when it was a numbers game.

It is very hard for some to be committed to the trad bow when there is a gun handy.  The mentality is different.  I have seen young folks that are accustomed to chasing game around with guns, think that they can do the same with bows, they just cannot slow themselves down enough to settle into the right frame of mind to hunt close and quiet.  Patience is more than a virtue, it is a skill.

[dave19113]

I hear what ppl are saying about let him get out there... I think we were all like that at one time or another.... The big thing is keep him interested.... WE as hunters have a responsibility to keep young hunters in the game.....

And lets face it... in most areas of the country we dont shoot enough doe's....There is a time when his views on this change... its not a bad thing....just a different view...

Have at it and pack that freezer....

[smokin feathers]

its a stage, let him hunt!! my daughter started killin deer at 4 years old, she has used rifle shotgun muzzle loader and bow. She thinks bow is the fun way to go, but she takes both gun and bow to the stand lots of times and if she cant get them close enough with the bow she will use the gun.

Ive killed deer with just about every gun and bow out there. I used 62 calibers and gauges, I used to kill 20 deer a year even after 20years  still enjoy using any legal weapon and support anybody who does so they will stay in the woods. Kids like action let them get have it!!

[Flesner]

Tell the little snot that you'r not gonna let him use a bow this year! Tell him he HAS to gun hunt. Tell him only real hunters can bowhunt with traditional equipment and you forbid him from using it.

If he's a normal teen, buddy he will want it more than ever. Little punk will probably sneak around behind your back to do it!

   

[stickhead]

Like you said you remember the old days let him have his.Just because you have found your peace you can't teach that to a kid he has to figure it out in his on time.Just be glad he wants to hunt.

[kill shot]

I was very much like your nephew. He will grow out of that.

[SELFBOW19953]

I seem to remember something some pundit wrote years ago, about the phases a hunter goes through.  The first phase is to kill something-anything!! The second phase is to kill lots of whatever.  The next phase is to kill lots of specific things-bucks, drakes, toms, cock birds, etc.  Then, to become selective what you kill-mature bucks, toms with 12+ beards, drakes with bands, the lone blue goose in the flock of 50 white birds.  The next phase is how you kill them, increasing the level of difficulty-a recurve, longbow, selfbow, single shot, etc.  The final phase is to "count coupe"-passing on the shot at a trophy, comfortable in the knowledge that you could have made the shot if you chose to.  Few people progress through to the final phase. Most of us get stuck somewhere along the way.

[Greyfox54]

John don't be bugged when someone says they have moved onto another level of hunting . I came from a poor family and killed every critter allowed by law for many years to help feed the family . When I got married in the early 70's we went through a gas crisis and construction jobs dried up so with raising 4 kids I took full advantage of every opertunity to take a deer . Now my kids are grown and me and the Goodwife can only eat so much venison that if I take 2-4 deer a year thats fine . I don't have to shoot every chance I get even though I hunt as much now if not more . I've been blessed to be able to go on a lot of out of state hunts and I can honestly say I put forth a lot of effort to bag game . The desire hasn't changed , if anything it's gotten stronger , but I am past the part of my hunting life where I have to kill everything . Every hunter matures whether he admits it or not . My thoughts , hope I'm not rubbing anyone the wrong way . Fred

[gregg dudley]

Not much to add except my agreement.  In my opinion, it is a huge mistake to force our personal restrictions on kids. I am all for teaching them about ethical behavior and the "right" way to do things, but I have seen a boatload of kids turned off by trophy restrictions and method ideology.  

The "kill" is much more important to the youth or novice hunter and that is a honest and natural fact that far too many people try to apologize for.

[Ybuck]

Originally posted by ishoot4thrills:
Let the boy gun hunt. He's young and if you want to keep his attention, let him kill some deer. Otherwise, he may grow weary because of the lack of the excitement of harvesting a deer. You said you remember the days of taking deer in numbers but you're past that. Well, maybe he isn't if he hasn't taken many deer. Maybe it's something he must experience himself at his age, just like most of us here did when we first started out deer hunting. With the distractions and competition teens have today from other things in life pulling them away from the outdoors, it's important to keep their attention even if it means letting them gun hunt. Otherwise, you may just lose him to other things. Besides, maybe trad hunting is just a tad too tough for a teen. It depends on the boy, I guess. I know it can be very frustrating for us adults so I know it must be the same for youngsters.

