daughter hunting

[GRIMJIM]

I have a five year old daughter. I don't know if she will have any interest in hunting, going by her reactions now I would say no, but if she does I would like to teach her. My question is how do you get your daughter into this sport without exposing her to the testosterone laden environment that is deer camp. I don't want her there for all the drinking and swearing and general guy stuff. It's not good for her and if we have to tone it down it's not fair for us. Maybe separate hunts with her are the answer. What do you guys do?

[burntmuch]

I have 6 yr old twin girls who are chomping at the bit to hit the woods with me, so my plan is day trips with the girls & deer camp with the guys

[Cement Man]

I have two daughters - one loved hunting and fishing, the other only fishing.  The oldest was the hunter (she has four kids now and too busy - ages 1 through 11).  Her deer hunting career was started at a cabin in Northern Wisconsin, along with my nephew who is two years younger.  Their ages were about 13 and 15, I believe.  No, I wouldn't bring her to many of the deer camps I have been to or visited, but my regular friends are pretty upstanding and behave pretty well, respecting that children don't need to be exposed to swearing, too much drinking, etc.  I also used to take her to Massac and Johnson counties in Southern Illinois for shotgun season in a family deer camp environment.
The first day I took my daughter and nephew out, I had put ladder stands in for them a few days before.  I walked them to their stands into the start of a snowstorm in the dark.  I of course lectured them extensively on not wandering off, what to do, etc., and had my stand about 150 yards away where I could kind of monitor them and be there right away if needed.  I'm kind of a over-protective old man anyway, but it's some kind of a feeling to leave your daughter in a treestand in the dark Northern Wisconsin woods in a snow storm. Man I was nervous. It snowed so hard that within an hour I had about 4" snow over my lap.  I couldn't see the kids, but I would see anyone waliking in towards them, or hear if one of them shot.  About 9:30 I figured I better take a break and check on them.  They were pretty cold but OK.  My daughter explained that after I walked away in the dark she heard noises and thought it was me coming back to her.  Instead a huge racker and a doe came by and dallied about 15 yards in front of her.  She didn't have her gun loaded yet!  They eventually walked off.  Pretty exciting for her first morning!  My daughter still talks about how cold she got that morning.
In order to warm up and see if anything was moving, I took her and my nephew on a walk up a logging road to look for tracks.  I explained to my daughter to walk slow & quiet, be observant and give a look behind every once in a while.  As the three of us were walking I was in the middle and she was behind me about 10 yards.  I heard her .30/.30 go off about jumped out of my skin!  Son of a gun, she had taken a few looks backward and caught a yearling doe trying to cross that logging road about 75 yards behind us, and she got it!  Think this old man wasn't smiling?  Most fun field dressing and drag I ever had.  We registered it at an old country store and they took a Polaroid picture of it with her, and put it on the "braggin" board. The photo stayed in the board for a few years, and even when I'd be up there in the summer for fishing, I'd go and stare at that snowy picture when I was in that store.  Good memories!  Take your daughter hunting Jim!
Getting back to your original question... start out with safety, safety, and safety.  I used to teach it for Illinois and drilled it into all the kids (and adults) I have started into hunting. Make sure they can handle, load, unload, de-cock their gun like a pro, and safely use a treestand. Find a good location where you know the terrain and can watch over things.  When I started my daughter into hunting, I don't recall these two-person ladder stands I see now.  I think they could be very effective for working with a beginner and good quality time with your kid.  I have a friend in Northern Wisconsin who has four daughters and I think every one of them has hunted with him.  he has been using ground blinds lately with good success.
Believe me, deer camp and a good saloon are two of my favorite places on earth, but don't even come close to the joy I had hunting with my daughter.

[Heavy C]

I started my daughter out with general plinking and target shooting.  When she asked about hunting she was 11.  Out first trip was a day trip shooting rabbits and such.  At age 13 I talked her Mom into letting me take her to camp for and overnight doe hunt.  I was fortunate to have access to a lease with a house on it so that wasn't roughing it too much.  Last year we went to the same place, but I was able to hook up with two buddies that happened to have daughter roughly the same age.  It was a great hunt and a neat way to spend time with the daughters at such an important age.  She can't wait for deer season this year!

[GRIMJIM]

Hey cement men good to hear from you again, great story. Where in Johnson county did you hunt? I go to fern clyffe every year in November for a week of bow hunting and opening weekend of shotgun. I like to hunt in the park a lot but go out in the Shawnee forest also around dutchman lake or by lake of egypt.

