1st Blackpowder Hunt for 8 year old

[nicbuc]

November 5th my son Nic and I will venture out for his first blackpowder hunt. He is ready with his new TC Black Diamond 50Cal. We spent Sunday before last shooting the new gun and letting him get used to it....after a few more adjustment we should be ready. We also put up a ground blind on a well traveled logging road fresh with scapes. In the past this area has done well in the buck production. I don't know who is more excited me or him. Well, anyway if you have a chance to take your child or any child that has the passion for the outdoors go ahead and take them it is much more rewarding than any buck you will ever get.

[rapprunner]

That is great!!!![grin][grin] I hope the young man gets him one. I wish you both the best of luck. Please keep us posted.

[done workin]

TAKE THE CAMCORDER AND CAMERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck to both of you.

[rock n crab]

Took my 12 yo daughter last Friday, she got a perfect broadside shot at a nice doe but it was a complete miss. Didn't really matter, she and I laughed so hard at how our hearts were thumping and our legs shaking so much. I'm not sure who got the better rush out of it, her or me. This Saturday it's my 9 yo son who gets to go. You are correct, it's as fun or even more fun seeing the hunt thru their eyes and smiles.

[nicbuc]

You bet the cameras are going. I hope I will be able to video the whole experience. If he has as much fun as he did earlier this year catching bass we are gonna have a blast. [excited]

[FishHook321]

Can't wait to take my grandson, he's getting his first "real" gun for Christmas this year. Gave him a BB gun for his 6th birthday this year. After hitting the first two coke cans I set up, he pointed to the woods and said "come on Papa, there's deer in there" I think I have a new hunting partner.

[RYASON]

I LOVE THESE STORIES. MY BOY IS 6 AND HE CRIES EVERYTIME I GO. I TAKE HIM SCOUTING BUT HE IS A BIT YOUNG TO WITNESS THE KILLING PART. MY GIRL IS 5 AND LIKES TO COLOR COORDINATE HER BARBIE CLOTHES. OH WELL. MIGHT BRING THE BOY ON A GOOSE TRIP THIS YEAR, I THINK HE WOULD LIKE THAT. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

[ketch69]

Six is plenty old to go hunting. Take the boy along, you won't be sorry. My seven year old has been tagging along for three years and will shoot this year.


DEAN

[nicbuc]

Definately, take him, just be selective about what you shoot. I've been taking Nic with me since he was old enough to walk...we were scouting when he was 18 months old he got into a nest of yellow jackets and got ate up bad. We both were crying all the way to the hospital. You know the phone call home was a call from Hell. Anyway Nic has yet to see one fall, the best chance we had one day a few years ago we came up on an injured small buck i was fixin to shoot him when the boy said Yeah lets get him and take him home and mom can fix his leg and we can let him go! So with that being said I returned the gun to "safe" and turned to him and explained that we were going to kill the deer and take him home and eat him.....Nic had this look you know the one [sad] and said naw daddy don't kill him. So right there I decided that he wasn't ready and I did not want to traumatize the chap so the deer limped off. My only advice would be to communicate to your kids exactly what is going to happen so they won't be shocked. Death is not as easy as TV makes it....no matter what dies. My wife showed a very little interest in hunting when we first met and she watched the movie Powder and we didn't speak for a week and now she would even consider it and when she invites people into our house she says "welcome to my den of death" [grin][grin]

[rock n crab]

Priorities are definatly rearranged when the kids start going out with you but it isn't bad, just know up front that there will be less harvesting of animals but more time spent with your kids makes it worth it. When my kids are behind the gun I let them know if they do not want to pull the triger on an animal that is ok with me, totally their decision.

[RYASON]

SOME GREAT ADVICE. MAYBE ITS ME THATS NOT READY. FISHING OR HUNTING, I MAKE SURE THE KIDS KNOW " IF YOUR NOT GOING TO EAT IT FOR DINNER, LET IT GO. IT HAS WORKED WELL WITH FISH AND THE BOY IS LEARNING THAT CATCH AND RELEASE IS A GOOD THING AND WE HAVE RELEASED SOME NICE FISH. WE HAVE KEPT OUR FAIR SHARE TOO. I'LL GET HIM OUT ON A GOOSE TRIP AND SEE HOW THAT GOES. JUST WANT TO TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME. MY GOAL IS A WESTERN STATE ELK TRIP WHEN HE IS 18 OR SO BUT I WANT HIM TO HAVE THE SAME PASION AND RESPECT FOR THE HUNT AS I DO. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE ADVICE.

[done workin]

Never force a child to do something they don't have to do. They have to clean their rooms, do chores, etc. Sports, hunting included, are not mandatory although nice.

I told my wife that my proudest day will be when and if my daughter comes home up to her elbows in blood (From a deer hopefully not hers). Hopefully my son will go too. They will both be 7 in december so next year will be the first squirrel hunt and we'll see how it goes. They do ok when the deer are laying on the ground in the back yard bloody from the field dressing so we'll see.

Us adults have had all the time before the kids were born, and we'll have all the time after they move out to enjoy ourselves. The time in between belongs to them and if we do it right after they move out those good times will continue.