Just keep it fun, or you just might be going hunting by yourself.       Heck, I still drag out my shotgun loaded with slugs when gun season comes in and hunt deer with it. Does that mean I don't enjoy hunting with my recurve? NO! It's just something different and, yeah, it's also exciting, just in a different way. There's nothing wrong with letting a teen use a gun to kill a deer.

right on

[Mack Marine]

Let the young man learn to hunt an get a few memories under his belt with any legal weapon. You being the potter have got good clay. Just have to shape it after that. We've all had to go full circle in life to get to a recurve/longbow.

 I took my son hunting in a back pack at 11 months old, 30 years ago to get him started. My grandson 8 years old just got his first buck with a crossbow. Well if you could see the smiles.... Take them hunting, shoot often, an enjoy the smiles from everyone at the supper table!!

[Longbow Jake]

I don't know what to tell ya man I'm 17 now and when I was 15 I took a doe with my compound and a doe with my muzzleloader late in feb I think it was and felt it was to easy and felt it just wasent fair to the animal and I just wasent satisfied.So I got into traditional archery by myself no one pushin me or teachin me and I ate tag soup last year and couldnt be happier with my choice I do wish I coulda got somthin but thats how it goes somtimes.
I now hunt trad only and guns are for fun and protection now and thats with my dads buddies raggin me everytime I see'em to be a real man and hunt with a gun   :rolleyes:  and call me a punk kid for not listenin to to them but I dont let them get to me I know what makes me happy and thats that.
 Ive put the turkey feathers from the turkey I got this spring and now thats going to make it all the more satisfying to me when I hopefully take my first trad deer with them this season   .

[nc recurveman]

I just know what it was like when no hunt was a success without blood. Now that I feel beyond that and take enjoyment from each trip in the woods. I guess what I'm saying is simply this, its easy to get disappointed when the only thing that matters is body count. Trust me the boy will hunt ALOT and he will kill a couple with the rifle as I let him do the shooting. I just dont know how to get the point across that the hunt is in the chase.

[Tyler2045]

I dont know about hunter evolution, but I am 22, I hunt with a gun to put meat in the freezer, my wife and I eat alot of it. But I enjoy hunting with my trad bow, I say let him hunt he will make his own way and own choices and if you teach him well all will be good. But I have never worried about body count just body size for meat, and I will take a doe in a heart beat.             Tyler

[Brian Krebs]

You can take a horse to water- and if he doesn't drink :    

[Brian Krebs]

OK that was a joke.    


 Where I live its one deer a year; and I really like venison in my freezer too: I use a bow.

[Txnrog]

Good posts on here. 'Instant gratification' when it comes to hunting is not a new thing for youngsters. Just think about it, you get a kid into fishing by going for panfish because it's high-action - you don't (typically) start em out flyfishing for pacific steelhead where you count # of fish per season, not per day.

Same with hunting - take the kid hunting. Let him shoot within reason - if you think he's indiscriminantly killing - set some size limits for him (or no does with fawns, etc). I got a ton of experience culling as a kid with a rifle shooting double digit animals every season and that got me excited and the 'buck fever' was still there, grew out of that, migrated to pistols, then compounds, and now to trad. I don't think it's a 'evolution' as mentioned above, but it is a matter of keeping the excitement - when we're young we get excited about anything, as we age, we start looking for something special (applies to women too!!)

[Bowhunter4life]

It's all a passage, he is just at an earlier part of his passage than you are.  You were there once as we all were, probably different equipment for each of us.

Let him hunt with whatever he wants to, where legal... you can still carry your bow.  It may help him see "down the road" a bit quicker.  Plus you being there can point out the errors that will be made both in his hunting tactics and safety...  

No matter what you do you can't push him down the path... although you can lead him down it.  Show him by example, and be supportive along his journey.

[Thumper Dunker]

What John Scifres said. Take him hunting.

[Roy Steele]

Let him gun hunt.We all had to go through the numbers thing.As long as he's interested let him do his own thing.Don't try to put your way of thinking into his head.We all want our son to follow in our foot steps.Let him deside.