Did I say it made them bad people? Go ahead and point it out to me, if you'd be so inclined. People can do whatever they want if it's their land/lease.

I just pointed out a disturbing (to us) trend in hunting as seen through the eyes of those that would love nothing better than to see it all disappear tomorrow.....made in large part by the quickly declining numbers of hunters present and future. I used this FACT as something we should all (landowners/hunters/GWs/anyone who wants to see it survive) think about when deciding whether to allow kids the access or not......all in response the the topic of the thread....nothing more.

For some reason, I/we were told to move on....don't think so.

I have kids, I love kids, I enjoy having them out to the our ranch. But let's be honest... we all know kids that are painful to be around. As a "hands on" land owner I have the option of removing the welcome mat for delinquents, and their parents get shown the door too. Only had to do it once, but I did enjoy it. The kid was a menace. Ran all over the place during deer season with his 22, shooting everything he saw. I ran him down and he lied about it. Had to tell him twice not to point any firerm at people (the second time was not pleasant), and his dad (a very experienced hunter, but a worthless father) just sat there like it was not his concern. The kid also took off in my UTV with my binoculars and managed to wreck them both. Nobody made that good. I got the old, "not my kid" line.

Giving them the boot is a "real time" solution. If I were an absentee owner (like a lease owner) I might consider the no kids option since I could not pick and choose. Liability is a huge consideration. If I was a lease Ramrod, I might get tired of dealing with the drama and griping and make the no kids rule.

I think there's a place for adult only leases (and I've been to some of those that had adults that were definitely not 'kid friendly'), and there's a place for family leases. They are 2 very different beasts.... Then there's the hybrid, adult only weekends on family leases. Most of the leases I was on had an unwritten rule that the kids stayed home on opening weekend... Or you can always buy a piece of dirt and make any rules you want....

Without reading through all of the above, some people don't have kids and just don't get it. I had a lease for two years where my boy could "hunt on my tags". He made his first kill there, a turkey that was bigger than a lot of grown men have ever taken. In the third year another guy took over "running the lease". The rules changed and so did my outlook on going to the lease. Unfortunatley, that was the best lease I've had to date. The boy has gotten older and other things interest him more. I can't help but wonder if the lease "management" hadn't changed if he'd be more interested in hunting now?

I agree that it is very important to have kids grow up in this environment. I have also seen some people let there kids hop on 4 wheelers and tear butt all over the place. It just mannners and common sense.

Ok I kinda feel like I my have alot to do with this post. To start off with I wasn't trying to pi$$ everyone off that doesn't have kids or want kids on their leases but I do feel like if SOME people that have these "rules" would maybe let paying hunters bring their kids out for YOUTH weekend or give the kids a chance to hunt one weekend a season. I understand that some people don't have kids nor do they want to hunt with kids around, ok so those people stay home that weekend. I never hunted with my dad he has never been a hunter instead he spent my childhood drunk in bars missing everything my sisters and I did, so I found something to do with cousins and now I can do with my kids. There's nothing like sitting in a deer blind for 2 days with your 8 year old daughter just watching Quail and listening to her ask about being out there, and when she takes a shot and downs her first deer You'll smile,laugh, and try to hold back tears because you couldn't be any more proud. I'm gonna keep my kids in fields every chance we get. If you look for us this weekend we will be in a deer stand for the late youth weekend.

Time and a place for everything and everyone.

I'm a kid person and enjoy my 10 YOA Grandsons company while hunting and fishing. I'm teaching him how to do the outdoors stuff including predator/prey relationships, stewardship, etc. I don't figure to be an expert at anything but he thinks I am. For many years, nobody got through my front gate without a kid in tow. I think it is important, not for the future of hunting, but for the Kid. Actually, I think I prefer the company of children more than I do adults.

OTOH, I don't want to babysit your Kid during Hunting season. I don't want to hear target practicing or 4 wheeler riding when and/or where I am hunting or going to hunt. And Yes, I have had my 4 wheelers wrecked by other people Kids. I've had my land littered by those Kids. If you and your Kids can't respect my rights, we need to part company.

