General Hunting Discussion
Youth hunt
Good luck this weekend to those that are out. I don't need to worry about whether or not to take my son hunting this weekend. He turns 10 on Monday, just bad timing. But he's been shooting for a couple years and he'll be posted up with grandpa on opening day of gun season this year. I'd have him sit with me, but I was with my grandpa when I shot my first one with a gun. Plus, grandpa sees a few more deer in his spot.
We'll see if my 7 year old daughter wants to go in a few years. She loves camping and fishing, but is hot/cold on hunting.
This is another debate nobody wins. Just opinions.
But, it all comes down to the kids and how they are raised. I was younger than 10 when I took my first snowshoe, Partridge and deer. 42 now and still steaming forward from one hunting season to another. Maybe because I was so young that's what made me travel to different places for bigger game? And age don't really matter, again some kids are ready and some will never be. What's the difference between a 8yo, 10, 12, or 16yo? If they don't understand what is involved, the work, the patience, the emotions they never will, IF THEY ARE NOT TAUGHT. That's in the hands of the parents or the possible mentor/ adult around them. My kids and most of my friends kids are way ready by 10. And a couple of the wife's friends kids, not so much? They rather see little Timmy run around chasing a ball five nights a week, instead of shooting, scouting or planting food plots.
And the "everyone gets a trophy, we are all winners" thing, that was mentioned. I see it the other way. Why because someone didn't prepare their child to be ready to hunt at 10yo, that it's not fair mine is. And now he needs to wait three, four more years. All because some parent thinks, little Timmy can't handle it yet at ten. But magically, when he turns 12 he will understand everything and be ready? Huh?
And yes my son will be sitting over a plush field of clover. Got a couple really, really nice bucks on the cam. Know where they are bedding, know where they are going and what time. We have his rifle dialed in, 3 out of five in a 1" dot, 2 just touching in the black at 100yd. This is a sure thing. We are debating how we should take the pics with one of these monsters and how he should mount it.....Lol... yeah, right. It's hunting, not called killin. AND HE KNOWS THAT! This will be his third year. Knowing what bucks are around. First year watched a respectable buck walk away. (Not a safe shot). Second year, skunked. And now his third, still just pumped as the first year, up this morning, packing up, begging me to pick him up early from school. Just can't wait to go up. We will be putting are time in, see what happens? Good luck to all going out and be safe.
Case I agree. I just wish some parents would wake up and be honest with themselves. Some kids shouldn't be out there, others it's a no brainer. Most I know should still be in child seats and on the dogs lease.
Your point about parenting, I wish some parents (friends of mine) were as concerned about school and raising the kids with some manners as they are about getting them in a gun tower this weekend. They should be embarrassed.
I said it in a prior post, 10-11 year old girls are more mature and ready for the woods over most boys of that age.
As the mentor of a very excited 11 year old girl who will be sitting on daddy's food plot this weekend it comes down to parenting period!!!! I know some 8 year olds I would trust more than some 30 year olds still living in there parents basement!! I support legal hunting for any age for the sole reason that it should be up to the parent(mentor) to know when he or she is ready!! Michigan is 8 I believe!! I can only tell you the way me and my daughter bonded in that stand is something that neither of us will forget and we could care less if we shoot anything let alone someone's prized trail cam buck!! She was at deer camp when she was less than 2 weeks old and has been going ever since!! Times are just different and my biggest concerns are the lazy parents and the sports nuts!!! There are some crazy sports parents out there for sure!! I must just be in the minority because I was sitting in a ground blind with my dad for as long as I can remember!! Guess it depends on what type of deer camp you grew up in but ours was always about the hunt and not the harvest!! We're I have hunted my whole life nothing comes easy and the hunting is hard but that's what drives the passion!! There are a few once in a lifetimers shot every year but I see all types of different age class deer shot by the youngsters and nothing makes me smile more than the proud grin of a kid admiring a doe or a spiker and there little hearts are just throbbing!!! Different folks different strokes!!
JC - spot on.
Now for something i would support. Open bow hunting the weekend prior for youth only. Open rifle season the Friday prior to gun season for youth only. Those actually make sense somewhat. Still NOT in support of the 10 year old age. Kids are youth from 10-16 correct? What's wrong with giving a 12 to 16 year old a crack a day and week earlier. I just feel like a season within the season is just hurting everyone as a whole and 10 and 11 is too young.
Giving a kid a rifle within bow season is about the dumbest thing i've heard of. It's as asinine as the holiday hunts and tzones.
Although I understand the purpose behind the youth hunt, I tend to agree with Long Barrels. I did not see a problem with waiting until a kid is 12 years old to hunt. When I was 12, hunting for deer was not that exciting. Like any kid, my attention span was limited. The age of 12 was not causing a decline in hunter numbers.
