Kids and Hunting

How did you introduce your kids to hunting?

Are you not sure HOW or WHEN to get your kids involved in your hunting adventures? Here are a few of our tips and what we've done so far with our now almost 2 year old daughter. We aren't experts by any means, but thought we'd share what has worked for us!

TALK ABOUT IT!
Leading up to our trips, I made sure to talk to Lindsey about all the animals we would see and what we are going to do outside. Granted, she was only 15 months old when we took our first big hunting trip, but I think it did really help to get her excited when I told her what we were about to do. Plus I let her help me clean and pack the camper. By the time we set up our home on the mountain, she was used to the camper and excited about living in it for a couple weeks.

BRING THEM WITH YOU!
When we found out that we were pregnant almost 3 years ago, Troy and I knew that our hunting lifestyle was about to change, but we also knew that it didn't mean we would stop hunting. We spend the majority of September hunting elk in Colorado, so what was this going to look like with a baby / toddler?

It was a lot of work planning and preparing to take along a one-year old hunting, but trust me, it was worth it.  Take your kids with you, if you can! Here is what we did to make it possible...

1. "New" camper. We purchased a newer (used) camper that had a bunk room which would provide extra space for a pack-n-play and plenty of toys! 
2. Take turns hunting or just hunt less. Troy and I used to hunt together all the time. We've now learned to adjust and do more solo hunting. Honestly, this is more true during whitetail season. Elk hunting is a little more tricky to solo hunt for us. So, we learned to relax and not hunt ALL THE TIME while on the mountain. We took the time to enjoy being together as a family. This was hard for me to adjust to at first, because I'm used to going full force and taking advantage of every daylight hour while hunting. Trust me, when my mindset changed, I was able to truly enjoy sitting in camp, drinking a cup of coffee and watching my daughter pick flowers while my dog ran along beside her. 
3. Invite Grandparents. Having our parents up on the mountain allowed us to hunt together for several days and Lindsey got great quality time with her grandparents. It was a win-win! The bigger camper allowed us to have room for grandparents too!

MAKE IT FUN!
Whether you are just bringing kids to hunting camp or letting them actually go on a hunt with you, remember to keep it FUN! You want to make sure that the first impressions are good ones, so adjust your hunting expectations and focus on introducing the hunt in a positive way. That means not expecting that a 2 year old will be able to be still or quiet for long periods of time. Remember that young kiddos have short attention spans! Here are a few ideas for a first hunt...

1. Bring snacks! Lots of snacks.
2. Have them search for different bugs. 
3. Bring quiet toys or small books.
4. Play "I spy with my little eye"
5. Let them attempt to use the call, e.g., turkey slate, elk call, etc. (Remember that this is a fun hunt and if they don't call perfectly, who cares! Also... be ready because sometimes those imperfect calls actually work! LOL)
6. Talk quietly about what you are doing, explain the how and why of the hunt and why it is important to TRY and be quiet.
7. Bubbles!! Lindsey loves bubbles right now and it kept her busy at the truck while we were scouting, setting up blinds, etc.  

​These are all just suggestions. I haven't had the chance to use all of them yet, as Lindsey is only 2 and we have only taken her on a turkey "hunt" and for not that long... it was more like setting up the blind and playing at the truck while one of us hunted. We'll get there eventually, but I think the important thing is to simply let Lindsey be a part of the process early on and see how fun it is. She was definitely excited to see the turkey this spring after I shot mine and wanted to be in the picture. Small steps! 

We want to know.... What have you done to introduce your kids to your hunting lifestyle? What tips do you have to share?

~Emily