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Build a comfy treehouse near a game trail. Kids can move around more freely and not be seen. |
Your kids don't want to hunt
So what? says this mother who found ways to keep her children in the hunt for fun
My father would say, "Watch for deer," whenever we drove in a rural area at dusk. I'd scope the passing woods and fields and flabbergast myself with the deer I'd see, just by being observant. Spotting wildlife on my own became addictive, and at a young age, this type of hunting seemed natural.
Don't wait until your children are nearly teens to share your love of hunting; start them young.
Have class outside
When driving, point out hawks on perch patiently waiting for a meal. In the woods, point out turkey scratchings, buck rubs, mole holes, squirrel eaten pinecones, nests, feathers from a predator kill, piles of bones, owl pellets. Never let an opportunity pass without showing them how the natural world works — the fun, the frightening and the gross.
Get down on your hands and knees and crawl with your kids to study something closely. Don't be afraid to get dirty. If you come across a warm animal bed, lay down with your child and curl up like the deer did to get the feel of it. It's important to have enthusiasm for what we love. Children want to know why we love wildlife and hunting. Show them your passion.
Encourage a free environment
The outdoors is a place for open communication, for connecting. It is not the time to argue or pick at them. Time spent in the woods together needs to be some of the richest and best.
Channel your inner Robin Hood
Get your child into shooting as early as possible. Have them target practice. As soon as I got a recurve bow, my kids said, "Mom, can I try that?" Of course, the bow did not fit them, but I made sure for their next birthday that they got a real Cub bow, not a toy. Once they shot with something that fit them and they were able to control it, they immediately fell in love with the sport.
Archery is quiet, not as startling as a gun. The kids found my compound bow scary; the arrow shot out at tremendous speed. The recurve was a much better first choice. Rent "Robin Hood" and watch it with them or read the book aloud. Let your imaginations run wild.
Create sharpshooters
Shooting tin cans with a BB gun is exciting for children, especially when they hear that "ping" and knock the cans over. Not only is it fun; you're building their confidence.
Build a tree house
My kids and I like to sit in a tree, watch for game and study their habits. If you own land, build a comfy tree house near a game trail. Kids can move around more freely and not be seen.
Why not spend the night in it and wake up with nearby wildlife?
Evoke a blast from the past
Take your child to a blackpowder rendezvous where folks dress in period clothing and have competitions, workshops and games for kids. They will be exposed to primitive firearms, a specialty that just might strike a chord with him or her.
Go on a rustic vacation
Go to a hunting cabin for family vacations. Don't just save it for hunting trips. Let them experience storytelling around the woodstove, waking up early and going out to look for game.
Creep on wildlife
Bring your child along on a game scouting expedition. Teach your kids to move like a Native American, and walk without making a sound. But don't worry if he or she gets sidetracked by a pretty rock or picking wild berries. It's supposed to be more play than work.
Incorporate scouting or tracking in a camping trip. It'll be easier to get them out of bed before dawn. If it's not too cold or buggy, sleep under a tarp so your child can wake up and immediately see the woods and animals that might be passing by.
Build a fort
Set up blinds and forts for hanging out and observing animals' movements and habitats. Children adore fort building and to make use of one with their parent would be heaven. Buy them binoculars, nature journals, magnifying glasses, identification books, calls, a compass and topo maps and teach them to use them.
Share the natural world with them, and you'll be well on your way to raising a hunter. — Cindy Ross