solid advice - but number one priority - Enjoy Yalls Time Together!
Here is my first hunt with my daughter many many years ago - early am cold and squirrel hunting. walk to bottom and get situated and turn off light - silence and she whispers "Dad, its really dark out here, can I turn on my light as long as I keep it pointed down?"...."Sure". 10 min later she is shining in the trees saying the squirrels need some light too and maybe this will wake them up. First light comes and we see some and she proceeds to "tell" me each time she sees something using her outside voice. 30 min later the sun is up and she says "you know what would be great - donuts" so we ended up sitting in a local donut shop in full camo eating donuts and drinking milk with no squirrels to show for our efforts. About 20 years later and still one of the best hunts we had together.
Here is my first hunt with my daughter many many years ago - early am cold and squirrel hunting. walk to bottom and get situated and turn off light - silence and she whispers "Dad, its really dark out here, can I turn on my light as long as I keep it pointed down?"...."Sure". 10 min later she is shining in the trees saying the squirrels need some light too and maybe this will wake them up. First light comes and we see some and she proceeds to "tell" me each time she sees something using her outside voice. 30 min later the sun is up and she says "you know what would be great - donuts" so we ended up sitting in a local donut shop in full camo eating donuts and drinking milk with no squirrels to show for our efforts. About 20 years later and still one of the best hunts we had together.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 5:00 pm to hunt66
quote:
About 20 years later and still one of the best hunts we had together.
Hunt66,
Thx for the priceless story!! Reminded me of some of the hunts I had w/ my kids.
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