I have no problem with those who don't want to be around Kids. Their call and we need to hunt in different places. They have no responsibility to raise my Kids.

It's all about value systems. I'll raise mine and you raise yours. Remember, HRC wrote a book extolling socialistic child rearing called "It Takes a Village.".

It's all about value systems. I'll raise mine and you raise yours. Remember, HRC wrote a book extolling socialistic child rearing called "It Takes a Village.".

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That is socialist? Sounds like the little town where I grew up. I had one father and 10 dads.

Its pretty simple to me, If you dont like it you can hunt somewhere else. Rules are rules and everyone is entitled to that!

Absolutely. So, if we don't allow kids what would be the best way to promote our sport?

While I've made my thoughts quite clear on the subject, the kind of behavior mentioned by Scoop should not be tolerated and I agree that many parents no longer exercise near enought control over their children.

From the landowner's perspective, he should demand responsibility not only from his hunters, but their children as well.....which that responsibility falls directly on the shoulders of their parents. When it fails and things happen that shouldn't.....riding ATVs and shooting unattended, what have you....I can certainly understand that the privilege would no longer exist for that group.

No one has said "don't allow kids to hunt". Some people like kids around some don't.
The landowner/lease manager makes the call.
Some of you guys are private property rights advocates, but in this instance are upset if a landowner sets a rule you don't agree with.
Maybe you can pay for a spot for your kid on the lease and then the kid would be assured access.

I am lucky enough to live in a rural area where I have plenty of places to hunt for free. We also have a little family land. So, my experience with leasing is limited to leasing out land for our clients we have sold land to.

Having said that, I am curious as to how often the "No kids" rule comes into play. Do most leases allow them at least part of the time? Is it 50/50 you think? I can see why some people would want to be there with kids, and some would want to be there without.

I can tell you this though. If I am headed out to one of our places, whether it be hunting season or not, at least one of my kids is with me. It's not just hunting, it's outdoor life period. Technology is wonderful. But, if we're not careful, we're going to raise a tech savvy generation that couldn't survive one night alone in the outdoors. That's extremely important to me, as it should be to all of us. We HAVE to expose our kids to the outdoors. We HAVE to teach them how to hunt, fish, etc... We HAVE to teach them how to be good stewards of the land.

Sorry. I could rant on for hours about this. I will step down off my soapbox after I say this. The landowner has the right to restrict the use of his land however he wishes. He may require me to hunt in a Pink Tutu when I lease from him. I have the right to say "F U Mr. Landowner, I ain't doin it! I am going give my money, maybe even more of it, to the guy that allows me to pass on my values to my kids."

I of course do see that responsiblity falls on the parents but in my opinion most of us that hunt with our kids do take responsiblity for our kids, that being said I think that if you're not taking responsiblity for your kids what would give me the idea that that you are goning to do so for your actions. My kids are not allowed to ride their 4wheelers without me nor are they allowed to shoot anytime other then checking their rifles and when a chance at game is there. My kids are yes sir no sir kids and I think that alot of respect is because of the oppurtunity to hunt and meet other people, I also think that hunting with other people allows them to get more than just my opinion on the outdoors and you can never have too much knowledge of the outdoors.

Those can be great leases, but by the time ya have kids (I don't have any....am 24...but plan to have a yard troll or 2 after getting married next year) I think you have to decide who you are hunting for, yourself or younguns...or both. My dad did the "for both" option, but with my upbringing I was mature enough to be turned loose at the club at 12. The other club members got to see me grow from 5 up to 20 and kept track of my grades and write-ups in the paper and would preach to me just the same as my parents would. I didn't mind helping them fix their food plots, fill up feeders, move stands and basically be their child labor posterchild. And when they figured girls would be too important for me to go help them out they guessed wrong. (I was able to juggle both, the girl I dated all through high school and a few years after lived within 2 miles of the gate @ the club) From a 24 yr olds stand point, eventually you realize that friendships were made out of mutual respect and those last a lot longer than the lil' school yard friendships. And if members have to tolerate the kids b/c of how they act, then it's a lost cause.

