Took my son hunting for the first time

[Tororider]

I took my four year old "hunting" last night. We sat in my doghouse for about an hour and a half. He did pretty well. He was a trooper for about 45 minutes and then got a little antsy, fortunately I had snacks. When the snack ran out, I had some other distractions. I wasn't so worried about hunting I just wanted him to have fun, and that was accomplished. It would have been gravy to actually see a deer. Now he wants to sit up in my ladder stand with me, since I don't have a two person one I told him that I would try to build an enclosed one, a la Eddie, for next year.

I took a few pictures so I will try to post those when I get a chance.

 

[dooleysm]

Dad and I took the dogs out to chase rabbits last weekend and wandered by the area where he always deer hunts. He's got a climber that he uses now. He mentioned that he wants to build a free standing mansion in the sky to use when he gets older and can't use the climber (he's 59). He's hoping to make it big enough to take my boys with him too (2.5 and 1 right now, so a few years off). I haven't hunted deer in a number of years, though I used to be big into it. I much prefer rabbit hunting with the dogs now and don't really have time for both anymore.

 

[4720 OWNER]

So:
What was the dog doing? Or is this a term for something else?

Used to have a hat for the ex with branches on it, she always wondered why noone else had a 'special' deer hunting hat.

How old is this new little hunter addition?

What a great way to spend some quality time with your son!!

 

[czechsonofagun]

Tororider: Next time let him operate deer calls and let him use binoculars, that always works

 

[Tororider]

The doghouse is a popup tent made for hunting, stake it to the ground, tie some local vegetitation to it and zip yourself in. It has three windows and just enough room for my 4 year old and I to sit in it relatively comfortably.

Czech, I didn't even think about the binocs and calls, I will have to do that. Not sure if I will take him out again this year, maybe later during muzzleloader or late shotgun, but I only get so many nights to hunt and I would like to put one in the freezer. The sooner I put one away, the sooner he will get to go out again.

 

[ToadHill]

If you build a mansion in the sky, don't use plywood for the floor, my dad did and we had a great place to hunt for one season. He went up the next year and the pork-u-pines had eaten the whole floor out of the thing.

 

[Bird]

Apparently a number of our members hunt from stands. The following was copied from today's Dallas Morning News:

A Garland police officer died this weekend after falling from a deer stand during a hunting trip with his son and two other officers in Snyder.
Keith Prinz, 42, of Rockwall died Saturday after he lost his grip while spraying for wasps. He fell from the deer stand and was impaled on a metal fence post, said Scurry County Sheriff Darren Jackson.

He was an officer for more than 23 years in Garland, according to his obituary.

That sounds to me like a terrible way to go, so I hope all of you build stands you won't fall from, but it might also be a good idea to be aware of what you're building it over.

 

[Tororider]

I just convinced my dad to wear a harness this year. I have a system called "fall guy" for my stands. It uses safety belt technology from the automotive industry and you use it from ground up, while you are in the tree, and then from stand down, so you are protected the whole time you are hunting. I figure there are too many things that can go wrong while trying to move to get a shot, stand slides on the tree, you slip, whatever, to not take every precaution possible. I have a wife, two small kids, and another on the way, I don't want to miss that or be permanently injured for any of that.

 

[EddieWalker]

My 8 year old got his first gun last week. It was his birthday and he is now the proud owner of a Daisy BB gun. He's been out target practicing with it, and he just might end up as good a shot as his mom.

What's realy impressive is that he knows wher it belongs and he hasn't come close to trying to touch it or play with it. The BB's are in a seperate room and up as high as I can reach.

Eddie

 

[Tororider]

Starting respect for a gun early is always a good idea. I think when people run into problems is when the child is never allowed to see a gun, it is hidden away, and they are just told "no". If a child isn't educated about gun/weapons you are asking for trouble. That being said, I am looking to get a gun safe to put everything out at the farm mostly for my peace of mind for the little ones who don't know any better. Eddie, your son is going to have a blast. My dad made a target for my brother and I to shoot at in the basement. It was just a wooden box with an angled back wall and enough space to fit a phone book or equivalent to stop the bbs. Although we didn't have but a half acre lot in a subdivision so we didn't have all the places your son will to target shoot.

Jacob asked about shooting my bow before we went out hunting. At four he is too young for a real bow, but I am going to try to find a childs bow that isn't a toy. If anyone knows where I can find one I would appreciate it.