Taking your kids coyote hunting anyone do it?
- Thread starter zr600
- Start date
Miz Kiz
New member
Kids want the same thing out of hunting that we all do: great memories and a positive experience. The key to success is remembering that this looks different from your child's perspective than it does from yours or another adult's. When taking young children, remember that you are really taking THEM, rather than them accompanying YOU. Once they lose interest or get unhappy with the situation, it's time to change things up or head into the Waffle House.
Don't expect a perfect hunt with a young child. Some can sit still and quiet for 15 minutes, but most can't. If it's miserable for them, or you get upset with them for causing you to miss a chance at a coyote, they will not learn to LOVE it, which is your ultimate goal, right? Keep it in perspective. Just spending that one on one time with them, sharing something you love, lets them know that they are important to you. Don't spoil it by letting them think for one minute that it is more important than them or their feelings.
Get them a call they can blow and let them engage with you at home as you both practice your 'callin'. Above all, remember that positive reinforcement will help turn them into a life long hunting buddy. When they're old enough to start teaching technique, use the C.P.R. method (coaching technique) instead of straight criticism. (C = Compliment: Find a specific thing they are doing right and compliment it. "You did a good job using your eyes to scan instead of turning your head." P=Positive Correction: In making a correction, put it in a positive statement. For example, instead of saying "Don't move so much", say, "When we're on a stand we sit very, very still so the coyotes won't see us." R=Reinforcement: Model what you want them to correct, and then get them to try it, offering a smile and a 'good job' when they do it.) Most of all, young kids want to please their parents and be LIKE their parents. Kiddy camo is a great ego boost for you and them in that regard, and helps remind them that they are doing something special.
During Kiz Jr.'s early days Kizmo was a turkey FIEND. Life changed at our house during turkey season, as everything revolved around it. By the time Kiz Jr. was 3 or 4 Kizmo was eager to share the fun with him, but we agreed that he would not take Kiz Jr. until he, himself, had gotten his limit, or met whatever goal he had. (100 inches of beard in one season, finishing a Grand Slam, Royal Slam, or whatever.) That way, once the father-son hunting started, it was all about the son. This allowed Kizmo to not be quite so stressed if his little guy couldn't sit super still, or got hungry, or nature called.... As Kiz Jr. got older and more able to sit still, etc. he was eager to go because Kizmo had made it fun and not stressful when he was younger. Fast forward several years. Kiz Jr. shot his first turkey at age 9, and when he was 13 he called in a double for himself and Kizmo. That was the full circle of what Kizmo had hoped to accomplish. (Training him to enjoy it, as well as teaching him how to be successful at it.)
Kiz Jr. will soon be 16, and has hunted all his life, harvesting deer, hogs, turkeys, foxes, fox squirrels, crows, dove, bobcats, and coyotes. It all started with those short little turkey stands as a kid, when Daddy was not stressed to have a perfect hunt, realizing that just being together in the woods, and 'hunting' was good enough. He taught little lessons, not big ones, and just enjoyed spending the time with Kiz Jr. At the end of the day, that's what it's really about.
In some of Byron South's earlier videos he's hunting with his children when they were younger. If you can find some of those they would be great for your child to watch with you, prior to actually going out. Kids naturally like to watch other kids, and will pay more attention to them than they would to adults, and will try to imitate what they see other kids do.
Enjoy every minute of it, and don't blink! There will be plenty of time for 'perfect' stands, sitting still and not talking before you know it. For now, enjoy the squirms and the squeals. They don't last.
Don't expect a perfect hunt with a young child. Some can sit still and quiet for 15 minutes, but most can't. If it's miserable for them, or you get upset with them for causing you to miss a chance at a coyote, they will not learn to LOVE it, which is your ultimate goal, right? Keep it in perspective. Just spending that one on one time with them, sharing something you love, lets them know that they are important to you. Don't spoil it by letting them think for one minute that it is more important than them or their feelings.
Get them a call they can blow and let them engage with you at home as you both practice your 'callin'. Above all, remember that positive reinforcement will help turn them into a life long hunting buddy. When they're old enough to start teaching technique, use the C.P.R. method (coaching technique) instead of straight criticism. (C = Compliment: Find a specific thing they are doing right and compliment it. "You did a good job using your eyes to scan instead of turning your head." P=Positive Correction: In making a correction, put it in a positive statement. For example, instead of saying "Don't move so much", say, "When we're on a stand we sit very, very still so the coyotes won't see us." R=Reinforcement: Model what you want them to correct, and then get them to try it, offering a smile and a 'good job' when they do it.) Most of all, young kids want to please their parents and be LIKE their parents. Kiddy camo is a great ego boost for you and them in that regard, and helps remind them that they are doing something special.
