I let my kids shoot the "good" deer

When I'm with my kids (ages 7 and 10) I give them priority in shooting "good" deer (bucks)

I have many friends who shoot the bucks themselves and only let their kids shoot doe or spikes.

Am I the only one who lets the kids shoot something first?

good dad

Nope, I do the same! Greatest thing since sliced bread too

When I took my boys, they could shoot what fell into the management ideals I had at the time, fate chose what deer came into view. Don't think there is a "negative" either way.

I guess it could depend on allot of factors. If you're going for "work, reward" or what ever else you could be wanting to teach or pass on. I have a nephew that grew up around hunting and a hunting production show, his 1st buck was at a high $ place (LF) and he took an incredible buck, said "it was too easy" and hasn't been hunting since. Sometimes the the quest for the "big'n", is a great motivator to continue.

My daughter is still too young to be concerned about that, but I guess for me it would depend on how into hunting they are. If after a couple of seasons of taking good deer, I'm still having to drag them to the stand, I might be more inclined to let them shoot does. If she's up before me, and can't wait to get to the blind, then by all means, I would love to let her take a monster.

I'm not sure a 7 year old has an appreciation for everything that a truly good deer is.

This reminds me of what an offshore guide told me off the keys last summer when I kept handing my pole off to my kids so they could catch most of the fish. He said nothing pisses him off more on his boat than when a dad will literally knock over their child to get to the fish first. Says he sees it all the time.

Come on guys, let the kids have the fun.

I agree, if it comes to easy, where will the challenge come from.

We let ours have fun, making the time as enjoyable as possible is what it is about. If the want to shoot, fine if they want to run through the pasture like wild Indians scaring everything within in miles that is also okay.

IMO, you are spot on, my kids shooting puts a bigger smile on my face than me shooting one, so I'm going to keep letting them. This is how my dad always treated me so I'm going to do the same. Your a good dad.

Your probably right but in time he will, and will be more appreciative of the fact that you put him first.

I should clarify my 7 year old has not shot a deer yet, but when she is willing and ready I well let her. My 10 year old took her first deer this year, a nice little 8 pointer.

I have sat next to both my kids and let them shoot very good deer. Doesn't bother me a bit. Isn't that how it is supposed to be?

I feel at 7 yrs old they would get about the same enjoyment shooting a doe. My dad waited until I started understanding how much work went in to harvesting a trophy and how special it was.

Heck no. My son needed to learn that shooting a deer was the pay off of an investment of money and time. I've known some young hunters who got to hunt nice places and easily killed bucks in the 140s and 150s. Now they golf because hunting was just going out to a feeder someone else filled, shooting, taking a few pics and dropping off the deer at the processor. My son chooses not to hunt right now as other things in life are a priority but the last time we hunted he passed legal bucks because he knew he wanted to kill a big one and you can't do that if you tag a young one.

When we hunt the only one shooting is the kids. 12 year old got her fist deer this week a doe but but still meat in the freezer and on a past hunt she saw what others shoot and said to me why shoot them that small let them grow. My youngest 7 has yet to get a shoot attempt but when it comes it will be her shooting not dad love seeing the smile after a successful shoot

I can appreciate that. I assumed most were like me and the kids were with you at all times not just the "harvest". We use a dump trailer to fill feeders. Run by the elevator fill it with corn and then watch the boys piss ant corn a five gallon bucket at a time. I do give advice occasional. And I always remind them that when I was a young man, I had to use an old toe sack and fill it will a shovel and then carry it up. Youngins got it too easy these days.

I think it depends on the situation. My 12 yr old daughter wants to kill a deer but she isnt willing to put the time in like my 8 yr old son. He will get the better opportunity. I also dont believe immediate gratification is a good thing either.

Kids shoot culls and does on this place. They have to understand the word hunt not just shooting and killing. I make my son watch and learn to study deer and understand what he is looking at. Every person is different b/c of the place they hunt here he has a lot of options on other places you don't so when the time comes it's up to the parent. Just make it fun if they think it's easy they don't want to hunt anyway.

