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Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? #7378825 12/17/18 03:58 AM
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Last year I let my 12 year old now 13 year old son shoot a pretty good 12 point. Went hunting that morning with low expectations and the buck just happened to follow some does into the feeder. He was on the gun and not even thinking twice I told him to shoot. He was happy and so was I when we walked up on him. He was shaking so bad he couldn't control himself. We hugged and highfived and all the fun stuff. Now I'm thinking it was a mistake. Wasnt his first buck just his biggest.

Last year he was all fired up about hunting and wanted to go every chance he got. This year I cant get him to go. Have all but begged him. I sure hope that deer didnt ruin him. Got a pic of a bigger deer this year that I thought might make him want to go but nope. Anybody else had an experience like this with your kids and if so did they totally lose interest?

Last edited by Ronnie Oneal; 12/17/18 04:43 AM.

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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7378826 12/17/18 03:59 AM
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Was not hunting Grayson co to clear that up. Just live in Grayson.


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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7378835 12/17/18 04:16 AM
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One does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted...If one were to present the sportsman with the death of the animal as a gift he would refuse it. What he is after is having to win it, to conquer the surly brute through his own effort and skill with all the extras that this carries with it: the immersion in the countryside, the healthfulness of the exercise, the distraction from his job.
Jose Ortega y Gasset, Meditations on Hunting
Spanish philosopher & politician (1883 - 1955)

Perhaps your son is one of those who would find the hunt more rewarding than the kill.

Last edited by Texas Dan; 12/17/18 04:28 AM.

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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7378843 12/17/18 04:43 AM
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Is he into sports and other activities?

Both my kids like to hunt. But they dont love it like I did at that age. Come to think of it they dont love anything like I loved hunting. Some times they want to go sometimes not. The older one will probably be a lifelong hunter the younger one its 50/50.

But as an adult...I can say a lot of times I dont want to go sit in a box stand, I find other things to do or talk myself out of it. Maybe he is figuring this out at a younger age.


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7378844 12/17/18 04:45 AM
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Yes he plays every sport there is to play. Maybe I'm just over thinking it.


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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7378846 12/17/18 04:52 AM
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I think youll be ok, Ive done the same for my boys and wouldnt change a thing even though they probably wont appreciate their trophies until theyre 25. I have one 14, there are so many distractions at 14, way more than I had at that age. We hunt for the experience of being away not the kill, I have had to get creative and figure out whats something other than going sitting in a box with dad to have him want to go. For him its shooting my AR and a 22 pistol, just an example but you get my point. Good luck but I think youll be fine. up

Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7378866 12/17/18 06:16 AM
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I wouldnt try to force him that may just push him further away. Id just ask if he wants to go if he says no then go by yourself. If he enjoys it and enjoys being with dad he will ask to go sooner or later.

Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: SapperTitan] #7378883 12/17/18 10:37 AM
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Originally Posted by SapperTitan
I wouldn’t try to force him that may just push him further away. I’d just ask if he wants to go if he says no then go by yourself. If he enjoys it and enjoys being with dad he will ask to go sooner or later.

I agree....13 is a time of significant change for boys....mine went thru phases where they didn't want to go....


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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7378910 12/17/18 11:56 AM
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I believe it is in our DNA. Some more than others. From the time I was 10 and my dad who really wasn't much of a hunter took me with him to shoot a ground hog in a cow pasture by my grandpas place I was completely addicted. I couldn't sleep as a teen the night before the opening of small game season. I am 70 and have never missed a chance to be in the out doors. Only a few family issues have kept me home. My brother, my junior, by a few years is from the same environment says he loves it but is an on and off outdoorsman. Don't push too hard but make it available. I have 5 grandsons one is too young 3 are hunters when they are put in place and one is like me. He is always talking and dreaming hunting. Always shooting his BB gun I see my self in his enthusiasm. We are all different and that's good.

Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7378926 12/17/18 12:30 PM
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13=puberty=girls.
He'll come back. His mind is preoccupied right now.


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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7378977 12/17/18 01:41 PM
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Mine went through this last year and my buddies son is going through it this year. It's a phase and he'll come back around to hunting. Mine killed a nice 10pt and hog Youth weekend and is wanting to go again over Christmas break.

Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7378990 12/17/18 02:00 PM
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I agree that at his age there are lots of distractions. Give it time, hopefully he comes back around.


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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Flashprism] #7379015 12/17/18 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Flashprism
I believe it is in our DNA. Some more than others. From the time I was 10 and my dad who really wasn't much of a hunter took me with him to shoot a ground hog in a cow pasture by my grandpas place I was completely addicted. I couldn't sleep as a teen the night before the opening of small game season. I am 70 and have never missed a chance to be in the out doors. Only a few family issues have kept me home. My brother, my junior, by a few years is from the same environment says he loves it but is an on and off outdoorsman. Don't push too hard but make it available. I have 5 grandsons one is too young 3 are hunters when they are put in place and one is like me. He is always talking and dreaming hunting. Always shooting his BB gun I see my self in his enthusiasm. We are all different and that's good.


Kids today also have a lot more entertainment options than in generations past. Ask a kid today if they want to go exploring in the woods and see what kind of reaction you get.

All too often, their first kill can be more to make dad happy than themselves, even to the point where the kid just wants the parent to leave them alone. After that, the interest must come from within.

But I believe there are those, like myself, who get the interest early and it NEVER leaves them. I had it so bad that I ended up marrying a girl who had hunters galore in her family. My dad would have just as well watched the grass grow as to sit on a deer stand.

