Sons first elk hunt

[realtree]

I am looking for advice for this upcoming general season elk hunt. I am taking my son out for his first time. He is 6 and loves hiking. My main question is how hard should i hike him? If we get one how much should he be able to pack. I've heard of guys really being rough on their boys and it pushes them away from interest in hunting. Any thoughts welcome!

 

[Roy]

You can hike him as far as you can carry him. Literally.

If you get too far back in and he can't make it back out, you will have to carry him. So, just be careful of how far you go.

I would err on the side of making it fun for him. The minute it is not fun for him (and then it won't be fun for you either), then you have gone too far. Like you said, you want to spark his interest, not make him dread it. So, probably not very far. I would say 1 mile round trip tops.

As far as how much he can pack - I wouldn't have his pack heavier than 5 lbs. Let him carry his water, some snacks, and maybe a bugle or cow call so he feels important, but nothing heavy.

Just have fun and enjoy the time with him.




HOOK 'EM!
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[smitty]

I've had the same situation with my boy, he's 7 now. I only take him bear hunting right now, as elk and deer is much more physical. I've hiked him pretty good on the bear hunt, 4 miles or so with no pack. Taking a little kid brings on a lot of challenges, they get hungry, they need to use the bathroom, they need something to play with, they're noisy, they can't sit still for very long, etc......I focused on making things fun for him, and eventually we got a bear. I quickly learned that the hunt went from getting an animal to simply being with my son. As he gets older and stronger, I'll take him on more strenuous hunts. I've found that I don't need hardly anything to eat, drink, or do when I'm hunting, but a little kid needs a lot more. Remember, he's just a kid. I've gotta remind myself all the time. Any animal you can take while having your kid with you is a major accomplishment!

 

[mmwb]

"they get hungry, they need to use the bathroom, they need something to play with, they're noisy, they can't sit still for very long, etc..."

Sounds like a lot of adults. Some great advise on the previous posts.

 

[sageman]

>You can hike him as far
>as you can carry him.
>Literally.
>
>If you get too far back
>in and he can't make
>it back out, you will
>have to carry him. So,
>just be careful of how
>far you go.
>
>I would err on the side
>of making it fun for
>him. The minute it is
>not fun for him (and
>then it won't be fun
>for you either), then you
>have gone too far. Like
>you said, you want to
>spark his interest, not make
>him dread it. So, probably
>not very far. I would
>say 1 mile round trip
>tops.
>
>As far as how much he
>can pack - I wouldn't
>have his pack heavier than
>5 lbs. Let him carry
>his water, some snacks, and
>maybe a bugle or cow
>call so he feels important,
>but nothing heavy.
>
>Just have fun and enjoy the
>time with him.
>
>
>
>
>HOOK 'EM!
>_______________________________________
>
>Since I am frequently asked about
>my religion on this site
>and others, I have created
>a profile that explains my
>beliefs. If you are interested
>in finding out more about
>my faith, please visit the
>link below:
>
>http://mormon.org/me/6RNQ/


Great advice. I have 4 boys. It has to be all about him having fun the elk has to come 2nd to that.

 

[NMPaul]

Dont make the hunt a punishment.

Deal with them the way you normally would. Do you take them on hikes? Get a feel for how they handle getting up at 4:00 am, hiking.
Have their favorite snacks. Take time to mess with rocks, trees etc.
This wont be a high intensity hunt. Hopefully you can show them some animals, and maybe whack something.

Keep expectations low and have fun.

 

[DeerMadness]

I wanted to reply because I don't know what to say without knowing him. At 10 yo I liked hunting but I had ants in my pants and couldn't sit still. I was 14 before I was mature enough. So I would say take it easy on him.

 

[Gator]

His own Bino, pickup rides for scouting will get him to finding animals. Always his favorite food and drinks. His own coat and clothes that fit. GOOD cold weather clothes gloves/mittens hats are a must, they get cold and tired you have lost him for that hunt and maybe for a long time.
Having Mom along on the first few scouting trips is a great deal too.
Good luck.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

 

[trophyhunter]

Lots of good replies ....remember to keep it fun for him. He will tire quickly so keep him on semi level ridge tops to allow him to last longer. Or as said Pryor you will be packing him out on your back. Make it fun and he will be hooked forever
Remember young ones think and act like young ones. Be prepared to modify your hunt to his level then after you get a feel for what he can handle. You can add more to your adventures. When your out there, teach him nature a long with hunting. Tell him why water runs down hill, show him animal tracks, game skat, types of trees and plants. Show him what the game your hunting likes to eat.
Then when you have the opportunity as you see game. Teach him the correct method to stalk an animal,if your archery hunting like us. If Rifle then focus on shot placement etc. so he gets a good understanding for what hunting is all about. Not just killing something.....and you will make a quality Hunter out of him. When he's old enough to actually hunt his first big game animal...he will be telling you how to go after that animal.....


Memories that last forever,
))))------->

 

[mntman]

Make sure "his" day ends while he is STILL having fun, that way his last memory of the (which is the one that will truly count to future participation) will be a good one.
If you get one, let him pack a tenderloin or two. He doesn't know the difference, tell him how heavy it is and how great he is doing. To him it will feel like half of the animal and he will tell people how he helped pack it out.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"


>wah wah wah......
a certain individuals response on 8/12/2014 to anyone that commits suicide.
http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID11/19864.html
There are many things that would be nice to wish for or say but then I would be just like him.

 

[1911]

Road hunt. He will be happy, you will be happy, and those here who feign to be deep back woods hunters but get annoyed a d road hunters will be unhappy. It is a win win.

 

[realtree]

Thanks everyone for the replies. We took him out the night before the opener. We slept in the tent and hung out by the fire, just the two of us. We woke up early and he got to experience the cold boots feeling.
We found a good trail the night before that opened to a nice big meadow about 1/2 mile off the road. We hiked up in the dark with headlamps. He loved that part. We got up and sat up on a little ridge overlooking the meadow. There were a lot of people so we didnt kill one that day. He got to see a bunch of cows and we even heard some bulls bugling. He kept wanting to hike further so we went a little further. By the end of the morning he was pooped. He made it back down and I estimated round trip we went 1.5 miles. It was fun and he said he had fun. The part he said he didnt enjoy as much was having to sit and hold still.
He has asked to go back out every day but because of work obligations we havent been able to get back out. He is now planning on going on the deer hunt in a week.

Once again thanks for the replies