This is my oldest when she was 3. This was in the lull before sunset, then she spotted the hog and I then shot the hog. she high fives me for “great team work”. Electronics arent the devil, just a tool to get us to the time game comes out.

She killed her first deer at 7 and has killed every year since. She made me take her over Christmas and we hunted 7 hard days for a mature buck. She finally had one come in last night and was shaking to bad to shoot. Pretty sure that made her even more fired up. She wants to hunt African lions for High school graduation present after going to DSC. She hasn’t missed a season at the lease ever. As far as hunting in a blind she been with me since 3. She has hunted with me since 11 months via truck.

My son started going real young. Taking a little one is not a go ahead on hunting trip but I never told that to my son. He was happy to be doing what dad was doing and I was happy to have him along. Always brought plenty to eat and drink. His own binoculars. Thermos full of coffee for me. Thermos full of hot chocolate for him. No phones or electronic gadgets. We were learning about the plants and the animals and the weather and how to hunt. He boogered animals every way possible and we had a ball. I followed his lead and when he was ready to go we left. I took a good video recorder and captured a lot of great memories. At 7 he was ready and I let him shoot his first deer. He also did most of the work gutting and skinning. He made a mess of the first ones but I kept it to myself and let him knife on them. By the time he was 10 he did his and mine. He is a young adult now and a skilled outdoorsman and still my favorite hunting buddy. Enjoy the journey, they grow up way to fast.

Pics, because they make me smile....











[img]https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/userpics/2022/08/full-24569-358781-img_6107.jpg[/img]

Some are just born w it

My girl-About 12
My boy-About 10

Up to that time, they didn't care or want to

Since then, the girl has since quit on me at 16...

Which is fine, she can always say she took game and I know she CAN do it now if she ever had to again

No two kids are the same; Dad started me at age 5 in mid 70s, pillow, blanket and sleeping bag to layout in bottom of box blind waiting for sun up or in the event I got too tuckered out during morning hunt. In those days, there were no personal video games, IPADs or cellphones to occupy a kid's time or attention. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed serving as Dad's additional set of eyes scanning South Texas senderos and cactus pastures for Muy Grande to pop out, at least until I started sitting on my own around 9 years old. Nowadays, I'd start any kid off by going to the rifle range out of season to teach them the importance of being sighted in and how you generally go about doing that. Also to get them used to the "bang" sound. Many young kids get scared with that and it can turn off some to hunting if not used to it. Beyond that, I'd make sure you keep any young kid warm with layered clothing and blankets. Also, let them take that personal video game or Iphone, IPAD in the event the attention starts to wane any. A fussy kid makes for a miserable hunt I'd think..

Keep them occupied till the animals show up

Don’t take them somewhere that sucks, make sure there are animals

Get some ear protection and extra binocs

I’ve changed diapers in the blind with both kids. I spray foamed mine. They could bounce off the walls and didn’t matter. My daughter shot a pig and a 10 point buck at 8. Son shot a aoudad at 6 and has asked to shoot everything that moved since.

Very true. I learned early to let my son carry his own backpack and let him put all sorts of stuff in it....snacks, iPad, cheap binos, stuffed animals, toys, whatever it takes to help them enjoy it.

And hunting with a suppressor and making him wear ear muffs makes him less nervous about the shooting. My little guy also loves to scan with my thermal spotter, it may be his favorite thing to do along with chopping limbs off trees. Lol.

Yelp and Electric earmuff with volume turned up helps with them being loud. Helps them hear you better and most importantly hear themselves

My first hunts were night time predator calling, dove and walking squirrel hunts. I'm glad I wasn't stuck in a deer stand at that age.

Took my son scouting for geese at 3. I would get a bunch of snacks and books for him. Once we got on the dirt roads, I'd let him "drive" the truck for me. He thought it was big time! We had good times. I took him on his first hunt at 4, and he loves it now. He helps put out the goose spread and pick it up. Usually he takes a nap at some point ,but we also set up cans for BB gun practice or I let him shoot the decoys. Late late season I helped him shoot my 20 ga, and he keeps those hulls in his nightstand drawer now. He is 6 now, and I think he'll be making plenty of hunts this year.

Took my boy when he was 2 and he couldn't get enough of it. Never got bored with it at all.
In fact, I'd be ready to go back to camp in the mornings to make breakfast and he'd ask if we could stay longer. lmao

My boy absolutely loved it and started shooting a .22mag cricket when he was 4.5. at about 5 1/2 years he was shooting 223 and killed his first 3 deer that season just as he turned 6.

This is probably the best thread on the THF.

Took my son on his first deer hunt when he was 4. He was loud and made lot of noise but had a great time. The next year at 5 he was whispering telling me to be quiet. He is now grown and I am taking grandkids. Take him so what if they are loud or y’all have to leave early. The memories you make will last a lifetime.

My grandson, now 25, killed a pig on our property at 6 or 7. He used Grandma’s 222.

Next year he got a forked horn buck. He grabbed my phone and called Grandma to come see it. Next calls were to parents. I took lots of cell phone pics that we had printed. Problem is that he took the pics to school to show his friends. That got him a trip to the principal. Next call was to me. I headed for the school and talked to the principal who turned out to be an avid hunter. He explained how several teachers had gotten wound up over a pic of a damn dead deer. He sent the boy home with me for the day. Next day, everything was back to normal. But, he got his first taste of liberals