Getting your kids into hunting is just like trying to create interest in any hobby or activity. If you want to generate their interest in playing Pop Warner football, garner their interest in an NFL team or NFL players. If you want to get them into hobby building, lead by example and show the how awesome your to scale boat or car is. The same goes for fowl hunting; getting your child excited about hunting will generate anticipation and a passion for the hunt.
As they say, half the adventure is the anticipation. And there’s no better way to generate this sense of anticipation than involving your young hunter in the preparations for the hunt. This can include anything from supplies shopping, packing, scouting, opening camp and any other kind of preparation. And don’t forget one of the largest components of prepping for the hunt; learning firearms safety and training.
Getting your fledgling hunter to the shooting range a lot before the season is one of the most important things you could do to prep them for hunting season. This will teach them not only best practices for aiming, but the different types of shot and in what ways they’re most effective. Before picking up a gun in the brush, your rookie hunter should have already picked it up at the range at least two or three times in the months preceding their first outing.
Remember you not only want the first outing to be a solid reflection of the preparation and education you have instilled in them, but you want it to be comfortable as well. This is why one of the fundamental steps in taking your young hunter out in the brush for the first time is ensuring their comfort. This includes making sure they have warm, well-fitting clothing. Big clunky boots that are 2x too large or a field coat 3 sizes to big not only compromise their general comfort and warmth, they also impact performance and maneuverability.
Finally make sure you are having fun with them. Kids like to have fun and if they are not, they will become disinterested quickly. And if you are forcing them to hunt and being a real downer about it, the experience will scar them and likely turn them off of it for life. So making sure you are having fun with them and they’re having a good time is much more likely to land you a hunting buddy for life.
