Idaho bound with daughter

[Trdbrgler]

Hello been a lurker in here for some time, should have joined a while ago.
Anyway to the points.
This upcoming year will be my first time archery hunting elk most likely Idaho still deciding on zone.  I?m an experienced hunter just never elk. Taking 3 weeks and a few days total
My daughter is now 12 and she will be joining just the 2 of us.
We are experienced backpackers and she has joined me on several back country excursions. She?s tuff for 12 year old girl.
Anyway any tips for back country with kids would be appreciated.

 

[DTP]

First off welcome to the site (officially) Trdbrgler!


It sounds like you're already ahead of the game because your daughter has experience in the field with you. So you already have a good understanding of her capabilities and limits.


How long of trips have you taken before on your back country excursions?


One thing I'd keep in mind is that 3 weeks and some change is a long time. So I'd probably take it at a pace you know you're going to not burn her out in the long run. That may means a few days will be just relaxing closer to camp or not even hunting at all.


If you have a camera I'd let her bring that around. Her job can be "to capture the experience." If you can keep her engaged and excited about it then it'll make the experience 100 times better. Also you'll have a lot more pictures to remember the entire trip by.


Id say buy a few elk calls for her to mess around with too. That way she can help you make some calls in the field! Again, just another way to keep her engaged and feel like she is part of the hunt!


You guys are going to have so much fun!

 

[Trdbrgler]

Great idea making her the cameras guru she will love that.
We?ve done anywhere from overnighters to a week out doing various things, hunting, gold prospecting, and just backpacking.
Being this is our first year my plan is to mostly camp at the truck but be prepared to spike out if the need arises.

 

[DTP]

Great idea making her the cameras guru she will love that.
We?ve done anywhere from overnighters to a week out doing various things, hunting, gold prospecting, and just backpacking.
Being this is our first year my plan is to mostly camp at the truck but be prepared to spike out if the need arises.

I've had the pleasure of helping my buddy take his three sons on elk hunting adventures.
Over the two years of trips I believe they ranged from 9 to 16 years old.
Something I learned quick is there is a lot of excitement up until the hunt, but once the hunt started some of them needed some "motivation" during it.
We just found ways to keep it interesting and educational. I'm a high speed low drag kind of person on my hunts, but during these trips it was more focused on them and their experience.


I know guys who have taken their kids out before and basically ran them down tired the first day and then the rest of the trip the kids didn't want to be there anymore.


It also sounds silly, but tell her to bring a journal and a pencil. When you guys sit down during the day at rest stops or areas you want to sit and hunt for a while, she can write about the experiences in the journal. This will help her keep busy and prevent getting bored as quickly.




Last tip I have... if you don't have two sets of binos, borrow a friends. Kids love glassing and sometimes they are better than us
When you make it an adventure to find the elk, they will find them quickly!




Good luck!

 

[cohunter14]

One more idea for you that you may or may not have thought of: three weeks is a LONG TIME to be camping. I'd consider throwing a hotel room in there on occasion for a shower, warm meal, and a good night sleep in a bed. Maybe even a full day in town to relax, let her do some shopping or something like that, and just get away and recharge the batteries. With over 21 days to hunt, mixing in a day or two like this won't kill you but will certainly help keep her in the game.

 

[Kdkehoe]

I took my 12 year old niece out for her first MT rifle hunt a few years back when she turned 12.  Just a few things I did.
I showed her how to track an animal and she took over tracking duty and I let her call some shots for where we went.
I also let her play with some calls as well, even though that time was passed a bit.
We together planned the meals throughout the day as well as snacks.
Also, because we are in MT I spent sometime educating her on bear awareness and what to pay attention to, as well as we tested a bear spray in the woods prior. Which depending on zone in Idaho isn?t a bad idea.  The more educated bear aware she is the less frightened she could be should an encounter arise.


Oh and I let her take the first shot should we have a run in with a buck or doe.

 

[Trdbrgler]

Great ideas all thanks