Those of you with daughters - can you share your story on how you got them into hunting? Tips and tricks to get them started? Mine are 4 and 7, love camping/backpacking, and I've been taking them squirrel hunting and whitetail hunting at my parent's "deer farm" in Alabama to get them used to it...
Daughters and Hunting
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legacy
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+1 SS!
Get them involved early (before they’re old enough to actually hunt). I think ultimately it might not be for every kid, but do all you can to find out. So far my girls show a lot of interest (12 and 17 years old). Just keep involving them as much as possible.
Get them involved early (before they’re old enough to actually hunt). I think ultimately it might not be for every kid, but do all you can to find out. So far my girls show a lot of interest (12 and 17 years old). Just keep involving them as much as possible.
Outdoordan
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My daughter and I have been working on a youtube site with the SOLE intent of getting kids into the outdoors. She might love watching "Lil Carny" and may be the perfect catalyst for her outdoor appreciation.
JPickett
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I have 4 girls. None of them ever wanted to hunt and I didn’t push them to. Seen guys make that mistake because they wanted them to hunt. It Didn’t go well. All of mine love to camp, would fish, shed hunt and just go bounce around the woods with me. SS’s advice is sound, pretty sure my girls favorite part about the wood is sour patch kids and sodas. but they never wanted to pull a trigger. And that was fine with me. I did things they liked and were interested in and our relationship was all the better for it. If she wants to hunt, awesome. If it’s your desire pushing a girl to hunt. Stop. Good luck, have fun, enjoy your girls. They grow up fast
littlebighorn
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One of my three daughters was interested in hunting, so on a camping trip I let her shoot the .22 at some pot guts. She was having a blast. Then she hit one. That really got her excited but she wanted to go see it. I tried to talk her out of it, but she ran over to where it was. When she saw the little critter all bloodied up, she handed me the gun and never shot it again.
My advice, give them a good dose of inanimate objects before you turn them loose on animals and make sure they are ready for the end results.
My advice, give them a good dose of inanimate objects before you turn them loose on animals and make sure they are ready for the end results.
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hawkbill
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I hunted so much, the girls jumped right in. I took them through the hunters safety class with conservation officers, I highly suggest a good hunters safety class, if they even still have them. Get them a comfortable rifle, not a 300 mag. Practice shooting a lot, I mean a lot. I used a trigger stick a lot when they were real young. Then my wife jumped in and now I help them and I hang my tag up on the wall. All three of them have only been hunting 6 years and seem to love it evan the gut pile. Good luck and have fun.
hornkiller
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All sound advice my girls don't like glassing for hours!
Gadjet
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As SS said, always focus on keeping it fun. I also try not to push my daughter too hard on her hunts. There’s a fine line between working hard and pushing to the point where the experience isn’t fun. Here’s a few shots of my daughters harvests over the years.
My daughter frequently went along on our hunting trips and around 13 wanted to start hunting. She finished hunter safety, killed a couple javelina and a deer them started putting in for better hunts. She got married, started having babies and decided she no longer wanted to kill anything.
Just introduce it but give her space to decide if she wants to hint. They can and will change which i completely respect.
Just introduce it but give her space to decide if she wants to hint. They can and will change which i completely respect.
utfireman
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I’ve got 4 girls who are 15-3 in age. I tried to get them involved when they were younger and that pushed them away. I ended up letting them do their thing and this last year my 15 year old said she wanted to hunt, so this spring we started with turkeys. Such a great time with her screaming because of the bugs on her, and smiling when turkeys came into range. This fall we are trying deer and elk….
I say just let them do their thing and you’ll be surprised at their desires. Never would have thought my oldest would be sitting with me in camo yet here we are.
I say just let them do their thing and you’ll be surprised at their desires. Never would have thought my oldest would be sitting with me in camo yet here we are.
SS!
