Daughters That Hunt

[radmansciteach]

Who has daughters/a daughter they got into hunting?  How'd yuh do it? I have a 3 year old and hope to have her with me in the woods when she gets older!  I know there is no secret formula, but what worked for you?

 

[DIRK DURHAM]

Clint, My daughter has hunted with me over the years. I first took here out when she was little likes yours for some "fun" hunts- they were more of walking around the woods pointing out all the neat things we came upon. I did kind of burn her out her first year to be able to have a licence. I was focused on getting her in front of something and should have been more focused on the overall experience instead. She does not like to get up early or be cold, which is kind of a buzz kill with hunting....... But she doesn't complain much when we get to the woods. One word of advice......SNACKS! Kids have a short attention span and when they get bored I slip them a snickers bar and that keeps them happy for a while    I really wish she would get into archery due to the fact that its much nicer weather and the elk are more visible and vocal. She did get a fancy DSLR camera for Christmas- so maybe she can be my personal photographer come September! Lol!

 

[HuntinKyhl]

I have 3 daughters ages 4, 2, and 10 weeks.  Hope to have 3 hunters in the future.  I'll take any tips and/or advice anyone has on getting them "hooked".

 

[boom_makeraf]

Who has daughters/a daughter they got into hunting?  How'd yuh do it? I have a 3 year old and hope to have her with me in the woods when she gets older!  I know there is no secret formula, but what worked for you?

I don’t have any kids but I have gotten my wife in the woods over the last couple of years. What got her hooked was success, go figure. She is the type that if you have a good day once, then the future should hold the same fortune. She is yet to go elk hunting with me but this year we were lucky enough to be able to make the tail end of deer season here in WY. I had just got back from Afghanistan and had a few days to hunt. The wife decided to go with me. We came across a nice little 5 by(about a 140 to 150 class) and asked her if she would like to shoot it. She laid the hammer down and now she is bugging me about elk and deer next year. I think the same holds true with kids. Once they taste the success and the thrill of the hunt they will be hooked. They may be reluctant at first but they will more than likely come around. 

 

[dplumlee12]

Have 3 daughters... 14, 12 & 10.  One son 10.  All just finished their hunter safety course this last december.  My daughters don't look or act like hunters but they have said they want to try it.  My son isn't old enough yet but is dying to go.  I take him with but he can't do any hunting yet. 
I hope they all take to it because I think It would be great to hunt with the whole fam... I even got the wife to take the course....

 

[MATT STRAW]

I have 2 daughters 5 and 3 and a 4 day old son. my 5 year old just got a bow for Christmas and loves it. both girls love watching the hunt videos on this site. I only can dream of getting them to hunt with me, but I actually was planning on taking my oldest on a rifle doe hunt somewhere close to home next year.

 

[MuleyCrazed]

I have two daughters, ages 5 and 2. I also have an 8 year old son. I started them out by shed hunting in the spring. It's a great way to get them out in the outdoors and it gives them a taste of what hunting is like. I got my son a compound bow to start out on and my 5 year old daughter keeps asking me for one. They are exposed to hunting all year long so they love to be in the outdoors, watch hunting DVDs and shoot the bows and guns. So I only hope they will be interested when the time comes for them to be old enough to hunt!

 

[Jimbow65]

I have 2-daughters 8 and 10. they have both gone deer hunting with me, either in a  treestand or ground blind. but as they are getting older they don't seem as interested. They like to shoot 22's and love it when I bring deer home.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

All of my daughters will hunt eventually, whether they become hunters is still up for debate. My oldest loves to go on squirrel, turkey, and deer hunts.

Basically, they know I enjoy it and they know when they are "old enough and mature enough" they "GET" to go hunting with daddy. It becomes an adventure for them, we keep things short, try to point out things you wouldn't see on the streets, bring snacks, let them look for animals with the binoculars, and see who can sneak the quietest thru the woods.....oh and we always get some treat on the trip back to the house.

 

[cgsmith]

My 5 year old asked for a hunting bow for Christmas.  She joined me for a quick evening bowhunt for the first time a couple weeks ago.  She really surprised me.  She was quiet, fairly still and we got to see the biggest whitetail that I've ever seen in the woods.  It was a great time for both of us.  We took snacks, didn't hunt long, and just enjoyedour time together.  Can't wait to do it again.

 

[Mountain Bowhunter]

that's awesome that she has that much interest at such a young age.  good work!

