Best deer season EVER!!

[mcdonl]

And not a single shot was fired.

My 14 year old daughter, on a quest to find ways to spend more time with me signed up and took a hunter safety class over the summer.

We got out probably eight or so times this year and even though we did not get a deer it was without a doubt the best season I ever had!

I only wish I had time for black powder season. On the way home today she was already talking about scouting trips during bass season. I love it!

 

[surjimmy]

Hunters who don't have children will never know the feeling you have spending and sharing that time with your child. You are a lucky man. I took my 13 year old then 11 on his first deer hunt in 2008. The little knothead shot a 260lb buck. Then last year took my 12 year old nephew out for his first hunt and he shot a 177lb deer. So I have been doubly blessed. Congrats, and remember. If you hunt with them, you won't have to hunt for them.

 

[mcdonl]

If you hunt with them, you won't have to hunt for them.

Great quote.

 

[jbkebert]

Congrats on learning the best part about hunting.

Hunting with your kids is the best thing that can happen to you as a dad. wether its sitting in a ground blind with my daughters who are 4 and 5 or hunting deer or even doves with the boys ages 10 and 11. There is nothing better than leaving my gun at home and watching a pheasant or quail busting from under a 10 year olds feet. The look on thier face the excitment of it all or even just teaching your kids about the woods. There is something magic about it all. I still like to take a nice plump doe or a nice buck but would much rather watch my kids take the same animal or a better one.

I had problems with patients at first but soon learned that the shot is no where near the important part of hunting. I had forgotten that somewhere along the way. Even if I am not hunting with my own kids proves to be a very rewarding thing. I have been a cub scout leader and a 4-h mentor but nothing in this world has been as great since I became a hunter education instructor. Passing on this hunting experience has meant more to me than just about anything I have accomplished in life.

 

[ritepath]

A little different story here.....I hadn't hunted since my son was born in 2004. (killed a 10pt that year) I'd taken my kids shooting 8yo girl 6yo boy, the past few years but had never thought of hunting. This spring and summer all my son would do was talk about hunting this fall I mostly ignored it. He found out about a youth deer season from the neighbor 5 days before season. Youth day we went out in the morning but didn't see anything, that evening we went back to a friends farm. Long story short he took a little button buck at 25 yards that evening. He sparked my interest in hunting again, we've squirrel hunted, we've deer hunted, we've turkey hunted. He's had a blast, if only I could get his big sister interested in hunting.

I've invested a small fortune in equipment the past few months. I had plenty of firearms, but all the misc stuff we had to accumulate in a rather short period of time.

Before he showed interest I had a list of firearms I wanted. Now I have a list they want. My daughter wants her own pink 22, and a shotgun. He want's his own "deer gun" a "bolt wagon". I want a 6.8 upper to hunt with.

I can't wait for 2011...

 

[mcdonl]

Ritepath, it was same sort of scenario with me. I had stopped hunting because finding the time when the kids were young was difficult. Now we look forward to the next season. We will be moving our stands next weekend to get ready for coyote season (Night Hunts) and spring turkey is already on the mind.

One problem we had was gear. I wanted to wait to make sure she really enjoyed it before gearing up, well... she loved it and we froze our butts off!

 

[cannibal4]

My son is now 26 years old and a doctor with a busy schedule, however he has been hunting with me every year since he was 6. It's one of the best times we spend together and I look forward to it each year.. Wow, where have the years gone???
If you have kids, take them with you hunting. Start them off young and you'll have some great memories to look back on and certainly look forward to each years hunt.

 

[UniversalFrost]

+1 on taking kids hunting.

I have always said that there are too few kids in the woods each hunting season.

My neighbors are all older and have grandkids and the are always hanging around my place asking me about hunting. Well, once of the kids asked me if I would take him hunting. I asked the parents and grand parents for their approval and after showing htem all my hunter ed and hunter safety instructor cards (I used to teach every other weekend) they gave the thumbs up. long story short, the kid learned a lot about the outdoors and conservation and then I showed him a few things on how to hunt deer the smart way by looking over maps, checking temps and moon phases and what to expect on how the deer move at a given time of the day and in a given terrain.

The kid ended up picking a perfect spot on the map and when we actually had boots on the ground and started to hunt the selected spot we were on the deer by noon and he bagged a nice fork horn that evening. He is now a couple years older and taught his dad how to hunt (last year I let them on to a spot I had scouted where a big 4x5 would come thru each evening and the kid nailed him on the first evening out). so i can say I helped 2 generations get into hunting.

now to work on my own kids. my 13yr old is starting to get sidetracked from hunting and I need to bring her back into hunting (maybe take her on a pig hunt this winter in texas). the 5yr old can't wait to hit the field with me this january for the AZ archery season during the rut for coues deer (she is even practicing being quiet lol...) ... and my soon to be 1 year old is already stalking my 3d archery buck target in the back yard.... he even caught it and started to gnaw on one of the legs (wife scolded me and him for goofing off)....???

again take a kid hunting and teach them proper gun safety and also a bit of conservation and hunter ethics.