This thread reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where george thought he was in a house fire and pushed and shoved all the women and children out of the way to get
Out of the house first.

I can see both sides of the argument here, but for me hunting is about teaching as much as anything. However, we don't have as plentiful deer as some on here might, so my son and daughter have learned some patience and they still get first shots. My son learned a lesson this year when he was in blind with his sister (who at that point hadn't killed a deer yet) and the buck he was hoping for walked out....he learned patience pays off and they both got bucks that am and his sister shot first.

Heck, I have only shot at one deer in the last 5 years, missed it, don't know how, but I mentioned to my son this am I needed to get some more deer in my gunsights. He agreed. That tells me he is learning something.

We always had opportunities growing up. We didn't start out shooting the best buck on the ranch though.

We worked our way up through the ranks (management deer) and we learned how to take care of our resource.

I can agree with both sides, my daughter Isn't old enough yet, but helped my nephew get his first buck this year. It was an awesome experience, and I let him kill a good buck. That being said, my brother and I grew up with a trophy hunting dad, he never told us we had to shoot big deer, but it was the way we were raised. As well as our kids are around us at the lease and here us talking and what we kill, I'm sure it will be the same. The one thing we instill in the kids, it's not the kill it's the hunt, and the thrill of the hunt is over when you pull the trigger. The time we spend together, and the passion we have for the sport is much greater than the kill. The age of a kid when they appreciate a deer, may be based on the individual more than the age. I think my 8yr old nephew appreciates it more than the 16yo.

This is a great philosophy.. I doubt I'll have the patience to let my kids do that, but I think it'd be the best way to let them have the best time possible!

I didn't start off shooting bull of the woods, when my wife said she wanted to try hunting I didn't start her off with the biggest buck I could find, and when my son starts hunting it wont be because he said daddy I want to shoot a deer, it will be I think he is old enough mature enough and capable enough and he too will no start off with the biggest buck we can find. In my mind whats best for the kid isn't getting them the biggest buck you can, it likely wont make a bit of difference to the kid never did to me and hasn't to my wife.

I let mine take any legal deer they wanted that fit the particular ranch management plan. They starting going with me at 3 years old and both took their first deer at age 12. Oldest was a doe and younger took a 9 pt

For most kids, that four pointer is just as rewarding as a ten pointer. My kids aren't old enough, but I have no intention of letting them shoot the best deer I can find. I will let them take the first good deer that walks out and they can become "trophy" hunters after they go through the other stages of a hunter. Key is to have fun and do what they want. Can't wait!!!

Not anymore. When he was younger yes, but the rules are now, whoever spots the buck first gets dibs. This keeps him on his toes and interested.

my boys are only three years old, so they aren't ready. I take my wife hunting though, when its her turn to hunt....she's in the shooting chair come what may. and likewise when I'm in the shooting chair.

that's how my dad did it with my brother and myself. our first deer were does. but by our second or third season...he still sat with us a while, but when it was our turn to hunt we did the shooting....buck/doe/big small. and the reverse when it was his turn. until we eventually started sitting on our own.

How can you say you give them priority to shoot the good deer when one hasnt shot a deer and the other shot a small 8pt? If you had of stated they had both taken 150" deer and you had only taken spikes, thats one thing but how do you know how you will react when a truly massive deer appears IF IT HASNT HAPPENED? I taught my boys conservation first. They are now 13 and 15 and they will not shoot a deer that isnt mature. Age is how a trophy is judged in our house as much as size.

What does mature have to do with conservation?

I'd be interested in knowing how many 'kid-first' people here let their 16 yr-old drive a nicer car/truck than they do.

If your worried that your child might get a bigger deer than you, you are not much of a dad in my opinion. Let thim get the biggest thing that they can and enjoy the memories for a lifetime.

You're not alone. I do my best to get my kids a deer before I start shooting. If I'm hunting by myself and a big boy walks out he's getting shot though. Everything else gets a pass until the kids get theirs. I just hunted alone through the Thanksgiving break, saw only does & culls. My kids were texting me telling me to shoot a cull, I said nope I'm saving for you. I make my kids work during the year to earn what they shoot, so it's important to me for them to get their's first but that's just me. If they are hunting and see a biggun' yes they can also shoot it.

