Your opinion on youth hunts

[Phishy]

so Tim, how do you really feel?

love ya man,

[Webejonesin2]

I'm glad we have a youth hunt wekend here, My son just passed his hunters ed course, in sept. , He is syked to go, and so am i for that matter. Youth weekend for him is the first weekend in nov. He has been counting down the days ever since passing. He just turned 11 this month --4th--. Wish him luck!! I've taken him out behind the house to scout for deer. He can not seem to get enough of it. YEAH
This one guy i know, took his son out last year, he shot first one he saw, but problem was he shot a 90lb doe in the arse, because thats all he said he saw --havnt spoke to him since then, because he said he didnt see anything wrong with it . I was discusted!!

[timhicks]

Jonesy thtas the kinda of stuff I am talking about. I feel if the children want to hunt Then we need ti tnstill the good things ,the how to things. Not just get in a stand and shoot a deer. Tim

[Webejonesin2]

I agree, I dont see youth weekend as my way of putting a deer into the freezer. I'm looking forward to showing/helping him to gain even more respect for the sport, and the game he is looking for. Growing up my dad didnt have a whole lot of time to take me out, and i want to do more for my son then my dad was able to do for me. I want his 'hunting fire' to grow and i want to know its going in the rght direction.
srry to ramble on, just excited.

[timhicks]

This what we need more of. A parent taking time to show and teach thier children. I hope my children want to hunt. I hope that I can teach them values and responsabilty. I hope that my children will be as excited as your boy... Tim

[Webejonesin2]

He wanted to take course last year, but i didnt feel right about it. I did go and take him out in the woods with me though, just to give him a taste. H e loved it, we didnt see anything, but had a great time just the same. From then on out all i heard was, 'when can i go get my license, and go out with u?' --Now what a rush!!

[marty]

I think the youth hunts are great. It gives the kids a chance to hunt before the crowds of opening day. That way they have a better opportunity to see an animal to take.

In my case I've been taking my youngsters(3 in all) to the woods since they were old enough to walk. My two boys and my daughter helped me scout and set up my stands for the last few years. They are still quite young to be handling firearms. My oldest son and daughter are only 8. And, my youngest son is 6. But, all of them have been shooting since the age of 4. This year will be the first for my oldest son to be the one doing the shooting. I promised him that when he was mature enough and physically able to use a rifle chambered for the .243 he could be the one shooting. This year I bought him a small Rossi single shot. He shoots it well. Out at the 100yrd mark he is shooting pretty good 3-4 inch groups. I am confident in his shooting ability and so is he. Since the first shot he ever made with the little cricket .22 and his air rifle I've preached and preached firearms safety. He has shown me his maturity in just about everything he does from his schoolwork, to his chores at home, to the way he treats his brother and sister. So, I told him this year would be the year he gets to hunt for himself. I'll be there with him supervising.

I can't tell you the excitement he and I both feel waiting for the big weekend. My youngest son is also going. But, his job is spotting. I got him his own set of binocs and he is just as excited about going. My daughter wants to go also. But, she said she doesn't want to shoot and she likes sleeping later so she is going in the afternoons.

The subject of jealousy has come up regarding a youngster shooting a big buck off of a good set up. All I can tell you is if ya don't want the young hunter shooting a big buck don't let him hunt where they live. My kids have helped me and the wife all summer setting up stands, filling feeders, scouting.....etc. They have earned the right to shoot at whatever deer they want to harvest at any of our stands. My son has been teasing me cause he knows there is a good buck that has been hanging out at the stand we're going to be hunting. But, I got to tell ya if he gets that buck I'll probably be more excited about it than he will!

The youth hunt weekend should be all about the kids. I'm praying for his success.

[tuffbroadhead]

Yeap youth hunts are great, I took many years teaching my oldest daughter how to hunt and to enjoy nature, AND WHAT DID I GET IN RETURN!!!!! They little brat goes out and harvests one bigger than mine, LOL!!! enjoy the pic guys..

[loserchumpandfool]

i just got a letter from the U.S. department of the interior.my 14 y/o son got drawed for a firearms youth hunt on NOV.5 at Big Oaks NWR.it is a 1 deer either sex hunt.that is when bucks are up movin around seekin doe and doing some chasin.i will let him choose what he wants to shoot whether it be a doe,fawn spike,6 point or hold out for a mature buck.i will be shootin the camera.im excited and he is to

[hogdogs]

COOL DEAL!!! it is his hunt.. not yours so it is only fair that he make all choices!
As long as you are there for safety, it is the youth hunt and any decent decisision on their part is worthy of a pat on the back from POP!!
Brent

[Webejonesin2]

rght on hogdogs, i agree.
congrats to your daughter tuffbroadhead fine looking buck!
good luck to your son hoosier on his hunt.

i cant wait until nov.5/6 --youth weekend here also, hopefully my son will prevail . theen will have to post pics. to all, enjoy be safe!!

[timhicks]

Hoosier,,man I am proud for your son!!,,Just so I make myself clear.. I am not against youth hunts, or a youth winning a spot to shoot a great trophy, I am however against, a managed place where the parents dont teach thier children safety ,work ethics, and if you say, I have been watching a big deer at so and so stand and the kid goes and pops him. He didnt learn anything like this.He didnt work for that deer, so in the long run,he just learned its ok to stay at home and play video games etc,and then just go shoot a deer. To me thats not what hunting is about.To some it may be. If you get a tag by lottery or on a goverment land ,tpye 2 etc, and the youth goes and sits and shoots a monster I am cool,,maybe I am just onesided,on this . How can I put this in words here where I dont sound like an ass who dont want kids to shoot big deer. I just want kids I guess to learn to appreciate the woods and outdoors, to watch a deer grow and to see both sides of the coin. Good luck to your son I hope he kills a monster. Tim

[loserchumpandfool]

this post always gets ya fired up Tim.my son went deer huntin with me for 2 years with no gun even tho he carried a gun squirrel huntin and always got first shot.this will be his third year deer huntin with a gun.3 years ago a doe,spike fawn and button buck came out.i told him he has never got a deer so any deer will be fine.he said he wasnt goin shoot the spike or button so it was between the doe and the doe fawn.but unfortunately he got a bad case of the shakes and missed.this will be his first year im takin him opening day of firearms also[if i dont kill him first.]so i hope he gets 2 deer this year

[timhicks]

Thats what I mean! Hoosier.. See that makes me proud!! Its what our country needs more of. Parents teaching and spending time with thier children , ask me why am I posting and should be out hunting.. I am at work/...Tim

[hogdogs]

just remember... When they get a bit older (my son is 15) they tend to shun some lessons so as long as it ain't safety oriented... let them figure it out if they desire. My son is doing good (limited time learning woods stuff) and I tend to let him look on his own but if he asks I will try to help. Brent