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It’s always fascinating how kids turn out. I have a lot of older friends that spent a considerable amount of time and effort getting their sons into hunting. Hell many even named their sons Hunter. Well they never took to hunting. Meanwhile little effort was focused on their daughters in regard to hunting and their daughters turned into killing machines.
I have 3 daughters. My oldest, I believe came out because it was my passion. The other two came out because there were no rules (meaning just be themselves) , just late nights, early mornings, junk food, and being able to enjoy nature. I’d pay them quarters to find deer, so when we went into town they’d be able to get those wind up machine plastic toys at the front of the grocery store. I’d get them little pads of paper to draw, count deer ratios or just keep them busy. When they had their own tags, they’d plan where to open, which group of trees they’d walk through…how big they’d shoot and where or what we’d end up eating to celebrate the night. I wanted them to have their own set of binoculars, so they could pick a part flats or hills and find deer before me. The younger two have killed 2 a piece with a muzzleloader, one has killed two with a rifle and has come close in archery. Wouldn’t trade those memories for anything!, I believe If you make it fun, keep them occupied, let them help plan and make it about them….I believe they’ll see the value of nature and take a love in our passion.
Alwayshunting
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I was blessed with girls. I will dig up a pic or two when I get time but right now my youngest daughter and I just got done packing for deep sea fishing tomorrow. I was so upset when the ultrasounds showed girls. I was a dumbass! There is no tip or “trick” to taking girls vs boys. They don’t know the difference,or care a bit. Just take your kids and enjoy it…
I have to admit though, I selfishly smile when I overhear my girls telling anyone about their most recent adventure like it’s everyday life (cause it is for them) and that person thinking they’ve been told a line… Especially when the pictures are offered. My girls have been in 3 countries and who knows how many states with me. Only advice I could give is do what you do and don’t change anything! Other than adding a plane ticket. They will show you how to do it most of the time…
I have to admit though, I selfishly smile when I overhear my girls telling anyone about their most recent adventure like it’s everyday life (cause it is for them) and that person thinking they’ve been told a line… Especially when the pictures are offered. My girls have been in 3 countries and who knows how many states with me. Only advice I could give is do what you do and don’t change anything! Other than adding a plane ticket. They will show you how to do it most of the time…
Alwayshunting
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Our passion? It’s their passion too?
Gadjet
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I consider myself a pretty damn lucky dad. My daughter grew up spending time in the woods with me, hiking, 4 wheeling, etc. I always let her know that anytime she feels interested enough to go hunting I would be there to take her. I never pushed and just let her come around at her own pace. Now she’s hooked and one of my favorite hunting partners.
Focoelkman
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Great thread. It just happens , like others have said. I didn’t push it, and was something she wanted. Asked to do.
Helped her through hunters safety - she had lots of great questions. I was just looking at a little 20 O/U for her yesterday.
Go to a range and shoot a long bow.
Hike.
Spend time
Helped her through hunters safety - she had lots of great questions. I was just looking at a little 20 O/U for her yesterday.
Go to a range and shoot a long bow.
Hike.
Spend time
heywouldya
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I have 3 daughters, and they all love to hunt. I think that having a wife that hunts, helps a lot. When the kids were really young, they were in the jeep with us hunting, every chance we got. As SS! said, lots of snacks and let them have fun. I used to get hung up on keeping them quiet, but I quit making that an issue pretty quickly. As stated earlier, I never pushed them to hunt, we just tried to make it fun and they chose it on their own. Good luck.
Deerlove
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Yep it sure helps if mom is backing you up.
Goshawker1
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It’s definitely their passion too!
3TOE
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Great thread!!! I love to see kids hunting & fishing. I have 2 daughters of my own & 2 stepsons. I’m at 50% with one daughter & one son taking to the outdoors. I think I pushed my oldest son into hunting a little too hard back in the day, but he still loves to go.
As others have said, keep it fun for them. Make it as comfortable as possible with quality gear to keep them dry & warm. Buy them their own binoculars & backpack etc…
Have fun & make some terrific memories.
