Hunting with small kids.

[luger]

How young is too young? I would like to hunt with my son next year. He will be a year and a half old. I am just pumped to get out with him. I would be hunting as well will my dad and we will keep it a super chill hunt. I have a 1 ton crew cab Chevy with a decent camper.i think a early October hunt will be best as it is still warm out( I'm thinking region 8 or 3) I think I can pull it off and have some fun, I think I will mix the hunt up with a bit of driving, hiking (small walks ( I have a good kid carrier pack) and hanging around the camp fire havering fun with my son. What do think? How young have you got your kids out? Tips and tricks to keep them amused and happy? Any opinions and advice will be appreciated.
Thanks all!

[123.brewski]

Get them out there early, plant the seed, and water it every year. Started my kids out at that age. Definitley focus on the fun part. Any tags cut will be a bonus. Shot a buck beside the truck with my kids in the back seat. The youngest was 1 1/2. She had never even heard a gun go off, so i expected to hear crying. When I checked on them, all i saw was smiles and fist pumps!

[MRP]

wife 7 mouths pregnant we were hunting in the mountains; back next year bouncing boy in a backpack.

[chris]

I have taken my kids out since the toddler years. Nothing serious though. Lots of 15 minute walks as well as road hunting and tons of super fun snack breaks. For me it's all about the kids having fun so that as they grow they want to keep hunting and fishing. Now my 6 year old asks for camo and fishing gear for birthdays and Christmas.

[Rhyno]

I have a picture of bear hunting with my then 3 year and 6 month old in a baby back pack. Have taken a few deer, couple of turkeys and a bear while hunting with my kids who are now 9 and 6.

Never too young, but I would dial it back. Little walks, some road hunting, plenty of snacks and stops. Usually stop for a slushy or ice cream as a treat.

I now have one hunting machine who can't wait to get her license next year and my son is starting to show a lot more interest and asking to get out.

[J_T]

To get kids started in hunting, you don't have to go out during the hunting season. From day 1, we had our kids out (spring, summer, fall), stump shooting with little bows and looking at tracks and poop, talking about what animals eat. Having said that, the boys were in hunting camp from day 1.

[Bugle M In]

It is going to be whatever you can handle.
I was probably 4 or 5 and my mom had my brother in the blazer and he was 1 year old, while my dad was up a mountain
in duffy lake.
My daughter has been coming with me since she was 6, granted, she doesn't spend all day out with me....well....not
everyday...I have had her up and out at 1st light, and didn't get back until dark....and yes, we walked!!all day...
But don't expect to do that everyday.
Although, my dad stated I went everywhere he went, all day long...so it depends on the kid.

[DeepJeep]

The first thing that comes to mind, as you probably already know, is ear protection.

If your kid is on your back in the carrier, and you have to take a shot, ear protection has to be already in place.

[RJHunter]

I've hunted many times with a stroller and diaper bag, bottle heater in the truck. I agree that hearing protection is a must.

[skibum]

I did a lot of scouting with the young kids, babies in the MEC kid back pack a couple years ago. (loved that thing - still refuse to sell it).

Hunting with them, you just have to be mature enough to lower your expectations and think of it as training for when they are older - and it is better being in the bush than on the couch.

Saying that, my 5 year old called in a whitetail buck with a doe can last season. Totally surprised me. Wasn't the biggest buck, but sure was cool to have the young kids around to start learning how to process a deer in the field (and was thankful it was a bang / flop, not a bang / gut shot / two hour trail).

Your patients early on pays off by not having brats out with you when they are a bit older and seeing how excited they get when you take and animal.

[Travalanche]

I pretty much just stick to road/atv hunting with my 6 year old. Even though he likes walking around and is totally down for it, I'd prefer to wait until he is a bit more aware of his own surroundings and less reliant on me to keep him out of harms way when guns are involved trekking through the bush. at least with the truck or quad, I know he will stay put and be safe while I jump out to chase after something. He does help with dressing and butchering all animals though and always has been interested in it.

[J-Man]

Never too young, started all my kids at 3. Now I have 4 with the oldest at 11, youngest at 7 - now the issue is space in the truck and keeping them from fighting with each other when things are slow.

[Kill-da-wabbit]

Know a guy who gave his kid a bleat can while out to keep her busy. Stomping down the trail and Mr. Buck makes an appearance...

[Chopper]

to young ... no such thing

[Justaguy]

9yr and 7yr old with me yesterday when I got a goat. They have been coming with me for years. When i was skinning they started a fire to cook some meat. 7km return hike and 1600ft of elevation gain. they were leading the way. Earlier the better!

[Wild one]

Just need to make the hunt work around the kid

Short road hunts or blind style hunts work great. Waterfowl and grouse are great starter hunts. Have done bear and deer road hunts with young kids and works fine. For big game I recommend 2 adults just in case a long track is needed. That way one can watch the kid well other searches

[Rayne]

Took the kids out yesterday both 4. And we just grouse hunted. Short walks. Explanations of what rubs are,and what deer tracks look like. And they stayed entertained. We had a blast.

