how young is to young?

[JJT]

well i found out i have my first baby on the way, Im really hopeing its a boy but ill be happy either way. But i told my wife the other day that as soon as the little joker is able to hold his head up he was gonna be out with me stickin a hog. lol  well that didnt go over to well. she said not till he is 10 or so, but im sure by three or four he will go and sit on the four wheeler with dad till its safe to come in to the bay.but my ? was how old should ur kids be before getting them out to stick a hog? my dad took me when i was 2 and helped me stick my first hog so i dont feel there is nothin wrong with startin em young, like to hear what yall have to say.

[matt_aggie04]

I think all kids are different and as long as both of you (you and the kid) feel comfortable with their maturity level then you are good to go.  There are some kids that are act better then most adults and are very helpful and then there are kids 10 and over that need a little bit of tune up.  I like to think when I have kids that I will expose em to everything young and hopefully they will like the things that I like and want to participate.
MG

[FORREST]

MY SON IS 4 AND WILL TURN 5 IN OCTOBER.  I JUST GOT THROUGH TELLING HIM YESTERDAY THAT WHEN IT GETS COOLER AND WE'RE ABLE TO START DOING SOME DAY HUNTS THAT HE CAN COME ALONG WITH ME WHEN HE WANTS.  HES PRETTY EXCITED TO SAY THE LEAST.

[BobbyB]

We didnt have the opportunity to hunt with dogs, but Zach kill a rabbit with a longbow when he was 4 and had is picture in Traditional Bowhunter Magazine. He killed his 1st hog with a recurve when he barely 6. Shooting doves at 8 and his 1st deer at 9. That's just how opportunities worked out for him.

It's your kid, but dont push him or her too fast. With some , that's the quickest way to burn them out and make 'em not want to go. My daughter burned out early and it took 10 years and a boyfriend to finally bring her back around.

Your kids will tell you by their actions. If they act like they really dont want to go, the let them stay behind. Just talk up a story when you get home so they know they missed out. Zach is 19 and he's been my huntin partner for about 16 years now.

[Circle C]

My daughters have been "hunting" with me since they were 6 and 8. They are 8 and 11 now, but they still don't get the entire effect of the hunt, as they do not go to the bay until the hog is legged and under control.  It actually works out pretty well. They hang out on the mule until the hog is tied, then the drive the mule to us and help with dogs, etc.  They still get to hit the woods, but there is not quite the risk involved that there would be with them on the ground going to the bay.

   Now when we hunt at night is when it gets fun.  When we get done with the hog, I can just about count on hearing a story about how there were coyotes, or some other animal just right next to the mule, and how they had to climb on the roof so the coyotes could not get to them...    I am not sure if it is the older kid just trying to scare the youngest, or if they are both believing it. At any rate, they enjoy the woods, and it's hard to beat spending time hunting with your family.

JJT,
    Congrats on the news.

[Dexter]

 I carreid my 2 sons since they was out of diapers and  could move across the ground  good . i would put the boys on my shoulders and tote them all over the country side
 Dustin my oldest i carried him fishing  at a tank and  throwed him on my  shoulders to wade across the back end of the tank,i would cast the rod out and he reeled the fish in i cast it just before i was going to cross the deepest part and as luck would have it he hung a  7-8 pound bass,, well thats not a big deal til you have 3 foot plus and 40 pound kid on your shoulded with a two handed 7 foot rod and the fish in the moss,, i was trying to bounce /tread water and he was horseing the fish and everytime he pulled my head would go under water  long story short  i didnt drown  he landed his bass and still to this  day talks about it ,he is 21
 both boy killed deer at young ages with 30-30 single shot Dustin 7 ,Ethan 6, and have killed several since

JMO
take them out as soon as they can kinda  hold thier own

 you let a kid build a camp fire he'll get burned
 but he wont ever get burned again
      Dexter

[hogtied]

my daughter just turned 2, she has been with me some, she knows all my dogs by name, and seems to like it... Her mother dont like it tho tied one the other day and she said daddy why you hurtin the piggy... so if she wants to go when i can take her thats fine... if not im not gonna make her... chance  wards two are young and they hunt with him, his oldest boy ties better than me and i think he is 9!!! It dont hurt them to get started young if they are into it, but i wouldnt push them to do it if they are not ready... I was born Oct. 25, was in a deerstand with my dad two weeks later opening weekend... and never missed a deer season hunting with him in 30 yrs till last year... i turned out fine.. some mite argue that tho best i can remember i caught my first hog with them when i was about 5 been catching them on my own since i was 12 and breeding and hunting my own dogs since i was 13... there is no right answer to the question, it just depends on the child... but in my opinion these days you gotta get them started young, being in the woods always kept me out of trouble, and teaches good morals... get them out and hunt with them in my opinion

[BobbyB]

But dont forget, Tall Tales and photo opps start as soon as you can.