As others have said, keep it fun for them. Make it as comfortable as possible with quality gear to keep them dry & warm. Buy them their own binoculars & backpack etc…
Have fun & make some terrific memories.
eelgrass
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I started my daughter out young with a pellet gun. I'd come home from work and she'd have Starlings lined up on the porch for me to see. She was a proud killer.
She took the hunter ED class and was the only one in her class to get 100% on her test.
Then she turned about 15 and poof! That was the end of her hunting career.
She took the hunter ED class and was the only one in her class to get 100% on her test.
Then she turned about 15 and poof! That was the end of her hunting career.
hornkiller
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I've always loved that moose picture!
3TOE
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That’s what happened with my son. He discovered girls around 15 & didn’t care to spend as much time with dad. Once he turned 22 or so, he came back to it. He shoots traditional bows now & practices constantly. He now has a daughter of his own so I look forward to the day when I can introduce her to the outdoors.I started my daughter out young with a pellet gun. I'd come home from work and she'd have Starlings lined up on the porch for me to see. She was a proud killer.
She took the hunter ED class and was the only one in her class to get 100% on her test.
Then she turned about 15 and poof! That was the end of her hunting career.
travishunter3006
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My daughter (4) and my son (7) have always just gone. Ever since they were newborns we/I took them hunting and fishing. They got into hunting and fishing because that’s just what we do here. My daughter has asked several times to go hunting this week so we can get some “deer muscle”.
elkassassin
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Looks Like Little Miss Tikka Mighta Out-Fished Dad that Day!
Nice Job!
And Dang Nice Bow!
Father of three girls here (18,16,12) and big brother to three sisters. As stated by everyone else, start them young (4-5) with things like back packing and fishing, etc. But take it slow and focus on them having fun. They just really want to spend time with their dad, but will learn to to love it in their own way. Turkeys can be the best times if you have a ground blind. The kids can move around, eat, sleep and it typically isn't cold. Once they get older, you'll notice them pushing themselves.
Most rewarding thing you'll ever do as a dad is to build a love of the outdoors with your girls.
Most rewarding thing you'll ever do as a dad is to build a love of the outdoors with your girls.
Soccerdude
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I have 5 boys and 1 little girl now. Some of them are into it and others not so much. I always invite them and let them decide. Love the ideas from this thread. Here is a picture of our family adventure last year when my wife shot her first antelope. They enjoyed the snacks that day and skipping a half day of school.
DeerHunter53
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Those girls get it done nice work ladies
DeerHunter53
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You have a basketball team there wow five of them ever get any sleep on these trips,....LOL
Soccerdude
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Wear them out and watch them crash!
DeerHunter53
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And then drink heavily? LOL
Soccerdude
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Hahaha. If I drank yes that would be plan.... right now its... 10 min after they crash....I crash. Its a Rodeo everyday but I wouldn't change it. I told my wife yesterday I hope one of them falls in love with hunting so they will take me when I am old.
just_a_hunter
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I have three daughters and a baby boy.
Make it a fun way of life for them. When they are old enough to realize any different, it will be a part of them. Don’t be afraid to hang your tag on a small buck or antlerless so they can experience success instead of a carrot that never gets eaten because of too high of standards. Remove the selfishness from the outdoors and make it all about family. Most importantly, make sure they use the outdoors as the main source of protein so they know how to appreciate it.
That same little girl this year punching her first tag and catching her first Mack.
Set them up for success in all ways possible and keep it fun.
Todd
Make it a fun way of life for them. When they are old enough to realize any different, it will be a part of them. Don’t be afraid to hang your tag on a small buck or antlerless so they can experience success instead of a carrot that never gets eaten because of too high of standards. Remove the selfishness from the outdoors and make it all about family. Most importantly, make sure they use the outdoors as the main source of protein so they know how to appreciate it.
