Kids

[redwad]

Like a lot of people have mentioned. Each kid is different. I joined my old man and watched him taking many deer and turkey starting at the age of 4 or 5. He didn't let me pull the trigger on deer or turkey until I was 8. I never felt as though he held me back by waiting a few years. For the kids I've taken 8 seems to be the sweet spot. Some sooner some later. Start them out with a small gun on squirrels and ease into big game. Bring plenty of snacks, set up a blind in a good location where you'll hear plenty of gobbles and let the youngster call even if it doesn't sound good.

[OJR]

Absolutely! Lots of snacks! And keep the kids comfortable and dry. A blind, some decoys and a sleeping bag for the cold mornings.

[toneloc]

I had my son out in a blind with me deer hunting was since he was 5.  We never hunted Turkeys from a blind.  Started him out hunting Turkeys at 7 sitting in the woods.  Fidgets are bad for kids, but as long as your expectations are in check, you will make great memories.  My boy missed a jake that first year at 7.  I then googled "best 20 ga turkey load" and came across TSS, and the rest is history as they say.....lol.  From that point onward he's had great success.  He killed his first bird that next season at 8.  7-8 is going be prime for starting to be able to reasonably handle a gun outside of a very controlled situation IMO.  I'm sure it could get done sooner from a blind with a tripod.  My boy is 12 this year and already had 2x the experiences I had at twice his age....I'll agree on general consensus here.  Keep it fun, keep your expectations in check, but get him out there!  After all nothing is for granted in life....so do as much as you can when you can.

[Kyle_Ott]

I think every kid is different and every parent's approach to introducing and involving their kids in the outdoors is different.

My oldest is 6.  I had him riding on my shoulders checking trail cameras with me in the fall, scouting geese after work during waterfowl season and listening for turkeys at 2 years old.  In our house, hunting and the processes/work associated with chasing critters is a 52 week a year lifestyle and I'm fortunate to do "hunting stuff" several days a week during the offseason in conjunction with hunting multiple times a week when seasons are open.

At 4 years old he began deer hunting with me regularly and he watched me shoot 5 does that season.
Because he was so involved in the processes associated with hunting, he naturally transitioned quickly from a spectator/observer to a participant.

He killed his first two turkeys at 5 years old from ground blinds on tripods and a 3rd last year from ground blind on a tripod shortly after his 6th birthday.  After his 3rd turkey I told him we were no longer hunting from blinds, or using tripods and we weren't hunting with decoys anymore.  He hunted several additional times with birds coming in range but he struggled to see them while sitting in my lap and without decoys to put the bird in perfect position.  Because of his success, I felt he needed to experience some failure and learn the skills necessary to become a real turkey hunter. 

He killed his 1st deer this fall at 6 years old, as well.

My recommendation is to make sure you have the right gear and the right gun to set your kid up for success.  Cold weather means blankets.  Snacks and drinks are imperative.  When it comes to turkeys, roosting the gobbler the night before and setting up close by ensures an action packed experience that starts immediately the next morning.  Additionally, the most important aspect of kids being successful is weapons manipulation from hunting positions.  My son spent a ton of time working off his tripod in my trophy room moving his gun around to various mounts and squeezing the trigger. 

I've taken a similar approach with my 2 year old and he seems to be as addicted if not more than my oldest was at 2.  We'll see how it all works out but I have accumulated an incredible number of memories with my son with an integrated approach.

My oldest is still 6; we leave Friday morning to head to Alabama for his first out of state hunt.  I'm beyond excited to have my sidekick in the truck with me to kick off my season. 

Best of luck to you. 

[cuttinAR]

I started my kid off with a Stevens 301 .410 with a Burris FF3 at 3 years old. He's now 7 years old and 19 states into his US Slam (75+% public land) hoping to have his slam completed by age 12

Got damn you're a lunatic!!  Good luck to the boy.

[utfan1]

Really any age so long as they are comfortable.  8 years old was the youngest .

[Bowguy]

If he says he's ready take him but remember if he says he's tired, cold, wet, done it's time to go home. Go at his pace, it's only a turkey after all. He's more important

[Turkeybutt]

I started my kid off with a Stevens 301 .410 with a Burris FF3 at 3 years old. He's now 7 years old and 19 states into his US Slam (75+% public land) hoping to have his slam completed by age 12

Cool! Keep us posted on your son's progress.

[kytrkyhntr]

I started my kid off with a Stevens 301 .410 with a Burris FF3 at 3 years old. He's now 7 years old and 19 states into his US Slam (75+% public land) hoping to have his slam completed by age 12

Cool! Keep us posted on your son's progress.

Rolls eyes...

[timberman1979]

Thank you all for the stories. Some good ideas. I am looking forward to our April 1st youth opener. Good luck to everyone this year!

[Matt76cmich]

As the parent only you can make the call. My kids are 4 and 6 and they love the outdoors, but I feel like they are lacking in maturity for handling weapons yet. I've been teaching gun safety with nerf type guns for now. I think my oldest will be ready for the pellet gun this summer.

Good luck with your decision.

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[Mossberg90MN]

I started my kid off with a Stevens 301 .410 with a Burris FF3 at 3 years old. He's now 7 years old and 19 states into his US Slam (75+% public land) hoping to have his slam completed by age 12

Got damn you're a lunatic!!  Good luck to the boy.

Hahahahahahahahahahahah


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