During Kiz Jr.'s early days Kizmo was a turkey FIEND. Life changed at our house during turkey season, as everything revolved around it. By the time Kiz Jr. was 3 or 4 Kizmo was eager to share the fun with him, but we agreed that he would not take Kiz Jr. until he, himself, had gotten his limit, or met whatever goal he had. (100 inches of beard in one season, finishing a Grand Slam, Royal Slam, or whatever.) That way, once the father-son hunting started, it was all about the son. This allowed Kizmo to not be quite so stressed if his little guy couldn't sit super still, or got hungry, or nature called.... As Kiz Jr. got older and more able to sit still, etc. he was eager to go because Kizmo had made it fun and not stressful when he was younger. Fast forward several years. Kiz Jr. shot his first turkey at age 9, and when he was 13 he called in a double for himself and Kizmo. That was the full circle of what Kizmo had hoped to accomplish. (Training him to enjoy it, as well as teaching him how to be successful at it.)
Kiz Jr. will soon be 16, and has hunted all his life, harvesting deer, hogs, turkeys, foxes, fox squirrels, crows, dove, bobcats, and coyotes. It all started with those short little turkey stands as a kid, when Daddy was not stressed to have a perfect hunt, realizing that just being together in the woods, and 'hunting' was good enough. He taught little lessons, not big ones, and just enjoyed spending the time with Kiz Jr. At the end of the day, that's what it's really about.
In some of Byron South's earlier videos he's hunting with his children when they were younger. If you can find some of those they would be great for your child to watch with you, prior to actually going out. Kids naturally like to watch other kids, and will pay more attention to them than they would to adults, and will try to imitate what they see other kids do.
Enjoy every minute of it, and don't blink! There will be plenty of time for 'perfect' stands, sitting still and not talking before you know it. For now, enjoy the squirms and the squeals. They don't last.
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I like what miz kiz had to say on this, I'd just add don't expect to be successful with a kid in tow. make the whole outing about having fun and showing your kid what you enjoy doing.
If you're making stands with a kid expecting them to be still long enough it could just end in frustration for you - so give it a lot of thought about what you want to accomplish before you take the little one.
Also make sure you're safe with the little one, and get em ear muffs.
If you're making stands with a kid expecting them to be still long enough it could just end in frustration for you - so give it a lot of thought about what you want to accomplish before you take the little one.
Also make sure you're safe with the little one, and get em ear muffs.
Dog_Sniper
New member
I started mine at 8yrs old. Hes 11 now and shoots as well as i do. He all about bow hunting a big buck now.
Jeepyjer
New member
I don't have kids but I take my nephews out when ever possible.The youngest one 9 he will never move or make a sound very good kid.He is little for his age I felt bad one night for getting on him for not shooting a coon.He kept saying he wanted to shoot something but when it came down to it he backed out.He is little for his age and got slapped pretty hard by his 20 gauge well that was his dads fault for putting in a black cloud.
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Bail
New member
Originally Posted By: DirtydudeI like what miz kiz had to say on this, I'd just add don't expect to be successful with a kid in tow. make the whole outing about having fun and showing your kid what you enjoy doing.
If you're making stands with a kid expecting them to be still long enough it could just end in frustration for you - so give it a lot of thought about what you want to accomplish before you take the little one.
Also make sure you're safe with the little one, and get em ear muffs.
Great point. They just want to go with you. Here's a pic of my little guy. His first time was this October when he was 3 and a half.
If you're making stands with a kid expecting them to be still long enough it could just end in frustration for you - so give it a lot of thought about what you want to accomplish before you take the little one.
Also make sure you're safe with the little one, and get em ear muffs.
Great point. They just want to go with you. Here's a pic of my little guy. His first time was this October when he was 3 and a half.
guess
New member
I started taking my kids as soon as they started to show an interest. It can be frustrating at times for sure just remember it is about the experience not the kill. If it's all about the kill DON"T take them.
Give them a job it helps keep them interested. I once had 3 of my 5 kids all blowing Haydel's calls at the same time, sounded terrible. They called in 6 coyotes on that stand.
My youngest is now 12 and my oldest 24, they all still enjoy hunting.
here are a couple of videos that show kids hunting with me.
this is my friend Randy's daughter and her first hog hunt. She has the attention span of a gnat on speed!
Give them a job it helps keep them interested. I once had 3 of my 5 kids all blowing Haydel's calls at the same time, sounded terrible. They called in 6 coyotes on that stand.
My youngest is now 12 and my oldest 24, they all still enjoy hunting.
here are a couple of videos that show kids hunting with me.
this is my friend Randy's daughter and her first hog hunt. She has the attention span of a gnat on speed!
jglynn
New member
I have 5 kids. 16,16,14,13, and 11. All of them have hunted all types of game since they were old enough to go. They all had their hunter's saftey since they were about 7. All 5 have been fortunate enough to kill bucks over 140 inches. My daughter killed a 141 at 9 years old!! My 14 year son killed a 157 inch buck when he was 12!!
My youngest son went on a tear with me this summer and has seen some decoy action that most grown men will never see and killed 8-10 decoyed coyotes when he was 10. My 2nd oldest son went with me alot this summer as well and seen and killed just as many. My oldest son killed 9 coyotes in 4 days by himself last year when he was 15. My middle son killed a 35 pound bobcat on his 2nd trip out when he was 11.