Zach didnt kill this one, but he killed his 1st a couple months later. But a lot of folks asked " Did he really kill that?" Depending on how good of a story teller you are you can keep 'em going for a while!

[-JB-]

my son is 3.5yrs old and he has been going since he turned 3, probably been on 20 hunts

[MCK]

I took my three year old with me deer hunting last year a couple of times although he would have gine every time if I would have let him.  We went on one of the coldest days of the year last year and he stuck it out like a champ.  The first time we went he wanted to leave and go home but I made him stay and the next time we went he understood that he was going to have to stay.  I think one of the biggest things for me as a dad to remember is that the kiddos have a short attention span and so when they get ready to go you either have to entertain them or take them home both of which ruin the hunt, but when I take my boy and now boys (got two now) its their hunt it's about them.  So if I can get them distracted by looking through the binocualrs every 30 seconds like my son did last year then thats what I need to do because it keeps them in the woods and keeps them wanting to go back.

[cward]

I got pictures somewhere around here with the car seat staped to the fourwheeler and the tracking collar antenna was hanging down from the catch dogs neck and that was the babbys toy for that day...That ain't no joke....He was about 6 months old and been going ever since....They have been sitting a horse back since they could walk.. Rowdy is 9 and ropeing grown brush cattle..... Now there horses ain't no b.s niether..

[southtexasff]

Took my son out when he was just a little over 2.  I would carry him on my shoulders crossing  grain fields, been taking him since.  I think it messed him up taking him too young, He already got the fever.  He is gonna be 6 and is hooked, I can never go with out him.  If I have to leave him behind he raises hell.  He keeps bugging me to get him his own knife.  I think he is still alittle young to be toting around a sticker so he will have to wait.

[Texas_Cur]

Hell put a tracking collar on him and go .......maybe thats why I dont have any kids

[BarrNinja]

I hauled my son when he was just out of diapers. He loved to sit in the saddle with me and watch his dogs work. We've been having arguments on who has the best dog since he was 5! lol. The problem I had was making him understand things like "why daddy couldnt rope that deer running down the pipeline". lol. The kids think their dad hung the moon and can do anything. It confuses them when dad has to tell them otherwise. HA HA.  

By the time he was 14 he was doing a few guided hunts without me! And he did have the best dog in the yard!
You will know when it is time to start taking him without having to ask. Its just a "daddy thing" you could say.

[GillettJen]

I think it depends on the child's maturity but also what kind of help you have with you. If the kids are little bitty it helps to have another person there to make sure they don't go runnin into a bay and getting themselves seriously injured. My little guy has been going out on the fourwheeler since about age 4, but he just recently has been allowed to get off and go anywhere near the bay and he turns 6 in August. I think another important factor is how well the child listens. You have to be sure when you say get outta the way or stay back they are willing to do it. As long as you keep the safety of your child as your priority, tons of fun and adventure for kids of all ages can be had.

[GillettJen]

Oh and congratulations on your first little hog dogger!!!

[sfboarbuster]

I think i was still in diapers and my dad had the carseat strapped onto the swamp buggy deer and hog huntin

[catchrcall]

mine is four, he goes along with me pretty regular.  I am lucky enough to have a wife that also goes, so she will stay with him while I'm going to the bay.  they usually get there in time to help collect up dogs and butcher.  I don't take him when it would be just him and me. 

[hogtied]

ya i forgot to mention that my old lady comes with me too when i take her... just want to clear that up so nobody thinks i have a 2 yr old hung up in a briar patch or something

[JJT]

thanks guys cant wait to have me a little huntin buddy, i think its gonna be cool havin the little one taggin alone askin questions and and eventually givin him his own dog, i kant wait.