How to Introduce Kids to Hunting

Many sportsmen ultimately reach the point in their life when they’re ready to pass their love for the outdoors down to the next generation. Maybe you’ve recently had kids or maybe your kids are getting older and you find yourself wondering ‘what’s the best way to introduce kids to hunting’? Like anything else, there are dos and don’ts, proper ways to encourage a young hunter and tactics that’ll probably lead to frustration. We’re here to give you some relevant tips and to point you in the right direction. Apply these tactics and your children will be sportsmen-in-training in no time. 

Start Early

Introducing kids to hunting starts at a young age… and it doesn’t start with hunting. In a world where electronics, video games, movies, and TV have taken over the weekends of many households across the US, encourage your kids to spend time outside instead. And don’t make them explore alone. Join them and teach them the value of spending time outside and spending time with family. Familiarity and enthusiasm for exploring the woods, catching insects and bugs, wading in rivers, and climbing trees will set a solid groundwork for the hunters of the future. 

If you live in a city, simple weekend activities like going on a family hike, spending the day at the lake, or visiting a city park are great ways to get kids outside. Outdoor activities shouldn’t be about hunting at an early age; make time outside about family, fun, and exploration. This will help kids have positive associations with the outdoors when the time comes to introduce them to hunting. 

Bring Them Along 

And when you finally deem them ready, bring them along on one (or more) of your hunts. Let your kids sit in the tree stand or the turkey blind with you before you teach them to shoot or take them out on their first junior hunt. This will teach patience, perseverance, and help you set realistic expectations so your children aren’t frustrated during their first hunt. Hunting isn’t shooting an animal every time you enter the woods, so find ways to keep your kids entertained when they tag along on your hunts. This is also a great way for you, as a parent, to gauge your kids’ interest in hunting. 

Including them on a hunt doesn’t mean just bringing them along. Involve your kids in your preparations, clothing choices, decoy prep, gun cleaning, etc. The more they’re involved in preparations the more respect they’ll have for the sport. And when you do shoot an animal, involve them in the cleaning, prepping, and cooking of the meat. After all, part of hunting is taking care of the animal you shoot from field to table. 

Teach Them to Shoot 

Once your kids express interest in hunting, they’ve reached an appropriate age, and you’re ready to bring them into the woods, teach them to shoot first. This may seem obvious and intuitive but practice leads to confidence, comfortability, and proficiency. A kid is much more likely to become passionate about the outdoors if he/she feels comfortable and confident shooting a gun. 

Teach them to handle and clean a gun first then take them to a contained shooting range. Help familiarize them with shooting etiquette, gun maintenance, and the physical act of shooting a gun. Then take them into the field so they understand the difference between shooting inside and shooting at a target outside. Try to imitate a hunting situation to give them the most realistic practice possible. Gun confidence is important so take time and care when teaching your kids the importance of gun safety.

Start Small

After kids build confidence at the range, help them build confidence in the field. Deer hunting probably isn’t a great choice when choosing your kids’ first hunt. They’ve grown up exploring the woods, they’ve tagged along on other hunts, they’ve learned how to safely shoot a gun, and they’re finally of age to start hunting themselves. Choose an animal that’s entertaining and relatively easy to pursue. Turkey hunting is a great option because birds are so vocal and the calling techniques keep first-time hunters engaged. Squirrel hunting is another great option for a first-time hunter. 

If you live in a place with a healthy deer population, perhaps shooting a doe or a small buck is an engaging first hunt. Make sure to manage expectations, however. They’re probably not going to shoot that trophy buck during their first hunt so be sure to convey that a successful hunt doesn’t necessarily mean a dead animal. Choosing the right time of year and setting is important when taking a kid hunting for the first time, too. 

Safety/Woods Etiquette

Finally, teaching proper safety techniques and woods etiquette is important in the molding of a young hunter. The little things like how to carry a gun, where to walk, how to aim, and every other skill that’s paramount to a successful hunt shouldn’t be overlooked. Sure, your kid will pick up on some of these things when tagging along on some of your hunts, but being verbal and intentional in your teachings is always a good strategy. 

The Bottom Line  

Introducing kids to hunting can be difficult. Maybe they’d rather be somewhere else, maybe they’re not interested, maybe it’s easier to teach them how to play a board game. If you set groundwork from a young age, however, and encourage your kids to get outside, chances are they’ll be avid sportsmen as they get older. And with the proper safety training, encouragement, and confidence, they’ll begin to learn a lifelong pursuit and graduate from your little hunting apprentice to field-passionate friend. 

Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online.

We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.

We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings.