Getting youths ready

[Bowguy]

I commonly post something similar every little bit so the old hands please forgive me. I see lots of new fellas and they may want to consider these thoughts.
Lots of guys may be about to start kids on a first hunt or first shoot journey. Pretty fun but a few things you may want to consider.
Don't start them out (if they've never shot) with shotguns. I use .22 rimfire, than a 22-250 for the noise, maybe a .223 next but the idea is ease them up whatever way you decide.
Once you start with shotguns, someone always thinks .410 is best. Maybe for shooting a can out back or a turkey head target but if you're looking to teach wingshooting a .28 is better.
Be sure the gun fits the child, no hand me down oversized guns.
When shooting anything cept maybe the .22 use double hearing protection. Felt recoil is determined by lots of things. Gun weight, action, load weight, stock drop, stance or seated position, but noise is a big one no one thinks of. If it's super noisy many think it must kick so double them up.
Once patterning the gun, you do that alone without the kid, let them only practice with light target loads. Come opening morning hand them hunt shells. Believe me they never notice when shooting at turkey. Something you need to practice is positioning. Teach them to keep the shoulder pointed at the bird expected route and show them how/when to move. Not time to super teach when a bird is 25 yards out.
Make sure to teach safe use and that means using a safety each time. It'll make them familiar with where it is anyhow. If a single shot teach decocking safely. .
Another thing guys may not understand is the importance of shooting with a dominant eye. That may not match the dominant hand but your eye leads the shot not your hand. Closing an eye to change dominance can lead to unsafe moments and kill depth perception. Best to teach them right straight off
Hey remember something. Kids hunt, kids pace. If they get tired and bored you need to quit and not risk forcing a no next time.
Best of luck, post some pics guys

Now for guys without kids. Find one and help em. Best thing you ever did

[Lcmacd 58]

All good advice .... being 65 with no children .... the best part was "kids hunt .... kids pace"   

[Greg Massey]

As a kid I started out leaning about guns playing with cap guns and pop guns... As I got older I got a BB Gun and carried it everywhere, and most of the time I didn't even have any BB's for the gun, just carried it around. One of the old Red Riders... As I got older, my dad got me a hand- me - down single shot 410 which I only carried and used with my dad's supervision and eventually I moved up to a 20 ga. single barrel... Man I wish I had that old double holster set of cap guns and that old lever action pop gun... Lot's of great memories ...

[MK M GOBL]

I commonly post something similar every little bit so the old hands please forgive me. I see lots of new fellas and they may want to consider these thoughts.
Lots of guys may be about to start kids on a first hunt or first shoot journey. Pretty fun but a few things you may want to consider.
Don't start them out (if they've never shot) with shotguns. I use .22 rimfire, than a 22-250 for the noise, maybe a .223 next but the idea is ease them up whatever way you decide.
Once you start with shotguns, someone always thinks .410 is best. Maybe for shooting a can out back or a turkey head target but if you're looking to teach wingshooting a .28 is better.
Be sure the gun fits the child, no hand me down oversized guns.
When shooting anything cept maybe the .22 use double hearing protection. Felt recoil is determined by lots of things. Gun weight, action, load weight, stock drop, stance or seated position, but noise is a big one no one thinks of. If it's super noisy many think it must kick so double them up.
Once patterning the gun, you do that alone without the kid, let them only practice with light target loads. Come opening morning hand them hunt shells. Believe me they never notice when shooting at turkey. Something you need to practice is positioning. Teach them to keep the shoulder pointed at the bird expected route and show them how/when to move. Not time to super teach when a bird is 25 yards out.
Make sure to teach safe use and that means using a safety each time. It'll make them familiar with where it is anyhow. If a single shot teach decocking safely. .
Another thing guys may not understand is the importance of shooting with a dominant eye. That may not match the dominant hand but your eye leads the shot not your hand. Closing an eye to change dominance can lead to unsafe moments and kill depth perception. Best to teach them right straight off
Hey remember something. Kids hunt, kids pace. If they get tired and bored you need to quit and not risk forcing a no next time.
Best of luck, post some pics guys

Now for guys without kids. Find one and help em. Best thing you ever did

Always great posts on the Youth and goes hand in hand for some of those adult ladies and guys who have never shot before.

Just had another 20 students through Hunter's Ed Class, been doing these for the last 14 years, and we take them as young as 10 and up.

Our Wisconsin DNR "Learn to Hunt" Programs also include Turkey as a class/course and this will be 21 years for me!! Only requirements for us are at least 10 years old and have not killed a bird yet.

Such great stuff out there to help others learn, and if you have that in you to do share that time, experience and everything that makes turkey hunting, turkey hunting for you!


MK M GOBL

[krm944]

Great post!

My little guy is now 10 years old and has been afield with me since age 4. We have a couple hunting blinds a short walk from the car and God has been gracious enough to fill the woods with game near our blind.

My little guy can spend a couple hours, quietly and mostly motionless with snacks, his iPad and some games we play together on the iPad. We even read and past here while in the blind.

His gun is a custom made semi auto Hatfield 28 gauge with a 20" bbl.

God has also blessed us with some of the dumbest Turkeys on the east coast, or my little guy can scratch a call well enough to get gobblers to react!

He harvested his first gobbler this past spring a 20 pounder with 1" spurs and his Hatfield 28

[Bowguy]

Very cool, congrats to you both!

[YoungGobbler]

Good post and good advices!

[Muzzy61]

All good advice. I've hunted for almost 40 years. Took my 8 year old grandson turkey hunting last year and it was a blast. He took a turkey and the look on his face was priceless. Without a doubt bet Hunt I've ever had.

[Marc]

Great post...

I agree that gun fit and gun safety are first and foremost...

I have two girls, the oldest enjoys duck and dove hunting with me...  She did go out several times and finally harvest a turkey, but it is not her "cup of tea."

Initially she was afraid of the gun, and I started out with clays and a .410.  Once she realized it did not hurt, I let her decide to shoot a 20 ga. (youth Beretta semi-auto with a nice rubber pad and a stock that was cut to fit).  I LET HER DECIDE.

A 20 ga. makes adequate loads for waterfowling...  You can purchase decent loads for a 28 ga., but not that I can afford.

And while we want to teach our kids the enjoyments of the outdoors, when kids go hunting, they want to kill something.  My daughter goes out several times a year with me, and I choose days that I think she will have some shooting, in which the weather is NOT too unpleasant.  I take a heater to the blind, and put her in clothing that keeps her comfortable...  And...  Outside of waking up early, she enjoys it...  And this season, actually asked me to take her (as opposed to me asking her to go).

At her age, as a boy, I would have gone hunting during sub-temperature hurricanes on the worst day of the season.  There was not a single day of the season (any season) that I did not ask to go hunting...  My father had to temper my enthusiasm, where I am trying to develop that of my daughter...  Totally different strategies involved in these two scenarios as far as taking a kid hunting.

But for me...  For any activity I am engaging with my children.  NO Ipad (at all).  Phones can be taken, but on silent, and only used for communication with permission....  My oldest will probably start using some of the geography apps (and showing me how to use them) in the near future.

To me..  Bribing a child with tech to get them outside, is like bribing a junkie with meth to go hunting/fishing.

As an eye doc, that deals with a lot of children, technology, and addiction to it, is one of the larger issues that parents, and society in general, face currently.  I do not care what it is, during the weekends, my kids are doing some activity in which tech is NOT involved...  And if they do not care to do that activity, they can stay home and clean their room or do chores with NO technology...  Oddly, they generally choose the activity, and they also generally enjoy it.