Taking a kid hunting…
I’ve been waterfowl hunting with my son Tucker since he was 2 years old. Soon my youngest, Wyatt, will hit that age and we’ll get to introduce another little man to the crew. Some argue this too young, but I counter with knowing your child’s limitations and adapting the hunting experience to spark their interest, no matter the age. Tuck is now 5 years old and spends more days afield than most adults I know. His passion has developed contagiously and way beyond my expectations. Part of this is natural desire and interest, but I believe it’s also rooted in the framework in which I introduced him to the outdoors. If you’re debating about getting your kiddo into the field next season, these are a few of the things I’ve learned thus far….
1.0 Be Selfless
The day you decide to take a kid hunting, you’ve officially stopped hunting for yourself. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll still pull the trigger and no doubt have a ton of fun, but the focus no longer lies on your experience alone. You are now the curator of another’s hunting future, or potentially, lack thereof. You’ll get frustrated at times, and that’s ok, as long as you continually remind yourself that it’s about them. Include them in everything. If you go grab a bird, invite them along. When they ask a question, take the time to answer and then ask them a question. This will spark their curiosity & help them critically thinking about why they are there.
2.0 Teach Them the Game
This idea is no different than teaching any person a new concept. You have to build a framework to help them understand what the goal is and then continually build upon that framework. How do hunters learn? By experience out hunting! Your kiddo should be no different. Depending on the age, you may start out playing ‘hunting’ in the back yard, but we’ll focus on what those first few hunts could or should look like from your perspective.
2.1 Make them Help!
No, it’s not about developing a little slave laborer or just to have another body tossing decoys…. the ‘why’ here is to create a feeling of inclusion in the group. The confidence that’s created by helping set up will encourage your kiddo to ask questions to others in the group. By hearing feedback from others, it’ll reinforce the comradery that we all love about waterfowling. This is the first team building exercise they’ll experience afield. Get there early, turn on some tunes and make it fun!
2.2 The Rules
Once trucks are out and the spread is set, get them into the blind as soon as possible. No different from training ‘place’ or ‘kennel’ with your favorite retriever, you have to establish the place we go to be still and hide. This is important from the hunt perspective, but also regarding safety. Continually reiterate how you want junior to safely enter and exit the blind. I’d equate this lesson to learning how to cross the street. Gun barrels must be confirmed as empty and open before anyone crosses in front of the blind (age dependent, evening holding a hand).
2.3 Let Them Fail
That sounds harsh, but make every misstep an opportunity to learn. There’s no doubt, when that first flock starts working and hits 80 yards, he or she will spring out of the blind yelling ‘shoot em!!’ As the birds flare, you as the parent may feel responsible for burning a good flock. Depending on your buddies, some may scoff or say something under their breathe, but now’s the time for you to teach. Don’t shame your little one, but explain why nobody was able to pull the trigger. Reiterate that they need to stay still until told otherwise. Establish dominance of who the shot caller is and why it’s important to stay still until they say ‘shoot’. The next flock may improve and they’ll watch their first bird hit the deck…. or you’ll have a chance to teach the lesson until they see it done ‘right’.
3.0 Be Flexible
The first few hunts are the most important time to show how fun it is, so be flexible and creative if things don’t go perfectly. Well ok, what does that mean? If your kiddo can’t sit still and blows the first few flocks, grab the layouts, shift down a hundred yards and watch from a distance. Make the move of blinds a race. Dive into the blinds when you get there and pretend your hiding from something. Do anything to make the lesson about hiding stick. We’re here to have fun, but if we want to shoot birds we have to hide. Kids need consequences to rationalize what actions are expected. If the flight stops & their bored, try not to cave and just go home. Show them that just being out is way more fun than the couch.
4.0 Be Prepared
Inevitably, 5 minutes before a flight starts, your kiddos going to get hungry, thirsty or have to pee. Have the proper ‘solutions’ to those problems in their pack. Yes, their pack. I’ve found this to be an important part of making them feel included and sharing in the prep work for the hunt. Packing their own snacks (with some parental oversight) will teach them responsibility and as they get older, encourage them to help with other hunt related tasks the night before. If they aren’t old enough to hunt, let them bring a toy gun. It’s never too early to start lessons on gun safety. *This includes making sure they pack their earmuffs*
5.0 Know Your Hunting Partners
Taking children hunting isn’t the time to bring a buddy from work who ‘really wants to get into it’ or that friend of a friend who ‘supposedly’ gets after it.  To start out, keep your group small. I always suggest 2 shooters and you (the parent) leave your gun at home. If you have a gun, it’s easy to get sucked into the hunt and lose sight of why your there, your kids experience.  You’ll have enough to do. Make sure that you know every person holding a gun and be confident you trust him or her and their knowledge of gun safety. If they don’t fit that criteria, they don’t belong in a blind with my kids. Once they’ve been out a few times, you can hunt with larger groups, but ensure it’s controlled and you fully understand your kids bad habits. It could be that they get excited and wanna run after downed birds?  They may be slow back to the blind because he or she wants to mess with decoys? Do they listen well when birds are working & stay still? If you can’t answer these types of questions, I don’t believe you should take he or she on hunts with anyone but close friends or family.
Conclusion
Your developing a lifetime hunting buddy, don’t skimp on the early days. The foundation your building not only develops strong hunting knowledge & instincts, but it will undoubtedly strengthen the bond between parent, child, family and friends.  One bad experience at this age can easily hinder that from happening.
Happy hunting and feel free to reach out to @n.bowers87 with any questions.
Great article Nick. You have the perfect perspective on teaching youngsters the hunting game. Awesome work.
You raise so many important points here. I especially love that you seem to have the perfect balance of teaching the child to be part of an adult group, while still protecting and teaching the child. I don’t know a thing about hunting but can see how your approach is going to serve your child well in life.
Dad’s are so important to a child. Good father relationships are paramount to a well rounded individual. The best thing I saw described here was excellent parenting. Great job Nick!