Kids ages and hunting??

[D.R.T.]

Hey everyone...a quick poll here...what were the ages that you took your kids on their first hunt? What gun? and how was the experience for you and them?

I am currently planning a pheasant hunt for me and my 8 year old son, using a single shot .410(that is what I learned on)

ps-My wife is worried he is too young...

[Greybeard]

Depends upon the kid. Mine started going with me on dove hunts about that age, but I did not let him carry a "real gun" pheasant or quail hunting until 11 or 12. (In fact you might want to google "Texas Youth Hunting Program" where we drew a real inexpensive guided hunt at Santa Anna.)

I'd suggest throwing a bunch of clays beforehand, let him learn how to hit fast flyers.

If able to hunt behind a good pointer and not even carry a gun yourself while behind him, that would be even better.

Not a big fan of .410 here - just not enough pellets. Although I normally like 4's, 5s or 6s for pheasants, I'd suggest 7 1/2s with the .410, get him to lead 'em well and go for head/neck shots. And try to get him on a 20 gauge as soon as practical.

[kd5zex]

My children are too young to hunt with "real guns" but I can provide some personal experience (it wasn't that long ago... ). I started dove hunting on a double barrel 12 gauge with hammers and no recoil pad when I was 12. I enjoyed hitting birds but also learned to respect ammo and shot selection. I have friends and relatives who started out on .410 who became discouraged quickly due to the lack of hits. IMO, a .410 is more of an expert shotgun rather than a beginner shotgun. I spent most of my early days (age 6-12) "learning" how to find downed birds, which is invaluable experience today. I can not say what is best for you child but I agree with Greybeard 100% on getting him on a 20 gauge as soon as possible and practicing on the clays. I have never been pheasant hunting before so my comments may not be applicable to your situation. In any case enjoy the time with the boy, they grow up fast.

[ac-mech]

Check this website www.kidshunttoo.com is a friend of mine from work and his kids , they also have a video .
Lot of info....

[longtooth]

An 8 yr old shooting at phesant w/ a 410 will not be able to hit anything. The "failure" will do nothing to fertalize his desire for hunting & firearms.
Take him squirrel hunting so he can set & wait on one. He can hit a squirrel & eat it that night.
Let him go w/ you if he wants to, walk beside you, find an opportunit for him to shoot at a target of some sort.
My kids were taught that they could shoot anything they could show Dad they were big enough & strong enough to handle safely.
Set him up a sawhorse w/ a pad on it. .22 at cans on another sawhorse at a range he can hit them I got it. I Got It. I GOT IT.

There are much better ways to start one.
My .02cents & some think it worth about half that.

[drw]

I got it. I Got It. I GOT IT.

That speaks to me.

My 8 year old son LOVES LOVES LOVES to shoot at logs. We have a bunch of them, 12" long and about 4 inches wide, sawed smooth on the ends and then set upright right in the middle of our dirt driveway. He'll sit in the back of our pickup truck with a pillow over the edge of the bed of the truck and just plink away for hours with our single shot .22 rifle. He'll knock them all down and then run out there and set them back up and off he goes again.

He likes to increase the challenge by moving the targets farther and farther away to see how far he can get them out before he has trouble hitting. He's a great shot as a result of all that good practice.

I'm planning on starting him on squirrels and maybe rabbits this fall and see how he does. We have plenty of them in the woods. Assuming that goes well, I'm going to see about a deer hunt for him this winter using our AR-15.

[Dan20703]

It' all just an opinion so,

I agree with the previous posts that suggest plinking and squirrel hunting first. An 8 year old with a shotgun going after phesants on his first hunt will get VERY disappointed with the whole deal. Heck, I know adults that have problems hitting pheasants with 12 gauges.

I would say that bringing him along to see you hunt would be much more gratifying to him than looking like a failure in front of you. Finding a downed bird that "his dad" just shot would make him feel like he was a hero!

Overall it's great to hear that you are introducing him to guns and hunting.

[CompVest]

D.R.T.

I guess all of this advice will rest on what experience your son has had shooting. You didn't say what and how much shooting he has done.

[NcongruNt]

I don't have kids, so I can only relay my own experience.

My first hunting experience was when I was about 10 (not sure exactly, but that seems right). I was on the family farm in Nebraska with my dad and uncle. I was given a bolt-action .410 shotgun and we started out by going out to a field and doing a little target practice, with an overview of proper gun handling rules beforehand. They set up an empty antifreeze jug and I went through probably 5 rounds. We again went over proper gun handling rules and how to carry a gun while hunting in a group. They removed the bolt and took me for a dry run (they hunted pheasant and quail while I went with them) to make sure I handled the gun properly during the hunt. I didn't get to go hunting again that year, but I did learn how to go about one. I don't know if this was because they were not sure I was ready or not, I will have to ask one of them about it in the future. I had never handled a firearm before this occasion, and had not grown up around guns, except that my dad took one with him whenever we went to Nebraska for Christmas to hunt.