I understand getting more kids involved since we are losing hunters, but I think this is going about it the wrong way. Stick a 10 year old on the edge of a food plot or off a bait dad has worked his tail off for, and let him shoot a big buck the first night with a rifle - sets their future up for future letdowns. Most of us agree that the most satisfaction of shooting an animal comes from figuring out a specific deer, scouting, and being successful after a long dry spell. This youth hunt, in most cases, is just a setup for a kid to kill an animal under different rules...and is not what I would consider hunting. This is how we want to teach our kids? This is what our "every kid gets a trophy" culture has come to?
There is an obvious reason we are losing hunters. Hunting popularity soared under the 12 y.o. age limit for decades, and then "inexplicably" started to tail off. Dropping the age limit to 10 negates some of the loss of license sales just by simply adding additional volume, but does not address the real problem - kids access to hunting land. Most of us could walk from home and go hunting, even town kids. Now, most kids are not that lucky. Throw in the explosion of psycho parents and what youth athletic programs have become, and there is also limited time available. To me, this is the number 1 factor in the loss of hunters - just not a decent place to hunt anymore. What little publicly accessible land is left has become overidden with hunters because of the same problem - they have nowhere else to go.
Yes, I am against the youth hunt, and I am a parent of a youth. I don't see a problem with the 12 yo age limit, and I definitely don't support an early rifle season for youth - especially for bucks. Makes me sick to see a 10 year old with a giant buck the kid shot with a rifle on Dad's food plot. That kid will be forever scarred, potentially the biggest buck they ever shot and cannot appreciate the kill since they had nothing to do with the actual hunt - they just pulled the trigger. They also don't appreciate how difficult hunting can be, the work involved, and therefore cannot appreciate the role of hunter.
As an adult, if I had shot my biggest buck at 12 yo over a bait that dad set up for me after scouting, I would have less appreciation for that than a small buck I scouted and hunted for even today. I have a bit less of a problem with a special antlerless season for kids (if enough deer are available) as it shows that hunting is not about shooting bucks, and allows a youth to have success on a deer he can be proud of as he gets older. Too many dads instill in a kid that a big buck is the ultimate goal. If they don't get one it is a failure, and if they get one they are setting themselves up for future letdowns.
If the youth hunt was intended as a teaching moment, then I think we are doing a disservice to these kids as they get older. My 2 cents.
It's unfortunate. But in this day in age, I think some kids do need to be pushed. Slap the damn game out of their hand. And show them there is more exciting stuff going on. I hope some don't take that approach with their children later on in life? ... "oh, I'd hate to push Little Timmy, but you should get a job sooner or later."..
We need to get the youth involved. And get them hooked.
My children know it's not just a hobby or a sport. It's history, IT'S A WAY OF LIFE. My kids like I, did wait our turn. From about five on. Watched, cleaned, dragged, set up, gutted, practiced and waited for our turn. That's why my son will grab the latest DU, wildfoul, whitetail mag before anything else. Spend HIS money on hunting gear and became a Turkey hunter. My 9 and 7 y o daughters enjoy being out in the woods already, plucking ducks, training the dog, etc. 9yo shoots trap. Getting ready for her tenth birthday, she wants to do a pheasant hunting party. A nine year old girl? And she will be out next year for the youth hunt. She put her time in.
And yes, I pay for it. yes, I need to scout. And I will, with three in tow. I have shot and caught. But nothing compares to the excitement seeing the kids do it. (But this is coming from a guy that never played or watched a sport in school. because it would interfere with hunting or fishing) and to this day still ok with that.
Kids won't know what they are missing unless you get them out there? And why not while the hunting is good and the weather is nice.
Dads. It's the time to BRAG! Let's see. Post all the pics and stories you can. Shoot or not. Good luck and have a great time.
Wallstreet, I give you credit for not pushing them. Lot's of dad's push the kids to go on these hunts and they couldn't care less. Talk about putting a bad taste in a kids mouth. I think this weekend is more about dad's opportunity to brag and text everyone than it's about the kids. Sure, I get the proud dad moments, but I've seen this for many years now.
I ask the kids, congratulate them ask them about the hunt and all they care about is the the video game they are glued to. Most of these kids don't care....you know who they are. Some kids are nuts about hunting at that age....you know who they are as well. Let's not pretend.
I'm making my kids wait until I know they understand what they are doing. Meaning the magnitude of taking a living animal and what it means.
The nephew will be after it this weekend. He's been hunting with all of us since he could walk and can shoot better than most adults. Hopefully he'll have a pic to post after the hunt. On the flip side I have two boys that are of age to hunt this weekend that show no interest and it's a heartbreaker. Good luck to everyone that goes.
Just thought I would bring this thread back to the top with the upcoming youth hunt this weekend!!! Good luck to all the youth and to the mentors!! All you mentors out there go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back for getting the youth involved!!! The future of hunting thanks you!! Post anything youth hunt related and it doesn't have to be a harvest!! I'm pretty sure we all enjoy just hearing the stories??? Bring the stories on guys and gals!!! - Casedog