That same little girl this year punching her first tag and catching her first Mack.
Set them up for success in all ways possible and keep it fun.
Todd
just_a_hunter
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The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my hunting career is walking away from this bear with nothing more than a prayer he’d still be there or come back when my best hunting bud was sitting right next to me. No room for putting yourself first if you want them to enjoy it as much as you.
When I finally pull that Ut bull tag after 25 years of trying, you can bet your arse I’ll take a rag horn with her next to me over a giant without. Hopefully we can get a giant together.
Todd
When I finally pull that Ut bull tag after 25 years of trying, you can bet your arse I’ll take a rag horn with her next to me over a giant without. Hopefully we can get a giant together.
Todd
huntindad4
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I have 2 boys and 2 girls and all of them went deer hunting with my wife and I sure they were months old.
I've had a handful of out of state hunts without them or at least one not there while they were still living at home, with those being with my father and I alone. Most of those hunts were spent missing them and trying to fill tags and get back to them. There is nothing more important in my life than my kids
My oldest son has drifted away from hunting by his choice but seems to want to get back into it now that he has graduated college. My youngest son is crazy for it and will never stop.
My youngest daughter still loves to go often and I believe will always hunt but she's not crazy about early mornings etc. haha. But she will gut pack and has killed a buck and lots of small game. She is in college and hasn't had enough time to spend and it seems it just hasn't worked out for her to harvest in recent years.
My oldest daughter like my youngest son is sick for it and always has been...
From her first goose.
To helping her brother with his first bowkill and her grandfather with his bull elk.
Youngest son and both daughters with my dad.
To her first bowkill that she got the same day her youngest brother got his blacktail.
I've had a handful of out of state hunts without them or at least one not there while they were still living at home, with those being with my father and I alone. Most of those hunts were spent missing them and trying to fill tags and get back to them. There is nothing more important in my life than my kids
My oldest son has drifted away from hunting by his choice but seems to want to get back into it now that he has graduated college. My youngest son is crazy for it and will never stop.
My youngest daughter still loves to go often and I believe will always hunt but she's not crazy about early mornings etc. haha. But she will gut pack and has killed a buck and lots of small game. She is in college and hasn't had enough time to spend and it seems it just hasn't worked out for her to harvest in recent years.
My oldest daughter like my youngest son is sick for it and always has been...
From her first goose.
To helping her brother with his first bowkill and her grandfather with his bull elk.
Youngest son and both daughters with my dad.
To her first bowkill that she got the same day her youngest brother got his blacktail.
huntindad4
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Her blacktail bowkill.
huntindad4
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I say, take em young and make it fun and try to be successful,if you kill a big one them that is icing on the cake.
It is a different way to go and you can't be selfish. Scrap the hunts with buddies unless they are down for the same thing and wanna take kids too. There no room for competition and jealousy.
I've missed a few hunts with friends over the years but never really missed anything.
You might have to become a dreaded......ROAD HUNTER... but oh well, get them hooked and the other hunts will take hold, backpack hunts etc. This has to be about them, about the future.
It is a different way to go and you can't be selfish. Scrap the hunts with buddies unless they are down for the same thing and wanna take kids too. There no room for competition and jealousy.
I've missed a few hunts with friends over the years but never really missed anything.
You might have to become a dreaded......ROAD HUNTER... but oh well, get them hooked and the other hunts will take hold, backpack hunts etc. This has to be about them, about the future.
hawkbill
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You are so right about taking the time to be with your family. My daughter and I drew Bull Elk Tags, we scouted an area and found a big six point and that was the Bull she wanted. When the season started she turned down a handful of nice Bulls so did I and on day 5 my wife told me she wanted meat in the freezer. The Big Bull always seemed out of reach, I told her we needed to think about taking a Bull, that night I took my Bull. My daughter drug me through the mountains for 4 more days. On the ninth day after the shot I looked at her and looked at that Big Bull lying there and just started crying.
pushin_30
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Start them young! Mine started going with me when they were 3-4 years old. Started them with shed hunting and easier hunts at first (turkey) fair weather and short sits. Got them hooked early then a year later there were hiking into the my elk spots. Now my oldest daughter is out doing her ole man ? can’t leave the house without them now!