Kids are no different than a litter of hunting pups. Throw a stick and one or two will take after it immediately. Others will stand there and look at you.


"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7379019 12/17/18 02:42 PM
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he play that dumb fortnite video game? that thing ruins kids too.

Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7379044 12/17/18 03:04 PM
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I kinda went through the same thing. Last year, My son and I Hunted all season to get him his first deer at 9 years old. He missed a doe early, and then missed another late in the season. Long story short, we figured out his scope had somehow been bumped off quite a bit. Once that was fixed, we were out hunting the last week of the youth only weekend. His last chance. He shot a doe on Saturday, and Sunday morning, shot a very nice 8 point that we now have hanging on the wall. Most of my buddies said "you ruined him!" They were subscribing to the same theory that you were that I should not have let him shoot such a nice buck for his first Buck. He was excited, shaking, all the good stuff that comes with a first buck, but I don't think he is ruined at all. Still just as excited to go hunting, but here's the difference...sitting in the stand this Thanksgiving, we saw a nice 8 point, and I said, "he's a shooter. I'll let you take him." My now 10 year old boy studies him for a minute, puts his rifle down, and says, "naw, I'll wait for a bigger one." Hell, I probably would have shot that deer! LOL.
Hunting is either in their blood, or not. When I was a kid, I was ate up with it. Then, I went through a period in my life around 15-25 where I wasn't so much into hunting. I had other priorities. I got back into hunting in my late 20's, and am back to my childhood desire and excitement with hunting.

Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7379101 12/17/18 04:14 PM
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GIRLS

Last edited by DH3; 12/17/18 04:16 PM.

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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: TX_LT230FH] #7379110 12/17/18 04:22 PM
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Originally Posted by TX_LT230FH
13=puberty=girls.
He'll come back. His mind is preoccupied right now.


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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7379228 12/17/18 05:46 PM
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What if he doesnt want to hunt anymore? No harm in that.

Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Pitchfork Predator] #7379230 12/17/18 05:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Pitchfork Predator
Originally Posted by TX_LT230FH
13=puberty=girls.
He'll come back. His mind is preoccupied right now.


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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7379251 12/17/18 06:11 PM
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My son started that three years ago... I asked him if he wants to go with me, and he starts that "I will think about it"... like he is waiting for a better opportunity to do something. Then he says No he isn't going because we never kill anything... I tried explaining to him, that it is not about killing something every time you go out, and he said that is no fun... Then started on the we need a lease, on and on. I told him, the money we are using to pay for his Welding School is money I could be using on a lease, and that we would have to just live with hunting public land until we can get him out of school and self sufficient funding.

Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7379255 12/17/18 06:14 PM
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Hopefully he's on the fumes................................perfumes and gasoline fumes. I'd say great job on the deer, don't overthink it.


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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: txtrophy85] #7379261 12/17/18 06:24 PM
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Originally Posted by txtrophy85

Both my kids like to hunt. But they don’t love it like I did at that age. Come to think of it they don’t love anything like I loved hunting.

Same here, when I was a kid my brother and I ate slept drank hunting/fishing couldn't wait for deer season, till we actually got the pull the trigger etc. I can only hope my children have the same passion for it. I know my boy has an interest in it, but he's got a little more growing to do.

I don't think letting him shoot the big one etc. had anything to do with it, for me that would have just stoked the fire.

Last edited by redchevy; 12/17/18 06:25 PM.

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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: redchevy] #7379275 12/17/18 06:45 PM
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Originally Posted by redchevy
Originally Posted by txtrophy85

Both my kids like to hunt. But they don’t love it like I did at that age. Come to think of it they don’t love anything like I loved hunting.

Same here, when I was a kid my brother and I ate slept drank hunting/fishing couldn't wait for deer season, till we actually got the pull the trigger etc. I can only hope my children have the same passion for it. I know my boy has an interest in it, but he's got a little more growing to do.

I don't think letting him shoot the big one etc. had anything to do with it, for me that would have just stoked the fire.


One thing that Im sure drove my passion was scarcity. We got to hunt but we hunted crappy places and one buck counties. When I was older I hunted much better places but was restricted to cull bucks ( real culls not 140 8 pointers ). I was 25 before I ever killed a good buck

My kids have the freedom to kill whatever our lease presents. Both have taken a nice buck each. Their a tad spoiled so to speak because they never struggled with hunting. Our place is 15 min away and have a lot of deer and some nice ones. Its accessable so Im part I think why they are not chomping at the bit. Im holding out on taking them out of state or on trophy hunts because I dont want them to peak in their hunting career in their early teens


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Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7379413 12/17/18 09:11 PM
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Spreading hunting is a lot like spreading the Gospel. You can sow the seeds, but it falls on all different types of soil. I have three sons that hunted with me and my Dad from the minute they could sit up in a stand. One is a die-hard hunter. One has killed a few deer and could now take it or leave it. The third has killed deer and still goes to the lease with us but would rather find an arrowhead than shoot a deer. None of them are "right" and none of them are "wrong". We have an obligation, for the sake of hunting and conservation, to expose young folks to hunting, but any misconception that we have to convert them all needs to be laid aside.

Just my two cents worth.

Re: Messed up letting my son shoot a buck??? [Re: Ronnie Oneal] #7379430 12/17/18 09:23 PM
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Sometimes too much success early can spoil the experience. Hope that's not the case for your son. My wife's very first bass fishing trip with me she caught an 8-lber. Totally ruined it for her because trips after that didn't produce anything near that. Can't get her to wet a line anymore.


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