re: Question for the OB Dads

In the same boat OP, so my advice...

1. Don't let him play video games at home, but if its already past that limit him to a time amount (10-15 min). He is most likely used to the instant gratification and entertainment of video games so the stand is boring to him. If he goes hunting he MIGHT see/shoot something. If he plays video games he WILL have fun.

2. Make it interactive. The first (of many) mistakes I made was thinking he was gung ho about it like I was. When I was his age I couldn't sleep the night before I would go hunting. Mine isn't like that. So telling him to hush 100 times in a morning isn't what I should have been doing. Instead, I learned to give me jobs to do. I got him binos and assign him watch duty. He watches the woods to the left and I watch the right. We look for and count everything (deer, squirrels, birds, etc)

3. Limit your time in stand together. I started hunting "our stand" by the camp so when he got bored/cold/tired/etc he can walk back to the camp and I can still hunt. Sometimes he only makes 7:30 and I stay till 10. Other times he sleeps in and walks out to me at 8. I can see most of the way back to the camp so Ill just text my wife hes heading back and she'll walk to where I can see him get to her and Ill know he's good or vice versa.

4. Let him shoot. Mine just turned 6 and hes on shooting duty this year. The adrenaline is what makes hunting exciting to kids and nothing gets it pumping like knowing if one comes out hes taking the shot.

My daughter is 3.5 and has been non stop wanting to go for over a year so I'm planning on starting all over with her this year. She is way more into it (watches on tv) than my son. She also talks 10x as much....ought to be interesting.