Perhaps "proper management" would have been a better term.

My 16 yr old is dang sure driving a nicer truck than I did in high school. I had the ugliest rusted up smashed up truck in school, frame bent in the middle, leaked water everywhere & smoked worse than the mosquito man. Smashed door glass, busted windshield, leaked oil everywhere and was a roach incubator. I could never get a date. Now, back to deer.

The question was:
Does he drive a nicer pickup than you do NOW? If so, you have done him a grwat disservice in my opinion. Kids need to earn what they get in every aspect of life. My kids build fence and buck hay to "earn" their hunting privileges. Too many people now consider "privileges" to be "rights".

Because of the way our lease is set up, I'm the lease member and my son (and wife too)hunt as guests. But, because of proximity to the lease my son and wife actually do more work filling feeders and setting blinds, etc then some of the other lease members. So we rotate each year on who is gunning for the trophy buck, who gets the management buck and who is on doe patrol. This has worked well for my son because I've used it as an opportunity to teach him about the work that goes into it all and he knows he'll get a chance on some deer every year and a good buck every few. It has also given him an opportunity to learn more about judging deer and how to become a more skilled hunter as he works on does and management bucks. He knows it isn't always about the biggest buck (but sometimes it is!) and it is mostly about fun and spending time outdoors.

ETA - Grades also figure into the mix. bad grades = no hunting. Straight A's maybe I'll let him shot the better buck or take him offshore fishing.

He won't drive a better truck then me. He'll get the hand-me-down Nissan with over 200k on it. Why? because he earned the privilege of driving that truck by helping me put new head gaskets on it.

Apparently I got the question wrong, but no he is not driving a nicer truck than I do NOW. He knows nothing is just handed to him he has to earn it.

Apparently I got the question wrong, but no he is not driving a nicer truck than I do NOW. He knows nothing is just handed to him he has to earn it. [/quote

Teaching life lessons.......THATS a good dad!

I think saying kids is a broad term, there is a difference in an 8 yo sitting with dad vs. a 16yo sitting alone. An 8 yo sitting with dad, and a trophy shows up bigger than dad has ever killed, dad shoots. Not being a bad dad IMO just right of passage.

Lots of people have different definitions of "good" deer. Both mine have killed doe and bucks, but you can bet if a 160 walks out its mine, no questions asked. No 10 yr old I know needs a 160. Good looking 130 we might draw straws or something. I'm not going to break my back or the bank trying to get them true Huge bucks. Kids don't care if its a fork horn or a monster I don't think. If that makes me a bad dad I'm fine with it.

That's how I've done it with my two kids for the past 3 years. On our lease, we get to shoot one "trophy" buck each year. Each time we go out, only one of them is in the shooting chair and they rotate each time whether we see any deer or not. The only difference is that we rotate who gets to shoot the "trophy" each year. My son happened to be in the chair when a buck came out two years ago. So he got his first "trophy" buck. Last year it was his sisters turn and she got her first "trophy" buck. This year, it's my sons turn again. If a trophy walks out and his sister is in the shooting chair, she knows it's his turn and will pass the rifle. When it's her turn, he'll do the same. As for me, I rarely hunt without the kids and if I am hunting without them, I only shoot does.

I intend for my children to know I love them for far more reasons than what deer I let them shoot.

For me, it has nothing to do with them shooting a bigger deer than I have. It has to do with earning it and that buck actually meaning something to them. I teach my kids that they have to work for what the get and walking out on day one and shooting a monster buck didn't teach them much IMO. Shooting does, spikes, culls and nice 8's are just as important and in some cases, just as much of a trophy. I have seen kids shoot dang nice deer and could care less about going back out in the woods. Seen some shoot a dang nice buck and can't wait to get back in the woods. I have seen more young kids shoot a smaller caliber animal and dance all the way down the road to get their deer.



Mine will be able to drive a nicer truck than me...if they can afford it.