[barry1974w]

I started taking my son in a carrier when he was six months old, I bought him a little set of peltor kids ear muffs that he wore all the time then (I also got a little slide out mirror on a retractor from the dollar store, worked great for making sure his toque and muffs and such were still on without taking the carrier off). I shot a moose while he was with me when he was 18 months old. He cried, even with the muffs on I think the 375 has a bit of a shocker, he got over it pretty quick though. I think he was just startled. We still go quite a bit, lots of road hunting and mostly short walks, he's an absolute chatterbox so I don't normally expect to see much on our walks, but we did run into a curious moose today. Take lots of snacks and treats that they don't normally get all the time. I let him ride in the front seat instead of his booster when we're on back roads and trails, he gets to pig out on junk and I let him run the stereo. We have lots of fun and get a few chickens and such, I haven't gotten any big game with him along since that first moose, but as he gets older the walks are getting longer. Hopefully he figures out to stop talking all the time one of these days.

[Buchaneer]

We have just had our annual 'kids hunt' this past weekend. (More like a glorified camping weekend). Son in laws, myself and three grand kids...ages 8,6 and 5. Started taking them out when they turned four. A lot of good times with them. Usually, it involved quad riding (quad ban this year) and a lot of play. We understand that chances of success are minimal...although grouse is always fun. They enjoy looking for and seeing the deer. The early mornings are hard on them, but it sure is a quiet ride back home in the truck after the weekend is over as they enjoy a catch up nap! By the time the youngest grand child is old enough to come, the oldest one will be entering the age to hunt as a youth which will add to the fun for the kids.

[Nimrod]

Took my boy out for the first time when he was 2, got stink eye from mom but I said were just going camping.
Was going to scout some new areas and have a camp out, ended up driving a old narrow road at the end of the day and there was a 4 point playing invisible, we took that deer home,he still remembers that.
He's been coming to wall tent camp in late November since he was 4, nothing like a shooting gallery of ungulate figurines and a nurf gun to keep kids of all ages entertained during the long November nights.

[Darksith]

I have bagged a deer with my kid who was under 2 before...just road hunting and got lucky. Also have been taking my boys our regularily since they were about 2 or less. Went out on saturday for an evening hunt with the 4 year old. Shot some grouse, he loves it because they are "safe roads" low speed no traffic so he gets to ride shotgun. He gets out with me, understands that he needs to be quiet and stand right beside me when we are walking. He tries to spot the chicken and after we are done shooting he runs up and picks them up and puts them in a pile on the road if there is more than 1.

Long story short make it happen, make it fun for them if thats what it takes to get them out with you like riding shotgun, maybe some special treat like a candy or juice or something...make it so they want to come with you when you go, its so much fun and gets them immersed in the cultuer.

[chadr]

I have done the same as Darksith , my kids started coming along on trips at 2 years old. Riding in the front and special snacks and treats go a long way. Mine have also pretty much been my "grouse dogs" they are 8 and 6 now and pretty much know what to do and expect. I still have a video of my son at 2 years old going to grab a grouse that ended up still being very "lively". He held on tight and the bird flapped hard, his face and reaction are priceless. The whole family still watches it every once in a while and laugh our heads off!! That's the stuff the memories are made from

[ajr5406]

Interesting thoughts. I have young kids (7 and 4) and would love to take them hunting. My son (4) is really keen but honestly its the 2.3-3hr drive from Langley into hunting areas that keeps me from taking him. He loves driving around in the bush, getting out to explore some areas, and uses his binos to try and see some animals. Its really the drive to and from hunting that's the major deterrent for me and he is very hard to keep occupied and I feel like the boredom would have taken over before the hunting even begins.

[cameron0518]

My son was 5 months old and has hunted every year since with me. Hearing protection is important in my opinion.

[J-Man]

Interesting thoughts. I have young kids (7 and 4) and would love to take them hunting. My son (4) is really keen but honestly its the 2.3-3hr drive from Langley into hunting areas that keeps me from taking him. He loves driving around in the bush, getting out to explore some areas, and uses his binos to try and see some animals. Its really the drive to and from hunting that's the major deterrent for me and he is very hard to keep occupied and I feel like the boredom would have taken over before the hunting even begins.

Tablets if you have one, you can put books or movies on them for the drive up. But the bush is a no device zone once you get there, make sure you state the rules. I got tired of the tablets now, and switched to audio books for the drive up.

[walks with deer]

All good hunting with kids..my 4 year old girl calling grandpa to say she got a whitetail buck bit tag helped with the shooting cleaning and dragging part was peiceless..
Hardess trip was when i came across a immy bull with a 3 month with me..should have passed on it but didnt made it work