|
|
Post by jajwrigh on Oct 17, 2010 0:40:48 GMT -5
I took my wife's 11 year old nephew bowhunting for the first time this evening. He has a few gun hunts under his belt, but nothing in the early season. His dad is more of a gun hunter and I am the only bowhunter in the family, so I offered to take him afield. First, I watched him practice at 15 yards and then at 20 yards on my range and I gave him some encouragement and a few tips. This seemed to help his confidence and his accuracy and he was excited about our hunt. I took him to my favorite ridge top ladder stand and secured his bow to the gear rope and he climbed on up. I watched him attach himeself to the tree with his harness and I made him demonstrate that there was no slippage on his tie off rope. He pulled his bow up and I told him which areas the deer would come from. I went to a ladder stand about 75 yards away and we hunted for about 2 hours. Neither of us saw any deer, but we both heard a buck grunting and we could hear deer come up out of the bottoms and walk around just out of our eye's range. When it started to get dark we headed back to my house and he told his parents that he had a blast and he was hooked for life. He now has a bow, a new 20 gauge, and a nice muzzleloader so I doubt that will be our last hunt together. The number of hunters in our family keeps getting smaller so I will do what I can to pass along the traditions of the outdoors to the younger ones, the right way. My 4 year old wants to start shooting a bow so bad he can't stand it as well. Its just a matter of time before he pursues deer for the first time with stick and string also.  |
|
|
|
Post by JBDiNos on Oct 17, 2010 0:59:03 GMT -5
That is awesome.
|
|
|
|
Post by INDeerhunter on Oct 17, 2010 4:10:05 GMT -5
Great story ! thanks for sharing it with us, I look forward to the day I get to take my 5 and 3 yr old sons hunting with me, they both have bows already, they are practically toys the arrows barely stick into a foam target but they both enjoy shooting and both listen extremely well for their age !
On the other hand I was recently contacted by my wifes aunt and her 15 yr old son wants to start hunting, I jumped at the chance to get him into the shooting sports that I dearly love !
I told him to buy a youth consolidated apprentice license so we could go ahead and get out there to see if he liked it before I took him to hunters education. And I took the time to find the nearest and soonest date for the class since I thought he would like hunting right off the bat.
I called him the other day to see when and what he wanted to hunt, also since his parents own a small piece of property I ask if he got permission to hunt there for us, I think I almost got sick with the answer to my questions that he gave me !
He told me that we really didnt need a place to hunt we could just pull off the side of the road and hunt or we could walk across the street to the "certified forest" the guy that owns it is never there, and he thought he would go ahead and wait to buy his license (its $7) until he seen if he liked hunting at all, also told me that he doesnt like to eat deer and he didnt even want to try squirrel meat he figured we could just shoot those and leave lay out there for the coyotes and dogs to eat !!!!!
I hope his mother isnt going to be mad at me but I really let him have it over the phone !!! I couldnt believe my ears that he seriously thought that either what he was saying was OK or worse that he thought I would be OK with what he was telling me ! So needless to say I am really skeptical of taking him out there at all now, but at the same time I want to teach him the right way to hunt, the ethical legal way of all of it !
My biggest fear is that if I dont take him hunting and try to work thru all the misconceptions he has that his mom or dad (no one in the family hunts) will take him to hunters ed and then he will be out there in his backyard just killing stuff and leaving it lay !! I was hoping that I could take him to hunters ed and maybe he will pay attention then realize that where ever or whom ever he got all these really bad ideas from was wrong !!
Any advice you guys have for me or him on this matter ? I really dont want to give up on the boy, I know he is young has never hunted before and prolly has a few friends that he has been talkin to that possible hunt (legally or illegally from the sound of things) and thats why he feels the way he does ! I just dont really know how to approach the whole situation !
Since our last conversation he has purchased a license and has asked his parents to hunt their property so I think I have him on the right tract I just dont know what the best move is from here ? Any info or advice would be helpful and appreciated !
Good Luck to you all this season ! And thanks in advance for your time and help !
~ INDeerhunter ~
|
|
|
|
Post by dbd870 on Oct 17, 2010 5:20:37 GMT -5
That's what it's all about - well done.
|
|
|
|
Post by turkeyscout on Oct 17, 2010 6:55:19 GMT -5
........
at least get the boy to hunter ed........and there a good national bowhunter ed...call steve spencer inperu..or p.m. me for phone#
. .
........turkey scout. it might help if he hears from others. Good Luck
|
|
|
|
Post by Woody Williams on Oct 17, 2010 7:02:50 GMT -5
Great!
The young man sounds like he is really into it.
He is lucky that he has you.
Enjoy your time afield with him.
|
|
|
|
Post by jdaily on Oct 17, 2010 7:30:26 GMT -5
I would get him in a hunter ed class ASAP and teach him the right way to do things. If not, you may be reading about him in the paper someday. This will be a great teaching moment for the both of you.
Good Luck,
James
|
|
|
|
Post by INDeerhunter on Oct 17, 2010 13:44:36 GMT -5
Thanks, the first available class that is close to our area is on Oct 23rd so if his schedule permits we are heading to that one, and I am going to try and get himout to the gun/archery range this week !
I think if I get him alone and out at the range I can talk to him, explain the rules and regulations to him better than over the phone and start working on firearm safety and begin touchin on ethics !
Thanks for your help guys ! Good Luck this season !
~ INDeerhunter ~
|
|
|
|
Post by daworz on Oct 17, 2010 20:33:42 GMT -5
Lite the Fire.. Way to Go.
|
|
