Daughters First Deer Hunt - How early is too early?

Unless you have a 120yd pin I doubt you have to worry about shooting one in front of a 5yr old.
I would wait till gun season and bring her if she wants. Both of my kids started shooting guns 4-5 and being around dead animals when they were in diapers so it was not a shock for them to see the first one dead.
Just make it fun and let her look through binos take pictures of other animals and don’t harp on being motionless quite and stuff or it will burn her out quick.

My daughter was with me at 3 years old and loved it.

My rule was ... old enough to shoot, old enough to hunt.

Three daughters, one Son. Daughters are all close-to or over 40.

If they show an interest in shooting at 4 or so ... they're old enough to sit in the stand with you imho.

Two of the girls would fall asleep at that age. One of the girls and my Son were into it.

I took my daughter at 7. A big doe walked out and she said “shoot it daddy shoot it.” So I did. She had fun but has never been back. She got into girly things.

My son, completely different, I started bringing him at age 4 and he killed his first at 7 and has been hunting alone since he was 9. He’s 19 now and ate up with it like a lot of us.

ETA: her camo pattern was outstanding.

There’s a finite number of times your daughter will sit in the stand with you. Don’t pass one up. . . Or expect her to be still and quiet enough to get one in now range. (Although I swear the deer don’t seem to mind kids as much)

Mine all went the first time at three.

I have 5 kids. They have been coming with me since they were 3. Some like to come more than others and that’s fine. My oldest daughter 15 now always wanted to come. She started at around 3 carrying her to the stand for short afternoon sits. At 6 she killed her first doe. She’s killed probably 20 deer and as many hogs since that that age. Cherish it bc now that she’s a sophomore in HS she still comes but not nearly as much as she used to. My oldest is in college in Lafayette and I remember his first hunt like it was yesterday. I really enjoy when he kills something now but when they are in a stand with you asking a million questions and eating snacks that’s something you’ll remember forever.

I took mine for the first time in a box stand when she was about 4. She shot her first deer last year at 10. This year she is gonna bow hunt with me.

I took mine all at 3 or 4 yrs old. Just know they can only be still and quiet for a short period of time at that age. 5 yr old might be able to sit an hour if you bring enough honeybuns. Prepare to get out and walk around looking for tracks, flowers, rocks, etc.

I wouldn’t be planning on killing anything with my bow with a 5 yr old with me.

I've been taking my daughter since she was 6. She started target shooting at 8 years old or so.

She's 12 now but hasn't had the opportunity to kill one yet.

We still hunt in a 2 man box stand together.



My 9 year old son is hell on wheels. He loves to go and wants me to shoot everything that moves. I'm not letting him hunt alone until he's 25.

That is a whole lot cuter than my hunting partners!