Took 4 year old Tigerdeacon Jr. to the stand this weekend . . .

but sooooo worth it in the end. Hats off to you getting him out that young.

Way to go Dad! Your time spent with him in the outdoors will pay out exponentially in his life.



When I took my boys 5&6 last weekend to the deer stand we included a few extras in my pack:

bird identification book
pencils and paper
extra binos real ones
a booster seat for the blind chair
extra snacks
extra water
red rider BB gun with stock cut down to fit the youngest.


and when we duck hunted sunday morning they each got full face paint and a duck call to practice with.

I'm doing that this coming weekend with my 5yr old. I brought him in the stand for a mid day "Hunt" last year. He had his lil shotgun pop gun and kept shooting "Deer".. dropped 7 of em and missed 2. We had trouble tracking the 7 that he shot - didn't find any.

I'm gonna try to teach him the quiet part of hunting this weekend.

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yall do any good?

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Not this time. He kept asking me when the deer were going to come out.

He actually did better last year when he was 3. We saw two deer then and he still talks about it. He was spoiled by that.

Hats off to all you young dads taking your kids hunting!!! I remember quite well some of the hunts I took my kids on. Whether or not they end up becoming a hunter, it's still invaluable time you're spending w/ them. Develop FOND memories. Having said that, here are a few unsolicited tips from one who's been there and enjoyed it:

1. It's unlikely you'll kill a deer while the very young are hunting w/ you.
2. At a young age, begin teaching guns SAFETY, appreciation of the outdoors and hunter ETHICS.
3. Accept the limitations of taking a young one hunting. If they get tired, hungary, cranky, etc., it's time to go home, even if you're not done hunting. At that point, staying on the stand will more than likely lead to them having a BAD hunting experience, the last thing you want.
4. Evenings are usually better than AM's for a hunt.
5. Buy a pair of insulated overboots (e.g. "Arctic Shield") for your kid to put on when you get to the stand. They're a LOT warmer than kids boots and can be used for a number of years before being outgrown. If you find a nice pair of warm boots for your kid, they'll be too small in a few months.

If I brought my 4 year old to the stand we'd probably end up fist fighting

That's about what I take with mine, but I have all girls. Lots of Barbie accessories in the bottom of all my stands. Also crayons, and a zillion honeybun wrappers.

They are fun though. I always try to teach something. Whether it be about trees, birds, driving, dirt, whatever. They like learning at that age.

I hunted with the 5 yr old fri, sat and Sun. It was an awesome experience. We even had to hunt one evening from the ground due to poor planning.

The aftermath was this drawing today. Hooray!

Over the ear muffs.

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Over the ear muffs.

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+1

I only put them on mine right before the shot. Otherwise mine keep fumbling with them and dropping them on the floor repeatedly.