Will this 10 year old get into duck hunting?
Late summer we started taking Skadi for walks down the bay to get her used to the sounds and smells. We also did some grass and water retrieves to get the dog used to the environment she will eventually be hunting in this fall.
So now we are into October and I'm getting ready for the first goose hunt of the season. I was getting my goose decoys, blind bag and shotgun oiled up for a hunt in a freshly cut corn field. Ryan saw me outside prepping the truck with the decoys and begging to go with me. I explained to him that I was invited on this hunt, I can't just bring you with me. I sent a text to Shotgun John, the host of the hunt, to see if it would be ok if Ryan could tag along to see what it was all about. I promised to make sure he was camo'ed up from head to toe and keep him still and he said sure. Thanks again John!
He got to see and witness what a good day with lots of birds was like hunkered down in ditch of a corn field with 4 shooters.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Ryan_Skadi.jpg
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Ryan_Marc.jpg
He then saw me leave the yard with the duck boat, duck decoys, and the dog on multiple trips headed for the water. He was asking me to go but there wasn't enough room for me, him , the dog to hunt out of the boat so I had to try and find somewhere for us to hunker down along the shore somewhere to hunt. Finally there was a day where it was mild out, the water was calm, the migration had started and we headed out for an afternoon hunt. He was a little nervous of the bark of the shotgun but never complained about it. He got to experience what it was like to hunt ducks on a good day.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/..._duck_hunt.jpg
I had the chat with his mom before this went any further, she lost a brother to drowning when she was 10 years old and is super paranoid of him drowning. I explained that anytime we are on the water we are both wearing life jackets. ( he also swims well for a 10 year old, he had swimming lessons and we have a pool in the back yard.) I also religiously check the tides and the local marine forecast for the day. There are multiple bail out sites if it really got bad and its within cell range the entire bay that we hunt in.
I also mentioned that neoprene waders are buoyant and an insulation against the cold. The waders below also come with a hip belt that I hadn't put on him for the picture but he will be wearing anytime we are on the water. It looks like he's got no legs in the picture that's because there is about 4-6 inches of leg room he needs to grow into lol. I got him to walk , crawl, touch the ground and it doesn't seem to impede his movement in any way so we will hope he stretches out a bit in the next year or so.
Ryan was excited the last time he went out but he was bound to the shore line as he was only wearing knee-high boots at the time. Anytime the dog went out to make a retrieve or I got out to adjust the decoys you could tell he wanted to be able to do more. Now he will be abler to help with the boat, setting and pulling in decoys as well as collecting ducks from the dog when she gets to the shoreline. Ryan has also shown an interest in fishing so if hunting doesn't pan out he can use them for that.
The plan is for him to do his CORE course in the spring or when ever they start being available again. Until then its a spectators sport for him.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/...new_waders.jpg
Re: Will this 10 year old get into duck hunting?
Love reading about this. I don't have kids myself but regret I don't have anything to pass on to the next generation. You are treating your wife's fears well. Don't skimp on the hearing protection. I regret not paying as much attention to my ears as I should have (though I attribute a lot of my hearing loss to concerts more than shooting).
Re: Will this 10 year old get into duck hunting?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
silveragent
Love reading about this. I don't have kids myself but regret I don't have anything to pass on to the next generation. You are treating your wife's fears well. Don't skimp on the hearing protection. I regret not paying as much attention to my ears as I should have (though I attribute a lot of my hearing loss to concerts more than shooting).
he’s got hearing protection on with the battery operated hearing so he can hear normally until shots are fired and it’s dampened down.
I should be wearing them as well. I was a naval gunner and in the beginning of my career we were right in the turret with the gun loading it as it was firing. You found out quick enough if you forgot to put your protection on lol.
Re: Will this 10 year old get into duck hunting?
Hearing loss can be different to different people .Have been shooting for a long time and just starting to notice it now.Audio guy tells me even with protection it travels up your mandibles to due damage.On the youngsters thing both my sons shot ducks with me from 12-15 then kinda fell off.They still come to the prairies with me (long as i pay) but just not the drive that I had and still do.Now my daughter never shot a duck until she was 20 and since she moved back from Ontario we are out 7-8 times a year.She just got a beauty little 20g that she shoots pretty well compared to the old 1100 12g .who would have thunk it..My son in law calls her the hotty with the shotty lol
