7 year old shooting a blackbuck?

[Bryan11]

That kid was smiling ear to ear with the doe, i think he will appreciate the blackbuck more than you think.

[walker1983]

These are always interesting threads, as lots of different opinions on the matter.

Getting kids outdoors and hooked on hunting is such a positive thing for our future. I don’t think there is one right way to do it.

Personally I would try and check these boxes for my sons first deer. Buck or doe.

1. Make sure they are excited about it (don’t force it)
2. Fair chase
3. Competent enough shot to kill a deer at 50 yards

If buck hunting on a ranch with a management plan, I personally disagree with just letting the kids break all the rules and shoot whatever buck walks out first - just because it’s a kid. Hunting also teaches life lessons, and as a dad of two young boys, I am constantly fighting against this battle of instant gratification.




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[cram369]

Keep it simple. Make it an adventure. Have fun. And set them up to succeed.

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[Sleepy]

My youth years were full of year round baseball so there was no time for hunting other than an annual dove hunt. I didn’t get into whitetail hunting until after highschool once the baseball thing was over.

I didn’t shoot my first bow buck until I was 25. Probably a 100” 8 point. I was ecstatic and appreciated the true meaning of the hunt. Had I been pounding 120” deer when I was young, I don’t think I would have fully appreciated the gift of the hunt and the kill and that 100” 8 pt probably wouldn’t have meant as much.

That being said, I do look back and wish I had more hunting opportunities growing up rather than spending every weekend in the year playing baseball tournaments.

You’re dad, you know your boy. Do what you feel he is ready for.

[hillcountryhunter]

My daughter shot this ram the weekend of her eighth birthday. It is much bigger than I had originally agreed upon from a price standpoint but seeing her excitement when he walked out was all I needed to let her pull the trigger. Now that he is at the taxidermist, she is constantly talking about and telling everyone that will listen. These are memories you will never regret.




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[Farmdog]

Choot choot choot... say it really fast

[Bullseye07]

Let your kids shoot. You never know how long you have with them and eventually they will figure out how good they had it when they were younger and appreciate it even more.

[AntlerCollector]

Awesomeness. hillcountryhunter. Great pic

[2B4Him]

For me, I don't think the kid's age has all that much to do with it. I believe we should be trying to teach our children (all youth) to be good, responsible hunters that enjoy and appreciate the outdoors and the game we hunt.
A kid that (in whatever way they can) helps with camp, setting up blinds/feeders, sits and watches for deer, etc. . . . they have earned the privilege of taking a shot. As opposed to waking up the kid sleeping on the floor of the blind or having them put down their gaming device to shoot a P&Y deer, . . . not so much.

[Deer Tamales]

If you know he will enjoy it and understand it, go for it! My boy shot his first buck this past season at 6.

[venado]

If buck hunting on a ranch with a management plan, I personally disagree with just letting the kids break all the rules and shoot whatever buck walks out first - just because it’s a kid. Hunting also teaches life lessons, and as a dad of two young boys, I am constantly fighting against this battle of instant gratification.

My thoughts too.

[Big Mike M]

[QUOTE=walker1983;13966131]These are always interesting threads, as lots of different opinions on the matter.

Getting kids outdoors and hooked on hunting is such a positive thing for our future. I don’t think there is one right way to do it.

Personally I would try and check these boxes for my sons first deer. Buck or doe.

1. Make sure they are excited about it (don’t force it)
2. Fair chase
3. Competent enough shot to kill a deer at 50 yards

If buck hunting on a ranch with a management plan, I personally disagree with just letting the kids break all the rules and shoot whatever buck walks out first - just because it’s a kid. Hunting also teaches life lessons, and as a dad of two young boys, I am constantly fighting against this battle of instant gratification.


I agree with you. My 8 year old daughter shot her first doe and buck this year. I am fortunate to hunt on a really well managed place. We don't shoot management bucks until they are at least 5 and trophies are 6 plus. This makes it really tough to get the right deer in the right spot for an 8 year old to shoot. She hunted hard all year and finally got her buck on the last evening of our season. Most people commenting on here probably wouldn't let their kid shoot the buck she shot because it had a drop tine. He just happened to come into the right spot at the wrong time for him. He was 6.5 years old and scored 134 with a 5" drop tine. We chased a really big 6 point all year but he wouldn't cooperate when we were in the stand.

I don't regret at all letting her shoot that buck. She knows we only shoot old bucks on our place. Every buck we saw, she would ask his age first. It didn't matter what his rack looked like. I have a hunting partner for life now.

[walker1983]

[quote=Big Mike M;13967210]

These are always interesting threads, as lots of different opinions on the matter.



Getting kids outdoors and hooked on hunting is such a positive thing for our future. I don’t think there is one right way to do it.



Personally I would try and check these boxes for my sons first deer. Buck or doe.



1. Make sure they are excited about it (don’t force it)

2. Fair chase

3. Competent enough shot to kill a deer at 50 yards



If buck hunting on a ranch with a management plan, I personally disagree with just letting the kids break all the rules and shoot whatever buck walks out first - just because it’s a kid. Hunting also teaches life lessons, and as a dad of two young boys, I am constantly fighting against this battle of instant gratification.





I agree with you. My 8 year old daughter shot her first doe and buck this year. I am fortunate to hunt on a really well managed place. We don't shoot management bucks until they are at least 5 and trophies are 6 plus. This makes it really tough to get the right deer in the right spot for an 8 year old to shoot. She hunted hard all year and finally got her buck on the last evening of our season. Most people commenting on here probably wouldn't let their kid shoot the buck she shot because it had a drop tine. He just happened to come into the right spot at the wrong time for him. He was 6.5 years old and scored 134 with a 5" drop tine. We chased a really big 6 point all year but he wouldn't cooperate when we were in the stand.



I don't regret at all letting her shoot that buck. She knows we only shoot old bucks on our place. Every buck we saw, she would ask his age first. It didn't matter what his rack looked like. I have a hunting partner for life now.

Awesome!


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[jshouse]

I don't understand some of yalls mentality honestly. Purposely not letting your kid shoot a nice animal that they have an opportunity to kill makes no sense to me. Y'all really think they are gonna be "spoiled or not appreciate it?" You've got to be kidding me! At least they are outdoors hunting, and spending time with you. Take them as much as you can, and let them shoot whatever they are able to if they are willing to go. They won't be spoiled, they will probably be hooked for life on the sport we all love.

My oldest just turned 11 and I was pretty proud late this season when we had a target 6pt step out, it was his turn to shoot (and this was his target buck from last season we never could kill) but he got up and let his little brother shoot it for his first deer ever because he wanted to wait for the bigger 8pt we had on camera. He then got skunked by the 8 for 2 the last 2 weeks of the season and wasn't even mad, he just said, "well, he'll be even bigger next year." I told him yep, and you better hope dad don't see him during bow season. He wasn't happy about that.

[AntlerCollector]

My oldest just turned 11 and I was pretty proud late this season when we had a target 6pt step out, it was his turn to shoot (and this was his target buck from last season we never could kill) but he got up and let his little brother shoot it for his first deer ever because he wanted to wait for the bigger 8pt we had on camera. He then got skunked by the 8 for 2 the last 2 weeks of the season and wasn't even mad, he just said, "well, he'll be even bigger next year." I told him yep, and you better hope dad don't see him during bow season. He wasn't happy about that.

That's awesome of your oldest