Very well put, thank you!

Much the same for me when I was a kid. I helped tie in stays on the fence, drive the tractor and disc/planter for our small oat field, and hunted for two years with my dad while he was the gunner before I was turned loose to shoot my own. Back then we didn't have many deer so we just kind of picked which stands to hunt, and whatever showed up was fair game to the hunter that was at that stand. First year on my own (1980) I shot two does, one on opening day and one in late December. Next year I got a buck, nearly as good as the one my dad had taken in the past, but I hunted all the way to December 26 before ever firing a shot that year. I don't think I've ever been skunked for a whole season but I've come close. In those days you would sometimes sit 3-4-5 hunts before you even saw a deer. One year my dad hunted a lot and shot three deer (a doe and two spikes); those were the only deer he saw the whole year.

What is most important is that the child begins to understand the connection between hunting and the rest of life.. We do tend to make some things too easy with our money (high fence $$$) deluxe everything and comfort at every level. I know many of you remember days when it was very tough all the way around.. There is nothing wrong with letting someone figure out life for themselves and deal with the disappointment and failure along the way.

But chances are they won't enjoy them for a lifetime. An 8 year old will mostly remember it from the pictures (or the mount) and the stories dad tells. 12 will have a little clearer memory and 16 will probably remember it for life. That's just facts.

And it's not about being "worried" he will get a bigger deer than I did. I'm just the one who worked 50+ hours a week 50 weeks that year to afford the deer lease, feed & equipment. I'm also the one who gave weekends coaching his ball team, taking him to scouts, taking him to the Home Depot for their little building projects and somehow still getting to the lease to do the needed work. He was grateful for the first few does, the first spike and then a cull 8 point. He does remember the road trip to Missouri for youth weekend one season as well.

I guess though in some parents opinions I have to be the kids friend or buy his love by letting him fill my trophy tag. Like stated above, if all the other time and love I've shown hasn't shown him and given him good memories I doubt that a deer is going to be the one thing that brings him to my funeral.

And I'm building me a custom coffin now that 160" rack will fit in with me so I CAN take it with me.

When my oldest was 13, he shot a 157 deer. My grand dad, dad or myself had never shot a deer that big. I sat right there beside him and watched him do it. He had paid his dues in my book, learning gun safety and how to shoot, sitting in a blind with me for hours freezing our tails off. He understood the work that went in it. I could not have been prouder. Fact of the matter, I was happier that he had shot the deer over myself. He still enjoys hunting, and takes it much more seriously now. He learned the importance and results gained by game management. It still jazzes me to think about it. He is now 25, and the memories about that buck seem like yesterday.
And yes, he now drives a nicer, newer truck than I do. And he works for me! (he is paying for it himself)

We are dealing with fragile gifts from God with our children. All we can do is the best we know how.

Spending time in the outdoors with your son / daughter is the important thing in my opinion. Gets them off their electronics for a little while!

That is the truth right there

We get 1 trophy buck per year per paid hunter plus a cull/spike and does. I have alternated years with my son for the trophy since he was 5 years old. I haven't ever regretted it. He is an adult now and he will always be a hunter. Hopefully he will do the same, when he becomes a father.

I never shot a decent deer till I was 14, when I killed an 8 pointer that would have scored around 130. after that it was does and culls as we had lease hunters and our trophies and management deer were spoken for. when I was 20 I killed a decent axis.

I was 25 before I shot another nice whitetail. After that I've started to rack up some wall decorations.

I learned a few things by this....not saying its right or wrong, this is just the way it was. First off, I learned how to hunt. I didn't start off shooting deer over a feeder at 8 years old. I started off hunting rabbits, squirrels, dove and quail. when I was about 10 I was deemed old enough and started hunting, but I could not pull the trigger on just any old thing. I did get to kill plenty of does and culls which gave me lots of target practice and I was able to rack up a lot of deer under my belt.

I think they should have to work their way up. Start with a pig or doe, then a spike, then a cull, then a nice buck. Teaches them discipline and patience.

It's really all about the time spent with them and passing on the love of the outdoors.