 

[radmansciteach]

Thanks guys!  Keep em' coming!  I love to see the pics too!  I have thought this through a bit and was thinking (with any kid) that I want her experience to be my experience.  meaning that if in her excitement she talks too loud and an elk/deer/coyote whatever runs off that I don't want to get all over her for spooking them off.  I know the hunt might not be the same but seeing her excitement will be what I want to look forward to.

 

[cgsmith]

I have tell on my little one.  There was a moment after she ate her Slim Jim & Clif Fruit Rope, that she just started dancing.  When I told her that she wasn't supposed to dance while deer hunting, she stopped, leaned over to me and quietly whispered, "You didn't tell me that, Dad."  I guess she was right.  At least she was quiet about it. 

 

[radmansciteach]

I have tell on my little one.  There was a moment after she ate her Slim Jim & Clif Fruit Rope, that she just started dancing.  When I told her that she wasn't supposed to dance while deer hunting, she stopped, leaned over to me and quietly whispered, "You didn't tell me that, Dad."  I guess she was right.  At least she was quiet about it. 

Too FUNNY cgsmith!! I can totally picture my daughter doing the same thing!

 

[lang]

9,6, and 3 all girls.  They all started just holding arrows while I shot.  Now they love going to 3d shoots, it's a perfect starting place.  We can go at our own pace, talk, have snacks etc.  They are all super family friendly.  Also bird hunting is an easier start than any big game for little ones.  Don't know if any of them will hunt, but they all love the outdoors already.     

 

[The_Sol]

I am blessed with 3 daughters (23, 19, 16). All 3 have been my hunting buddies at some point. The oldest took her first elk 10 days after she became legal age. The middle one hunted with me since she was small, but never wanted to hunt until she was 17 and took her 1st elk 2 yrs ago. My youngest spent a LOT of time with me across Colorado and in the Bighorns of WY chasing wapiti.  She took 5th place in the women’s division of the World Elk Calling Championships at 11 yrs old, and that fall called in 14 different bulls for me.  The one I took wasn’t the largest by far, but decided to take the shot because she called it in all by herself.   
Start them in the outdoors while they are young, as it instills in them a love for being in the wild.  All 3 of my daughters traveled with me while I served as RMEF State Chair here in CO for 7 years, which gave them a solid conservationist background on which to build upon (Our middle daughter was named outstanding RMEF Youth for the US in 2009-pretty proud Dad that night in Reno!).  Get them involved.
Expect to have them make too much noise, want to not walk too far, be back at camp beforedark, sleep in when it rains, but more importantly, remember that you are their friend...forever.  My youngest and I wrote the list below while sitting under a spruce tree in a snow squall in the Bighorns, the morning she called in another hunter from far away.  Every mile a memory.

 

[lang]

Here some clips at shoots.
://youtu.be/WnO1J1y9UQ8

 

[jenbickel]

My daughter, who will be 7 this month, has been hunting with me since she was 2. I started her out rifle antelope hunting with me and she has gone with me almost every year since. She loves watching me shoot something. She talks about it all year long afterwards. I also take her shed hunting with me. A lot of times, we will go out to my parents ranch and I will have some of my sheds thrown out in the field and have her go "shed hunting" with me. It keeps her excitement up and keeps her wantin to go with me. She has her pile of sheds that she keeps and protects with her life. The first time I did the pre-organized shed hunt, she just kept saying, " I don't know what you're talking about Mom, this shed hunting stuff is super easy! " lol This year she asked me for a bow for her birthday and one thing is for sure, she's getting it!

 

[MT_mulies]

My wife is pregnant and we just found out that we are having a gril. This is our first kid so this post is timely I think haha. My wife is from the city and I got her to hunt after she saw how excited I was about hunting and I quit putting so much pressure on her to hunt. She didn't really want to hunt when I kept asking her all the time, but once it was her idea she was all for hunting. I would bet kids are pretty close to the same.
I'm stoked about being able to take my unborn kid hunting. My wife I have already talked about it. Nothing I like more than introducing someone into hunting.

 

[eddew7x7]

Don't wait let her go right now with you so see can see the wild places Dad goes to.  I killed a bull elk with my daughter on my back before she could walk.  She has taken elk, deer and turkey so far.  She is a great and ethical hunter because of her early introduction to hunting and the wild places.  Now she has a daughter and wants to introduce her to the same thing she has.