Tips for hunting with a youngster?

[nogoodreezen]

I'm taking a kid hunting for the first time this weekend. Does anyone have any tips for making the hunt more enjoyable and hopefully successful for both of us. Thanks for any help.

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[handcannon]

I'm not sure how old a child your talking about but here are my experiences with young kids. Get them in bed EARLY! A sleepy kid is a miserable kid. Try to make it fun by teaching them things while in the woods. Teach them about different identifying animal tracks you see or anything to occupy their mind instead of getting bored. Once they start asking "how much longer before we go home", dont stay much longer than that. You dont want to burn them out. Especially if its their first time. If its a bad experience, they might not want to go again. Make sure you bring plenty of clothes to keep them warm. They will get cold easier than you will in the early morning. Snacks......gotta have snacks. Teach them how to blow a crow call or owl call. Let them do it a few times while trying to locate a turkey that way they feel like they are a part of the hunt. If you have the chance to kill a bird, they can say they helped with the calling. Have patients and know that they are going to move. They will not be a statue like you want so make a little brush blind or have one of the little folding pocket stake blinds you can put in front of you.

I wish you the best of luck.

[chatterbox]

I'm not sure how old a child your talking about but here are my experiences with young kids. Get them in bed EARLY! A sleepy kid is a miserable kid. Try to make it fun by teaching them things while in the woods. Teach them about different identifying animal tracks you see or anything to occupy their mind instead of getting bored. Once they start asking "how much longer before we go home", dont stay much longer than that. You dont want to burn them out. Especially if its their first time. If its a bad experience, they might not want to go again. Make sure you bring plenty of clothes to keep them warm. They will get cold easier than you will in the early morning. Snacks......gotta have snacks. Teach them how to blow a crow call or owl call. Let them do it a few times while trying to locate a turkey that way they feel like they are a part of the hunt. If you have the chance to kill a bird, they can say they helped with the calling. Have patients and know that they are going to move. They will not be a statue like you want so make a little brush blind or have one of the little folding pocket stake blinds you can put in front of you.

I wish you the best of luck.

Travis couldn't have said it any better. Only thing I would add, is maybe a portable blind that you two can sit in if you know where the birds are. Kids will not sit still, and you have to make the hunt about them.

[wisconsinteacher]

Bring food and give them a pair of binos to use.  Make them feel like they are hunting.  If they are going to be shooting, get/make a shooting stick and have them practice taking the safety off without looking at the gun.  Also, teach them when they see a bird to whisper, "don't move" or "I see one".  We had a kid this weekend lift his hand and point at a tom that was 25 yards away.  (guess what happened next)

[gophert]

Portable blind!   It will make you less concerned about their movement and more concerned about having a good time.  Good luck!

[Jay]

I'm not sure how old a child your talking about but here are my experiences with young kids. Get them in bed EARLY! A sleepy kid is a miserable kid. Try to make it fun by teaching them things while in the woods. Teach them about different identifying animal tracks you see or anything to occupy their mind instead of getting bored. Once they start asking "how much longer before we go home", dont stay much longer than that. You dont want to burn them out. Especially if its their first time. If its a bad experience, they might not want to go again. Make sure you bring plenty of clothes to keep them warm. They will get cold easier than you will in the early morning. Snacks......gotta have snacks. Teach them how to blow a crow call or owl call. Let them do it a few times while trying to locate a turkey that way they feel like they are a part of the hunt. If you have the chance to kill a bird, they can say they helped with the calling. Have patients and know that they are going to move. They will not be a statue like you want so make a little brush blind or have one of the little folding pocket stake blinds you can put in front of you.

I wish you the best of luck.

Travis couldn't have said it any better. Only thing I would add, is maybe a portable blind that you two can sit in if you know where the birds are. Kids will not sit still, and you have to make the hunt about them.

Agree on the blind. We started kids as young as 3 coming out with us on Turkey outings in blinds. They are unable to sit quietly for long period of times, and get ansy as well as bored. In the blind they seemed to have a good time.

[sugarray]

All of what has been said.   I have taken my son since he was 4 and he killed his first last year at 6.

Take things for them to do.  Color, portable video games, etc.  Anything that will give them something to do.  Even if you are sitting out in the open.  Just getting to hear that gobble before coming in will get them excited.  If he sees them moving, so what, at least you heard a gobble.

[barry]

Everything mentioned above with an emphasis on COMFORT... a good seat and plenty of clothes if it's cool.
I would also use decoys... something to get the birds attention off of your setup.
Good Luck!