[Cement Man]

Jim,
Good to hear from you also.  I have a friend with an old cabin just about right on the Massac/Johnson county line - kind of between Big Bay and Reevesville.  Actually you can pretty much use either a Massac or Johnson county permit, but Massac is always easier to get, and most of his property is in Massac.  I haven't hunted there for quite a few years now as I live in Whiteside County and have some opportunities around here.  I always hunt Minnesota first in early November, Wisconsin - same opening weekend as Illinois, second, and then I hunt Illinois the second season. 

[no guns here]

Don't know about y'all but taking my kids hunting is WAY more important than some testosterone laden deer camp.  I take my kids in the most controlled environment I can.  I try to stay off of public land and away from opening weekend.  Private land, pop-up blind (no wind, they don't have to sit still, they even take quiet toys), hunt in afternoon and evenings when it's warmest.  Don't see too much at first but it gets better as they get used to trying to be still and quiet.  No sense in making them hate getting up early, being cold, sitting up in a tree or any of that stuff until THEY are ready for it.  I'd rather them have a good time and not see anything than to kill a monster buck and them hate being in the woods.


ngh

[35Rem]

Sounds like some folks need a new deer camp.

Why do something (anything for that matter) that you can't take the kids with you (going to a deer camp with guys that are drunks and swearing) ? Not a real good example for the kiddies...
Hey I grew up in it, too, but I don't do it now, either.  I've got a 2 year old daughter, myself, and I hope she has half the interest in hunting and shooting I do.  I definately don't want her to see that side of hunting. 

[dukkillr]

I don't think you should ever start young kids with deer/turkey or other slow types of hunting.  Start with a dove hunt.  Nice weather, no getting up early, no chance of not seeing anything, just light hearted fun.  Same goes with afternoon duck hunts, squirrels, pheasants maybe if you've got them.  The most important thing is to have a fun experience when you're starting out. 

[GRIMJIM]

35 rem, don't get me wrong. Our deer camp is not a big drunk fest, But everyone has a couple of beers ( literally one or two) in the evening and as of now there is no limit to the topics of discussion or general ribbing and joking that goes on. It is nothing really racy just more than I would like to subject a young girl to. Also we enjoy joking and talking around the fire and since there are no kids or women there we can talk about whatever we please without having to worry about toning it down so we don't offend someone or say something inappropriate.

[35Rem]

Been there done that myself.  As long as the guys know when it's appropriate (Most do, but some don't care).  I grew up around guys that did know.  The ones that don't care are the ones that I'd stay away from, no matter what.

Not trying to get personal with anyone, or their friends. Just being general.  The kids should matter more than "the guys", but that's just my opinion.

Dukkillr: good idea on the small game for youngsters.  Better weather, more action = interested kids!  Same with fishing, they better be biting, or the kids won't care much when they are little.

[Heavy C]

I'll second the vote for the dove hunting.  I didn't think of it earlier even with my daughter.  She'll be joining me for dove season this year.

[Cement Man]

I'm 61 (very soon) and have 5 grandkids so I have a new generation of beginners to work with - 3 girls and two boys.  I usually start 'em off with air rifles, then .22's, then shotgun sports.  Lots of safety and gun handling before hunting.  I started my hunting daughter with duck hunting.  Living in the Chicago area and having to drive at least a couple of hours to public lands for waterfowl and small game, we didn't have all the opportunities that folks in different areas do.  I think my daughter enjoyed the sleepy ride, hot cocoa, and seeing the sun rise.
Deer camps aren't all drunk-fests.  Coming from a state where deer hunting is a newer and smaller tradition, I was always impressed with the family camps in Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. They have some great traditions.  Minnesota Deer Hunters Association is a wonderful organization that promotes education, hunting, and habitat and has great programs and camps to get youngsters safely and responsibly started into deer hunting.  I'm from Illinois, but will always belong and contribute to this organization.  Had to put in a plug for them - great outfit.

[Questor]

GrimJim:

My daughter is 12 now and our emphasis since I began taking her hunting when she was about 6 has been on the wonders of nature. The net result has been that she really doesn't care for hunting, but she will come with me sometimes and she does definitely have an appreciation for the outdoors. I think that's a good result.

We have a beagle that is her devoted pet and my rabbit hunting dog. I now take my daughter hunting, but without a gun. The dog does what it does, we see some rabbits. She likes it. Next fall I'll take her deer hunting the same way-- but we'll take a camera to see if we can get some good pictures.

She clearly doesn't like the process of killing stuff, although she enjoys eating the game we bring home. Hunting is not for everybody. I don't want to turn her away from it. On the contrary, I want her to have a store of good memories of her youthful days afield.

My son is a different story. He wants to kill everything in sight. Typical 15 year old boy, I guess.  Ah! I remember those days myself.