GMMAT

2 Questions from first bow hunt with my son…..

#1 – Wow. I scouted the land we were going to hunt the previous weekend. I found some good scrapes on this 48 acre plot….and decided I’d put him in the treestand (I set up in the double bUll a ways away….and brushed it in pretty good)…..right on a pretty big tree that would be great at hiding his profile (he’s 13 and skinny as a rail). He’d also have great shooting lanes….and had 1 small little patch of overhang that would also help hide him. Now back to the Wow. It’s harder than HECK to find the one tree you’re looking for…..when you can’t see your hand in front of your face! There’s gotta be some tacks or something like that on the market (to drive into or attach to trees)….that would be fluorescent when a small light was shined on them (like our head lamp). Any suggestions??

#2 – How long do we wait before going back in there? We’ll likely only wait until this coming Saturday (1 wk).

My son (I married his mother 1-1/2 yrs ago) is 13. His natural father has and does hunt with him, too (though I’m not sure the proper lessons are being taught, I’m confident safety practices are being followed). I’ve always been an avid sportsman, but my background is mainly in bird/waterfowl hunting. We bought him a bow, this Fall….and it looked like so much fun I joined in and bought myself one. I’ve taken him through the hunters’ safety program (he has a lifetime license, already)….and I’m trying to teach him to be an ethical hunter (don’t take poor shots, learn to PROPERLY care for harvested game; learn the importance of WHY we practice…to HUMANELY take game; etc…). It’s tough teaching today’s kids. They already know EVERYTHING! Before we actually were going into the field, Saturday…..I don’t think he had one clue as to what he’d do if he actually shot one. The reality of field dressing (and having to admit he had NO CLUE as to how) sunk in….and he learned a lesson in responsibility. 1 mission, accomplished.

3 other things he learned: 1) Take some aspirin in your field pack. He claimed a headache early in the hunt…..and we’ll get back to that. 2) dress warmer! He also claimed to be cold….and he might well HAVE been. He has the clothes….so dress appropriately, next time. 3) You can’t get up @ 4:00….get to your set @ 5:45……see first light @ 7:00…..and COME DOWN OUT OF THE TREE @ 8:05. J He claimed a headache…..but I KNOW he was cold and thinking I’d set him up in an area that didn’t hold deer. It was our first hunt, together. I got him over to my blind….and got him inside. He finally said he was ready to go @ 9:10 (I’d told him Friday night to stay in his stand….and I’d come and get him @ 10:00). We got out of the blind…..just in time to see 4 does come into our set. Busted.

He may have learned more from that situation than if he’d shot and missed. We’ll try it again on another plot, Tuesday evening.

1 thing “I” learned. Hunt from the tree stand if conditions allow for it. I admit to being a novice deer hunter, and I bought the DB to do 1 thing….I want to harvest a turkey with the bow. I’ll be in a tree stand unless cover situations or weather dictate the DB comes out (when deer hunting).

Sorry for the long post….but it’s only your first time……ONCE J.

Jeff

Critr-Gitr

I have to laugh a little bit, I look forward to the day my 13 year old knows half what he thinks he does. Of course, my dad got a whole lot smarter once I got past 25...

But to answer your questions. Yes, it is hard to find the right tree but they do make reflective tacks and clips, you can even use tape. Knowing the lay of the land helps alot also, and after a few times it gets easier navigating in the dark.

As to how often is too often to hunt a stand, it depends on alot of things. How much land you have to hunt, what kind of deer you are trying to get, the particular setup it is, were you busted in the stand, how good your scent control is, how spooky are the deer. etc. I am always looking for more places to hunt so that I can rotate stands more often. I try to have as many as I can so I can pick the right ones for the conditions that day without burning them out. Bottom line is hunt what you got but always be looking for more. I even pull the old switcheroo on them sometimes. If they get used to a stand in one place and start avoiding it I will move my stand downwind to the new trail and catch them looking back up to my old stand. Be adaptable.

I married my wife 3 1/2 years ago, she had 2 boys. Now they are 9 and 13. The older one hunts some, he will be all excited about season but then looses interest pretty quick when it starts getting cold. Little one though, you can't stop him, can't leave him at home. He wants a bow for Christmas this year because he can't stand the thought of dad going bowhunting and him having to stay home. This is my first year back into bowhunting since they met me, and he is used to going with me all the time in rifle season.

I do make them not just field dress but also butcher what they kill. Yes I do help, in fact so does grandpa, it is a family thing. But mainly they are under no illusions as to where meat comes from or as to how deadly various weapons are. Just going to have to bear with the 13 yr old attitude though.

fl.huntress

1) bright eyes...they sell them at walmart and sporting good stores like Bass Pro,etc. The woods will light up like a christmas tree...put one every 30yds or so...farther apart if possible.

