|
"Dad," my 11 year old son said in a very excited voice,
"do you think that by this time next year, I could hunt
here?" Jake was getting down from the ladder stand I had perched
him into since an hour before daylight. Now I was excited, it was
good to hear him looking forward to next hunting next year this
early in the season. We had been hunting for three days at
Sweetwater Creek Bow Hunting, a client of mine, during the 2001
season. I was after a good
whitetail or one of the many exotics that roam the ranch, Jake was a
spectator, since he was unable to meet the minimum draw weight
requirements of our state to legally hunt with his bow. Although he
has taken deer with a rifle, he has yet to take an animal with his
bow. I have had him shooting a bow since he was 5, but now I knew he
was ready to step up to hunting with one.
Even though I was the only one hunting, I had made sure that Jake
was having a good time on this hunt by outfitting him with all the
gear he needed and putting him in spot where I knew he would
see game. Like a lot of Dad's, I enjoy taking my children with me into the
field when I can. It's not always possible, but when the right
situation presents itself, I do. All of our excursions have been
memorable, some historic and others disasters. Those of you who are
planning on taking your child on a Youth hunt or weekend trip to the
deer lease this year could learn a lot from the shortfalls of some
of my earlier attempts at a successful trip with my kids.
Whether your young companion will be hunting or not, you should take
a few extra steps to ensure the kid has a good time, learns
something about safety while hunting and enjoys the experience. For the purpose of this article, let's assume we are going on a
three day hunt at your deer lease. On this hunt you are going to let
Junior (7-13 yrs old) take his first deer. He is very excited and
your chest is sticking out just thinking about it. What you do in
the planning phase of this trip will have a lot to do with how
everything goes, regardless of whether Junior bags a deer or not.
Take a little time to ensure the trip will be enjoyable for him and
you have half the battle won.
First, make sure Junior is comfortable. If you are hunting where the
weather can become cold, be prepared for a disaster if Junior gets
cold. He should have well fitting, comfortable, warm boots to keep
his feet warm. If he has a pair of warm gloves in his pocket, you
have a spare pair in yours and another in the truck, you might make
it through the weekend. Get him a warm jacket, toboggan and pants
and you should be in good shape. Nothing will end a hunt faster than
Junior getting the chills. If you are hunting from a box blind that
is unheated, for less than $20 you can have a simple, one burner
camp heater at your feet to keep things toasty. Be prepared for cold
weather and you will have more time to enjoy the hunt. Be
sure that Junior has all the proper equipment and take the time to
familiarize him with the tools of the trade. He should have a pair
of binoculars to watch game with. Show him how to use them before
the hunt. Let him know that movement in a blind or on a stand should
be kept to a minimum so as not to spook game. Let him keep a few
rounds of ammo in his possession, just be sure he knows not to load
the gun until you reach your destination. Spend a few dollars on a
disposable camera. Junior will take a few pictures and they will
mean even more to him, since he took them. I have found that a
simple, small fanny pack is invaluable when hunting with kids. You
can pack a small bottle of water and other items such as candy,
snacks, gloves, a flashlight and more into these packs and save
yourself a lot of grief down the road. This not only gives the kids
a great place to keep things, but makes them feel as though they
have their own hunting gear.
If Junior is hunting with a rifle, it should be a no brainer that he
needs one that fits him (If he is not hunting, let him take an
unloaded BB gun to the stand, it's a great time to work on gun
safety). Don't expect him to put his first deer down with a rifle
that is better suited for grownups. I have seen this ruin more
potential hunters that any other mistake. If Junior has a rifle that
fits him (read: proper length of pull, sized for his body), his
chances of putting a bullet where he is aiming are much better than
if he is stretching to get the crosshairs on your belted magnum buck
blaster to settle on his target. If he is shooting a rifle that fits
him, you can work on safety issues such as proper positioning of the
gun while you are walking to the stand, he can't do that with a 13
lb Sendero rifle. There is nothing in this world that will make him
feel more involved than having his own gun. Remember when you had
your first one? If Junior does not have his own gun, take every
effort to familiarize him with the one used. Let him know that once
the trigger is pulled, you can't bring that bullet back.
One other thing that should be considered on any Youth hunt is the
fun factor. Hunting with kids should be fun. Whether you are
hunting, just scouting, filling up feeders on the lease or whatever,
try to spice things up when kids are involved. There are several
ways to do this. Let the kid spot the game first. This really gets
them excited and keeps them looking. I try to keep my mouth shut
when my son and I are hunting and let him tell me there is a deer
coming out of the brush. Take pictures. Kids love to take pictures,
it's fun! Have them take a picture of the deer, the camp, the blind
or anything. Let Junior boast. Let him tell everyone at camp 'the
story' about how he took his deer. This is one of the rights of
passage for young hunters! Telling the story is really important to
them, they have been listening to yours for years.
I hope this will help you in some way understand how important it is
to make a Youth hunt special for your young hunter. If you go out of
your way to make them feel special, it will be. Keep in mind that
the younger hunter looks up to you for support, knowledge and guidance.
Speaking of special hunts. I am spending tomorrow with Jake and his
new bow at the range. We have some more target practice to do before
our hunt next weekend out at Sweetwater
Creek. He has a fire burning in his gut that will only be extinguished
with a few days on a stand, holding a bow while waiting for a shot
at a Fallow deer. Jake has been going hunting with me since he was
4, he has waited a long time for this hunt, and so have I. We have
tuned his new bow setup, practiced until I know he can make a clean
shot and discussed how important it is to do the right thing and
pass on marginal shots. I can't wait to get there and neither can
he. This will be a very special hunt for the both of us.
There are times in the life of all hunters that will never be
forgotten. I personally will never forget my first successful deer
hunt and the role older hunters played in making it such a great
memory. If you take the time to make the trip special for the kid,
you will never regret it. Young hunters are full of excitement, they
are very impressionable and can be a very rewarding investment in
the future of our sport. Be part of a memory, take a kid hunting
this fall.
At full draw,
Tyge Floyd, Editor
|
