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I have a 9 year old boy that wants to hunt...deer, elk, duck, geese. Comes home from school and changes into his camo. Its all he can think about.
I've been on a few hunting trips (camping really) with friends as a kid. I did not come from a hunting family.
I have experienced one single hunt as the hunter...I took a cow elk.
I don't own any guns.
I fish....a lot.
However...although my boy loves to go fishing with me...I would like to be supportive to him and his desires. I see footage of the youth hunts etc and would love to have those kind of experiences with him.
Problem is...I have NO IDEA where to start.
Do I start with a .22 and take him to the range? Do they make smaller sized guns for kids? Do I buy a smaller shotgun (what guage?) and take him to the range?
Soooo many questions....no idea where to start.
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for someone just starting the sport, things could get real expensive real quick so it's probably better to pick one kind of hunting and go with that first.
Utah has a decent deer herd and an excellent elk herd. General season deer tags seem to be an every-other-year kind of thing due to the draw system but a cow or spike (one point) elk tag can be had every year. Elk are much bigger and better eating but can involve lots of hiking and heavy hauling if your really want to get one. Equipment for big game hunting includes a high powered rifle (or muzzleloader or bow), good cold weather gear (boots, pants, socks, coat, hat) and a four wheeler if you really want to get serious. My 13 year old sister took her first elk last year and did fine this year, 9 is still a bit young to be hunting himself but I'm sure he'd love to tag along!
The great salt lake marshes are one of the best places in the nation for waterfowling (duck hunting). lots of public places to hunt right here on the wasatch front that consistently produce ducks over the 100+ day season each year. Equipment for waterfowling includes good waders, a shotgun (20ga remmington 870 or benneli nova would be perfect for a young guy to carry around), waterproof gloves, a good coat, decoys and a call. A good duck dog is hard to train but worth their weight in gold in the marsh! The duck hunting equivalent of a four wheeler is a mud boat that will get you just about anywhere in the marsh so long as there's 6" of water or so. Every year the state does a "youth hunt" where only the kids get to shoot. Most have a blast and have a hard time hitting the broad side of a barn but they never forget the one they do hit! I'd be happy to take you two out next year if you would like.
Utah is not blessed with upland game (pheasants, quail, chuckars, grouse) like some other states, but we do have some. Your best bet for upland game is chasing grouse in the fall or going to a pheasant farm if you're willing to spend a few bucks. Equipment includes good boots and a shotgun. If you go on a pheasant farm neither of you need a license or hunters ed, just show up with a check book!
hope that helps a bit!
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hunting is alot like fishing. you have to know some things about your quarry. where do they live, what do they eat? time of day/year will dictate how and where to hunt them. Just like different species of fish, some animals will be easier to find and bag. i would stick with those for starters. While fishing, kids dont care whether they catch chubs, or tiger muskie, as long as something is tugging on the end of their line. The same is true with hunting.
I if i were taking a youngster out, i would start with something like ducks, rabbits, or dove. there should be plenty of action to keep a young hunter interested, and wanting to go back for more. With minimal expense in expense in gear, fuel, licenses, applications, time off, etc..
Just like fishing, pick up a proclamation and know the laws for the animal(s) you pursue.
Hunters education will be a must. As a kid, i enjoyed every minute of anything to do with hunting...including my hunters safety course.
If you have a friend who's a hunter, he/she will be able to smooth out the learning curve ALOT. Just like fishing, there are too may species out there to have the time, knowledge, and $$ to pursue them all. Just like fishing, there is a direct correlation between time spent in the field, and eventual success. Good hunting spots(especially for big game) are tough to come by, and people can be tight lipped, for good reason.
Practicing with the weapon of choice will be very important for safety reasons, ethical and quick kills, not to mention alot of fun for a young hunter. gun hunts make it a little easier to get within effective range, therefore you may find a young hunter will have success in the field more often. A .22 is a great place to start, or a soft recoiling 20 gauge shotgun. The biggest concern is that the hunter can accurately shoot, and safely handle the weapon. safety is ALWAYS first. make sure you know it, and teach it to the young hunter constantly.There are a bunch of youth model guns out there. the guys at the sporting goods stores can help you with that.
The youth hunts are a great way to get the kids exposed to hunting, and can get you rubbing shoulders with people who are in the know. check out the DWR web site, there is a bunch of opportunity out there for sportsmen under 16. Big and small game hunts abound for young hunters.
Anyway, I Hope this helps give you some traction. good luck!
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All great info here. My father took me deer hunting once to show me the ropes so to say. Took me fishing on a small stream a couple times. Grew up a rebel and had some hard life lessons and found out that bass fishing is my thing after a few close calls with the law lol. Hunting came naturally because I like shooting stuff, who doesn't?
I like to think of myself as a grown man now, my wife will argue that, my daughter and I went on our first hunt together this year and we hunted harder than I ever have in my life, no joke, and ended up with nothing. I went out on the last day of the deer hunt and bagged one but she stayed home because she was all hunted out, I can't blame her for staying home. We covered a lot of ground, walked lots of miles and nothing legal to shoot. It was something I'll never forget and I'm sure it's teh same or her.
I've always owned guns, KSL classifieds has cost me a lot of $. My daughters first gun was a Cricket 22, she didn't like it but I thought she was just new to guns. She has shot my Marlin 22, a 22 mag, my 30-06 pump (once lol) a Sig Sauer .45, a 38 revolver and my glove compartment 380 and still hates shooting that Cricket 22. I've finally come to terms that a Cricket 22 is not all that. She now has a Savage 7mm-08 with a muzzle break 3x9 scope and is a better shot than I am. "boom, ding, all day long"
I signed her up for hunters safety online and we went to the class and the gun range to complete the class, it was fun and made me proud.
Find a 22 that he can shoot comfortably and plink a few rounds out in the desert. My daughter is dead on with my Marlin in a prone position and on one knee but struggles standing up because of the weight of the barrel. She's good for about 4 rounds then she looks like me trying to hold up my buddies sniper rifle, SUPER accurate as long as the bi-pod is on the ground but I look like Michael J. Fox trying to hold that thing in the air (too soon?).
I don't know what the best guns are but just getting out and shooting and getting over the fear of shooting is half the battle. My buddy custom loads my 300 win mag and my 30-06 for me and my daughters 7mm-08.
The 7mm-08 is a youth model, if you want to "try before you buy" let me know and we can go put some rounds through 7mm-08 out in the desert. She doesn't know it yet but that's going to be my back up rifle when hunting. Easy to carry, accurate and it's camouflage [  ]
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i am a director of a premier waterfowl hunting club in northern utah. get in touch with me if you want to take your kid out and "get his feet wet" I am not in this for money so i dont charge anything... i only offer this to kids the disabled and veterans. you must have your own firearm, ammo and hunting license/waterfowl stamp, and transportation
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Good man redneck delux!
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When I got my license, you had to be 12, that's one of the first steps.
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Learning how to respect fire arms and get comfortable with them is first, almost anybody can get a license.One should be able to know how to shoot before he/she goes hunting, just my opinion.
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#1 Sign him and yourself for hunter saftey course.
I fell in love with hunting because my dad took me as a tag along on deer hunts,gave me a .22 and let me go chasing squirels.
After he takes the course PM me depending on the season we can hook up for some fun. Rabbits,ducks etc. Rabbit hunting was probably my favorite youth hunting. And don't worry about the guns,I got you covered.If you need to borrow a .22 for the course test let me know.
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