2) if you have to go back then do it...at least you're in the woods...and quite possibly you'll have a nice one come by.

it's awesome to see you getting your son involved in a positive way...we need all the safe and ethical hunters we can get.
every hunt turns out to be a learning experience...it's the lil things that you learn along the way that make you a better hunter.
best of luck to both of you and y'all be safe.
sounds like he's off to a good start.

mfunk922

First let me start off by saying that its great that you're getting your son into hunting. But I would recommend actually sitting with him on the hunt...either set up on a ground stand with him or find a tree stand large enough to hold the two of you. When i was a young hunter, my father and i would usually sit together, it forms a great bond between the two of you. And if/when a deer presents a shot opportuniy, you will eitherbe there to experience his first deer taken with a bow or you'll be there to console him about a near miss and thenbe able to joke about it later. Either way, it will be a memory that will last a lifetime and you will be there to share it with him.Another benefit of hunting together is you will get to pass on somehunting tips and knowledge onto your son which will help make him a better hunter and an ethical hunter. Good luck to you and your son!

Bob H in NH

Worst possible thing you can do to a teenage starting hunter is make them hunt when they don't want to. You are the one who needs to adjust, as you said, they know everything already

Sitting in the dark tree for an hour is a recipe for boredom for the kid, bored means won't want to hunt. Listen to his concerns and statements and adjust the hunt appropriately even if its less than optimal on your opinion.

As for the cold, I would believe it. I have a 13 year old who is also very thin, thin means no body fat, no body fat means no insulation, no insulation means cold. My 15 year old is not thin and never gets cold, my 13 year old is thin and always gets cold duck hunting and deer hunting. Adjust for this, carry in extra insulated overalls for him to wear once on the stand. Buy some hand warmers, put on an extra sweat shirt and a warm hat. Keep the body trunk and head warm.

When on stand, let him do things to keep from getting bored, my kids read books, so do I, just teach them to look around every paragraph to every page. Cold mornings are perfect for this cause you usually hear them before you see them anyway. I know folks who play gameboys with the sound off, or games on a cell phone. Hunting should not be a torture in boredom, some folks are never bored in the woods, some are always unless there's deer running around constantly. I fall somewhere in the middle and the books help alot when the woods get boring.

Keep it fun and you will have a partner for life, force him into all day hunts when he doesn't want to and you will not have a hunting partner. At 13 you have some future distractions to hunting coming up, girls, going out with friends on Friday/Saturday night and the ever dreaded sleeping til 10 syndrome.

Let him guide how the hunt happens so that he has fun and 10 years down the road you will have a hunting partner for life.

Buck Huntin Girl

It's exciting to read this, young hunters, nothing better! I wish I woulda had someone teach me to hunt when I was 8... I had to wait until I met my husband and started hunting at 22. I missed a lot of good years, and I do NOT intend on my kids missing out on those. If my daughter can stay good this week (she's trying soooo hard), she will go for her first time to observe. She is not old enough to shoot a bow or gun yet, but she is old enough to learn what to look for and get used to walking through the woods. I am still learning about walking through at night, and I want her to be used to it by her early teens so she isn't scared in the dark.

She is 6 years old, she got her first camo for Christmas last year and I got a pair of nicely insulated boots on clearance for $4 last year, a little big on her still, but they will do the trick. I'm thinking I'm gonna take her to Gander Mtn. Friday night and buy her a warm camo coat, she just has early bow season clothes, long sleeved shirt and pants, she needs a coat, I don't want her first memory of a tree stand to be BRRRRRR! I'm extremely excited, and I am hoping she will stay good this week, she's pumped!

It's not likely I will get a shot off at anything, where I am set up you have to be very still to get a bow shot, it's more of a gun stand, but at least she will see some deer, I'm confident of that. We have been out 12 times or so and haven't gotten skunked yet. I already have a bow kill under my belt this year, I wish she woulda been there for that one.

Just dress the kid as warm as possibly, using the "layering laws" don't put cotton on the bottom layer, it will not work efficiently, it's no doubt the kid is gonna sweat on the jaunt to the stand, if the cotton gets wet, the kid will stay cold the entire time. Start out with Under Armour or something of that material so it will resist the wetness. I just learned this, my first year of hunting was a coooooold one! Make sure the kid has a hat on to keep heat in and gloves, even if they are thin (for me anyway) will keep the rest of my body fairly toasty. I get excited just to SEE deer on a hunt, so even if I don't get shots, it's a good hunt, teach a kid to respect that aspect. Set them up where there will be possibly shots, but nearly impossible NOT to see a deer, it will keep their excitement level up and their interest will stay focused.

Some people get Gameboys or something to take out for kids, put 'em on silent to make up for "down" time... it's an option, especially for a boy of that age. They will grow to appreciate the serenity of nature eventually and will look forward to that time in the woods alone, but for now, they have a million and one things going through their heads, on their way to adulthood as fast as they can get there, their brains are programmed to stay busy.... it's natural, your son isn't doing anything out of the ordinary, give him time, he'll develop into a mighty hunter, you've already got the foundations planted firmly under his feet, kudos to you.