The next time we went to Nebraska, I was around 12 and itching to hunt, really wanting to get a bird. I guess my dad had other things to do, so my uncle took me out, along with the dog (a black lab and great hunting dog). I took my dad's 16ga. side-by-side and we went over proper handling and hunting rules again. Once that was finished, off we went and after probably 45 minutes of looking around, we flushed some quail. Unfortunately, I had no clean shot on them, and this was likely because there was a good 20 of them, and multiple targets was not something I had considered. We went around for probably another half hour, crossing a creek bridge, and found some pheasant tracks running along the banks. I took the initiative to follow them, and my uncle gave me some pointers as to the likely locations of a bird let me go about it ahead of him, along with the dog. I continued tracking and the dog found and flushed the bird near the bank. I honestly don't remember my thoughts at the time (and didn't then), other than I shouldered the shotgun and took a shot, downing the bird. I remember hearing my uncle's voice behind me shouting "got him!", as I ran ahead to catch up to the bird. The bird had run and ducked under the bank of the creek, where the dog stopped. My uncle caught up to us, trying to get the dog to jump in (it was a couple days before Christmas, snow on the ground, and the water was cold), but he didn't want to go. Finally my uncle threw him in, and the dog proceeded to swim to retrieve the bird, which made a brief splashing attempt to escape before collapsing as soon as the dog got it in his mouth. The dog brought it back, we bagged it, and returned back to the house. We brought it back and my uncle taught me how to dress a pheasant. We had it for supper that night. That was some tasty bird.

I apologize for the long rambling reply. What I intend to convey is this: Use your best judgment in taking your son to shoot. Familiarizing him with proper gun handling is important, and a little time practicing with something like your .410 single shot is probably a productive thing to do, and will give you an idea as to whether he is able to conduct himself safely during a hunting trip. You know him best. If you're still unsure, you might take the route that my dad and uncle did, and have him bring along a gun with the bolt removed (or similarly disabled) and have him handle it as he would a loaded firearm. This can clarify for you whether he is ready or not, if you still have doubts. If he is at all interested in hunting, this will likely spur him along to better learn the required skills to graduate to an actual hunt.

The purpose of my second paragraph is this: That hunt where I shot my first bird is one of my most treasured memories. I still remember the details quite vividly and to this day am grateful that I had the opportunity to spend that time with my uncle. I've heard similar stories of nostalgia from folks whose fathers/relatives took them hunting. It is truly a worthwhile investment, both for you and your son.

[D.R.T.]

Thanks for the advice and stories...I still remember my first hunt...my son will have quite a bit experience before we go...its going to be a guided hunt with a dog to help insure success. Thanks again for your input...feel free to keep posting...

[KRM45]

I took my son with me hunting last fall at the age of 4. I had already gotten a buck so it was more a trip to the lease and for bonding purposes. We went to the stand with 4 .22 shells and the trusty Henry Rifle (single shot .22) We were hoping to find a rabbit, but alas we ended up bagging a prickly pear cactus instead.

It was a great time, and a learning experience for both of us.

[Texasdoc]

I started my 2 girls at age 5 with both taking deer at that age. both shot there own deer with rifles that I had custom built for them. Steph's was a 85lb. doe taken in stonewall, Kathy's was a 57lb. doe taken on the Reed ranch in east texas

[hankintexas]

My son was about 8 or 9. we started with tree rats. I bought him a bolt action .22. I bought him a Stevens .410 the same year and also started dove hunting. He was always a great kid and enjoyed being in the woods. He is now in the Army and about to make me a Grandpa (in Jan). He will be in Iraq when the baby is born. I hope I get the chance to hunt and shoot with the newest addition to our clan. We will find out Monday if I need to buy a pink or blue firearm.

[iratollah]

The biggest problem I've seen taking kids younger than 10 or 11 out bird hunting is barrel discipline. When you're walking around, they tend to forget where they're pointing that loaded shotgun.

I also agree that while many of us learned shotgunning with .410s, it could be a discouraging experience.

[John]

I think i started taking my son with me to the duck blind around around 6 or maybe a little earlier. Get him a BB gun to take along. Take them early and often. When they hit the teen years you'll start spending less and less time with them.