My son will be a year old in March. My question is what age can I start taking him with me to the woods?
My dad use to take me when I was 6 :character0029:
My son turned a year on Jan 26. I have already brung him about 3 times. Just riding but I already started.............
I took mine out at three years old while scouting everyday,at seven I spent a year with gun safety and at age eight he tagged his first gobbler.nineteen now and a turkey slayer.
My oldest is three and will be four in August....I'm planing on letting him try and take one when he turn 5 if he wants to try. I want to make sure and keep it fun. The little man is eat up with turkey fever...and thats no joke. When he was two he saw me kill one in a field beside my parents house and he went crazy. My dad held him up at the window cause he seen them coming and knew what was about to happen. I came back in the house and he said daddy "boom gobble gobble". He watches every turkey hunting DVD I put in and asks me to put him one in....in his room to watch all the time. I'm looking forward to it....one of Gods great blessings!!!
God Bless
I took my almost 3 year old on a muzzleloader deer hunt this past october. We only sat for about an hour until dark. He did really good. He says he wants to go turkey hunting this year, so I may take him some time mid April after it warms up and stays fairly warm.
Sooner than later. Get them out there and start your best memories.
Mine turned 1 yesterday. I almost took him squirrel hunting in the backpack papoose thingy at Thanksgiving down in FL but I figured i better not. To be honest I kinda got to thinking and got scared a little. He was awful small.
Funny story: my wife's great grandfather loaded her grandpa up when he was about 6 months old and went to run his hounds. He didn't come back for 3 days and toted him all through the swamp in FL. They just slept back in the woods at night. His mother had to get the sheriff to run him down and find em. They weren't lost, just huntin'. We have no idea what he even fed him. That there's ballsy.
My son was in the blind at 4 with me when I killed my first. He killed his first this past year at 6. My daughter is 5 and has shot the 20 gauge and is ready to kill one this year.
I say, take them as early as you can. Doesn't matter how old. Just keep it short and he'll have fun no matter what the age!! Then it will get to be part of his blood and you'll have to steal away to get some time to your self.
Quote from: JWC07 on February 20, 2012, 09:36:27 PM
Mine turned 1 yesterday. I almost took him squirrel hunting in the backpack papoose thingy at Thanksgiving down in FL but I figured i better not. To be honest I kinda got to thinking and got scared a little. He was awful small.
Funny story: my wife's great grandfather loaded her grandpa up when he was about 6 months old and went to run his hounds. He didn't come back for 3 days and toted him all through the swamp in FL. They just slept back in the woods at night. His mother had to get the sheriff to run him down and find em. They weren't lost, just huntin'. We have no idea what he even fed him. That there's ballsy.
I LOVE IT! We still have the deer & fox hounds over here in Louisiana, so I know first hand at what your talking about! VERY BALLSY!
i can tell you he already found the push button call and can use it ......... well sorta
My girls are clucking and purring on pots all the time in the car. Drives mommy nuts :funnyturkey: 6 year old will be sitting with me this year :happy0064:
I started a 5. Took my son out about 6. I agree with earlier than later.
I started taking my son at 2. he's almost 5 now and went every weekend through the waterfowl season this year.
I think it all depends on the child. Take them as soon as they can appreciate it, but don't stay so long that they get bored and don't enjoy it. And know that they can't expect to sit still for more than about 15 seconds. A blind is an absolute neccessity. The first few times I took my son, we sat for a little while, didn't hear any gobbling, so we started walking. I pointed out turkey sign, deer sign, racoon sign, etc. Just spending time outdoors is way more important with your son than killing turkeys. If I want to kill turkeys, that is a day when he stays at home - until he is older. just my thoughts on it.
I took my son squirrel hunting with me right before he turned 5. Of course we spooked everything within a half mile. He went turkey hunting a couple times last spring at the age of 6, but we didn't get a shot. Deer hunted a few days this fall, but no luck either. He is now 7 and ready to go this spring. He has a 20 gauge he can handle real well. Look forward to this spring.
My youngest is 4, which is about the age my dad would let me tag along with a fake gun or BB gun. He sat in the blind with me a couple of times this fall, about an hour at a time and then he was done. I love it and can't wait for them to go all the time.
I was hunting when I was 3-4 with my dad and killed my first turkey when I was 7 so the earlier the better I think.
I took my 3 year old son squirl hunting this year and just walking around in the woods. He loves watching it on tv with me and I'm thinking by next year he might be old enough to understand how to keep a little more still or quiet and can come turkey hunt with me.