I believe there are times when kids are allowed and not allowed on the lease. We have a very family friendly lease, but there are a couple weekends when it is adults only. The rest of the time kids are more than welcome.

We have laid the ground rules for adults and kids while out at the lease. If you are not repectful or you are just acting like an arse, you are gone.

I believe it is so important to have the kids out at the lease. Some of my best memories are with my dad in a duck blind or deer blinds. I want to let my kids have those same memories.

There is nothing better than having smiling faces from great hunts.

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Great pics.....nothing like a kid smiling....
can't wait until my kid is ready and able to go hunting with me.......

Wow! I would say I am surprised but I would be lying.

First....kwrhuntinglab - thanks for being the voice of reason.

Second, the lease in question is comprised of members that range in age from 40 to 82. Most have had, raised and kicked their kids out of the nest. As members of this lease, WE CHOOSE not to have kids on it. Would a member or myself like to bring a grandchild or nephew. Sure, the thought has crossed our minds but we set the rules and we all adhere to them. It keeps everyone on the same page and there is never a question about how things work on the lease.

Third, this is our lease run how we want to run it. We didn't ask for two members to join and tell us how we should be running it much less a group of arm chair QB's. Although new members are more then welcome to make suggestions and those suggestions will be taken into consideration. We are reasonable men. We simply made a post of what we had to offer and how things work on the lease. If it works for you, send an email. If not, do as kwrhuntinglab suggests and move on. Much like you do at your home, if you don't like what's on channel 2, you change to channel3, not call channel 2 and whine about the program. That said I'm sure there are a few of you in this thread that may call and complain.

Forth, these are your kids folks(BIG TONY). Your responsibility, not ours. If you want them to hunt, it is your responsibility to find a kid friendly lease or buy land so you can pass on your traditions. Not piss and moan about what bad guys we are because we choose not to have kids on our lease.

steel shot - great pictures! Another couple years and my nephew will be old enough to join me in the field. I'm looking forward to it! Unfortunately, when that time comes, I'll have to leave this lease and find one that is more family oriented. Then again, I might take the approach of some here in this thread and tell my hunting buddies they are evil child hating mongrels and they need to change the rules to accommodate me....only cause I am so special and it's their responsibility to ensure my nephew learns about hunting.

7mmSTW None of us have pi$$ed or moaned about the lease you guys are on nor are we calling and whinning this post did start over the post for the openings on your lease and I'm the one that commented on the fact that no kids were allowed. IN MY OPINION Now more then ever hunting is a family activity lease prices are higher then ever so alot of families give up doing other things so the family can spend time time hunting. We understand also that you guys don't want kids on your place but you guys should understand that we are having a discussion about this matter not your lease, We have all agreed that there is a time and place to allow kids to responsibly hunt.
Now as for armchair QBs whinners and moaners maybe you are taking this post wrong and again if this is your channel 3 then go to channel 4

you said it well Dan.... I'm all for kids hunting and learning to hunt. But I personally don't have kids and don't think they should geta "free ride". We have kids that come to the lease and you can't get them to do ANYTHING that resembles work. Heck most of the time you can't get them out of the camper (where there is video games and dvd's).
I'd feel a whole lot better about them hunting if they would help gather wood, pick up some trash ect... I blame their parents.

My son once told me the best days he ever had were sitting in a deer blind with me. I think its invaluable time spent with kids.

My take on it is this. If your kid shoots something on a lease you paid up for one spot, it comes off your tag. Oddly this issue brings up some heated debate! In fact, it started an argument between a hunting buddy and I 4 years ago and we're still not talking! No kids, no future...

If my boys can't go neither can I. I do it for them anyway. There to young to shoot a deer rifle. I only take one at a time and it is an awesome experience even if we just sit there looking out the blind windows watching the sunrise listening to the birds. It just doesn't get any better than that.