Love the comments and pics. I have three daughters and they all love the outdoors. When it comes to hunting, I recommend trying to time their first hunting outing with a high success hunt. I was fortunate to take my oldest hunting when the Beaver unit was good (deer muzzy). I shot my buck within the first hour opening morning (I wasn't picky). We went on to help my two brothers tag their bucks as well. Had it been a tough hunt, she may not have been as excited to go again.
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HuntnProf
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Make sure the outdoors, hunting and fishing are just normal parts of life. I have 2 daughters, both fished since they could hold a pole, and passed Hunter's Safety when 10 and 12 respectively (pics are their 1st turkeys). Turkey was definitely a great beginning into hunting for both (didn't have a blind when my oldest got into into it--but did for my youngest--love the blind for new hunters).
Being around game (lots of bird hunting by me when they were young), helping to pluck, showing of anatomy, and cleaning when they had interest, helped. I remember taking my oldest daughter dove hunting one afternoon---brought toys, drinks, snacks ect. I'll never forget looking over at the doves she had lined up and seeing her playing with a couple, alongside her toys/dolls (dead birds weren't something "gross" since she'd been around them all her life). My youngest daughter loves to tell people how, when she was just a couple years old, I would take her quail hunting, in her off-road stroller, on a gravel service road with our dog--when the dog got birdy, she knew to cover her ears as I walked ahead to jump the birds.
Since getting into hunting both are turkey slayers, and my youngest (now 18) started duck hunting with me last year. Other tried it, but it wasn't for her---she's the one that is now more into deer hunting with me--my youngest deer hunts, but the passion she has for birds hasn't manifested in big game. They have both gotten deer/antelope, and enjoy hunting out of state with mom and dad.
Now I have a grandson (almost 5) and he has been to WY with grandpa and grandma twice, and will be in CO with us this fall. Here he is his on his 1st turkey hunt at 3, and the first trout he caught/landed all by himself at 4.
Being around game (lots of bird hunting by me when they were young), helping to pluck, showing of anatomy, and cleaning when they had interest, helped. I remember taking my oldest daughter dove hunting one afternoon---brought toys, drinks, snacks ect. I'll never forget looking over at the doves she had lined up and seeing her playing with a couple, alongside her toys/dolls (dead birds weren't something "gross" since she'd been around them all her life). My youngest daughter loves to tell people how, when she was just a couple years old, I would take her quail hunting, in her off-road stroller, on a gravel service road with our dog--when the dog got birdy, she knew to cover her ears as I walked ahead to jump the birds.
Since getting into hunting both are turkey slayers, and my youngest (now 18) started duck hunting with me last year. Other tried it, but it wasn't for her---she's the one that is now more into deer hunting with me--my youngest deer hunts, but the passion she has for birds hasn't manifested in big game. They have both gotten deer/antelope, and enjoy hunting out of state with mom and dad.
Now I have a grandson (almost 5) and he has been to WY with grandpa and grandma twice, and will be in CO with us this fall. Here he is his on his 1st turkey hunt at 3, and the first trout he caught/landed all by himself at 4.
elkhunterUT
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I have one daughter who is as “girly” as they get, but she loves to hunt. I look forward to hunting with her (and my two boys) much more so than my own hunts. It is hard to describe the joy and fun I have had with them when they have harvested an animal-memories that will sit at the top of my list forever!!
DeerHunter53
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Hey Snoop got any money left to hunt with 7 kids? LOL I love the Grandkids but I'm not sure my wife and I could have made it with 7 kids. One of us would have went crazy........... probably me
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