I would say that all together, my kids have killed around 50 coyotes and a few fox and a few bobcats.
I'm not much of a bragger, but I will brag about my kids being good hunters and killers.
My youngest son went on a tear with me this summer and has seen some decoy action that most grown men will never see and killed 8-10 decoyed coyotes when he was 10. My 2nd oldest son went with me alot this summer as well and seen and killed just as many. My oldest son killed 9 coyotes in 4 days by himself last year when he was 15. My middle son killed a 35 pound bobcat on his 2nd trip out when he was 11.
I would say that all together, my kids have killed around 50 coyotes and a few fox and a few bobcats.
I'm not much of a bragger, but I will brag about my kids being good hunters and killers.
My son was around 8 when I started to take him hunting with me. We now have been taking his 2 sons (My Grandsons) with use hunting they are 2 & 4 now. The oldest grandson was 2 when he was with us when we shot a nice yote on a Sunday morning. I had that pelt tanned and it hangs in my GunRoom for all to see. These 2 Grandsoon live on a farmstead so they are used to being in the country, they watch deer feed in there yard every nite, and all they talk about is deer and coyotes. They boys do real good sitting on stand with us and once in awhile point and say theres one. I could not be any prouder how this is turning out.
Take your kids out when you have time, and let them be kids, when they say they are tired take them home they will enjoy it much more if you don't shove it down there throat. Good luck everyone on passing on this great hobby for the next generation.----Riflemann
Take your kids out when you have time, and let them be kids, when they say they are tired take them home they will enjoy it much more if you don't shove it down there throat. Good luck everyone on passing on this great hobby for the next generation.----Riflemann
My son has been with me several times. He has shot a coyote but we didn't find it. He has missed 3 bobcats now, but did get this one on video. It ended up on Skinner's dvd.
He has gotten a few coons too.
A good many deer and a few hogs.
He has gotten a few coons too.
A good many deer and a few hogs.
Miz Kiz and others gives some good solid advice. I think this applies to parenting in general. I do not hunt as much as I wish because it is more important for me to have dinner with the kids than to be out.
Quick story I was bowhunting whitetails and took my young 3 year old son. Prime time rut November day. I knew it would be tough with a kid but we were out for some hunting. Tried to sit quite in a natural blind spot and he was doing OK. I thought I would grunt and rattle a little to see what could be enticed to show up. Start off with a doe bleat then a grunt a little rattling. He tried to imitate every sound I made at the top of his lungs. If dad was doing it by dang he was doing it. We made so much noise there were no deer around for miles. We ended up playing hide and seek. The next year he was riding on my shoulders after playing in the creek and saw his first deer while hunting 3 does and a 130's buck. Started yelling "SHOOT THEM DADDY SHOOT THEM". He is 6 now and doing better. He can shoot a bulls eye with a BB gun and be quite for about an hour.
My only advice is when you take the kids no matter how young carry your weapon (bow/gun) even unloaded this makes the experience so much more real for them. They do notice and will tell everyone if you didn't take a weapon hunting. Have fun with them.
Quick story I was bowhunting whitetails and took my young 3 year old son. Prime time rut November day. I knew it would be tough with a kid but we were out for some hunting. Tried to sit quite in a natural blind spot and he was doing OK. I thought I would grunt and rattle a little to see what could be enticed to show up. Start off with a doe bleat then a grunt a little rattling. He tried to imitate every sound I made at the top of his lungs. If dad was doing it by dang he was doing it. We made so much noise there were no deer around for miles. We ended up playing hide and seek. The next year he was riding on my shoulders after playing in the creek and saw his first deer while hunting 3 does and a 130's buck. Started yelling "SHOOT THEM DADDY SHOOT THEM". He is 6 now and doing better. He can shoot a bulls eye with a BB gun and be quite for about an hour.
My only advice is when you take the kids no matter how young carry your weapon (bow/gun) even unloaded this makes the experience so much more real for them. They do notice and will tell everyone if you didn't take a weapon hunting. Have fun with them.
AzDiamondHeat
New member
Put a reed in that binky and you are set!
Loggers Inn
New member
Very seldom do I go without my 13 yr old sidekick. He has many pics posted in "calling in the east....Ohio roll call" using his helmet mounted PVS 14 and dbal d-2 laser.
Fling-a-arrow
New member
That binky pic cracks me up..
My eight year old shot his first with a 3" dead coyote round.
My eight year old shot his first with a 3" dead coyote round.
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Brownie
New member
This is my 9 year old daughter. We both began our coyote calling journey when she was about 4 or 5 and she woukd go almost every time I did for the first unsuccessful year. After that Me and her mom split and didn't get to go for a long time. This was out first stand together after years of not going. A day I will not soon forget. Take them out as early as you feel comfortable. Time spent with your kids is never bad or wasted
