How old to take a kid

**bbhntr48** · 02-21-2018, 09:16 AM

Gonna take my 5 year old grandson this spring. Wondering how old you started your kids in the turkey woods. Gonna setup a ground blind as he learns to sit still, haha More excited for this season than any in a long time

**Relentlous** · 02-21-2018, 09:22 AM

I took my oldest boy one afternoon last year. He was 3 at the time. I took a strutter decoy with me to take attention off us the best I could. We had a bird come into the field, but was stuck on the other side of the ditch between us on someone else's property. He was about 30 yards out. My son started getting ansy and couldn't take much more of it. He ripped his face mask off, and yelled shoot the turkey daddy, shoot the turkey!! Needless to say the bird took off in the other direction. I laughed it off, and will always remember that hunt with him. I plan on taking him this year a bunch.

**marsh chicken** · 02-21-2018, 09:27 AM

Make sure he doesn’t have a hole in his boot.

**MKW** · 02-21-2018, 09:32 AM

I started taking mine at 7yrs old. That was the age at which they were both able to sit relatively still and keep quiet for 15 minutes, or so. I say 15 minutes because that's about as long as I will sit on a turkey. I, pretty much, stay on the move. I refused to put my kids in a blind. I feel like a kid will learn absolutely nothing about turkey hunting while sitting in a tent. And I refused to compromise the way that I hunt just so my kids could kill something.
My boy buggered one turkey by moving and the turkey left in a hurry. He started crying and I said, " Son, I told you that you couldn't move!" Then I said, " I know you feel bad now, but you are going to feel worse when I kill that same turkey tomorrow." From then on, he was a statue in the woods, when it mattered. I felt it was a valuable lesson, as did he.
Oh yeah, the turkey had a 11.75" beard and very nice spurs....when I killed him 2 days later.
I just feel that if the object is to get the kids in the outdoors, take them to a dove shoot or on a squirrel hunt or fishing. To me, turkey hunting, when done in the manner that I see as proper, should be a great opportunity for a young person to actually learn HOW to hunt.

Now...in saying all of that, I'm quite sure that almost nobody will agree with me, but that's what I did and I would do it again.

**flockbuster** · 02-21-2018, 09:46 AM

I didn't take mine at all. Nobody taught me so why should I make it any easier on him.

**2thDoc** · 02-21-2018, 09:48 AM

i took my kids real young. they never seemed to have much luck. I usually dropped them off in a shitty spot and told them to stay there till I got back. that probably has something to do with it.

One learned to call pretty well in that 8-10 year period, though.

**flockbuster** · 02-21-2018, 09:48 AM

Seriously though, I started taking him when he got old enough to wipe his own butt. When he was 5 or 6 we found a bird that would answer every sound my son made but wouldn't make a peep at anything I did. He still brings that up now, 20 years later

**M2Field** · 02-21-2018, 09:49 AM

My son was three when he witnessed me killing a gobbler for the 1st time. Still wearing the same boots.

**FEETDOWN** · 02-21-2018, 09:58 AM

Depends on the kid, my 12 YO absolutely lives for it, my 10 YO likes it, but isn't crazy over it like his brother. I started taking them both a couple times a year when they were 5, neither of them could sit still for shit at that age so it was mostly afternoon blind hunting then. It was more about just getting them involved and spending time with em outdoors at that point.

They tagged along with me on a few morning hunts as they got better at being still, and they both watched me shoot several birds before they started taking a gun. I didn't care about either of them killing one when they were barely able to hold up a gun so I could brag about how young they were when they killed their first turkey like a lot of folks do. I wanted to teach them HOW to turkey hunt, without the added pressure of having to close the deal, so they did a lot of observing and learning between the ages of 7 & 9.

Plus I didn't wanna long gun em at too early of an age and turn em completely off from it

**2thDoc** · 02-21-2018, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by FEETDOWN

Depends on the kid....

I didn't care about either of them killing one when they were barely able to hold up a gun so I could brag about how young they were when they killed their first turkey like a lot of folks do. I wanted to teach them HOW to turkey hunt, without the added pressure of having to close the deal, so they did a lot of observing and learning between the ages of 7 & 9.

Plus I didn't wanna long gun em at too early of an age and turn em completely off from it

like

**Glenn** · 02-21-2018, 10:46 AM

When they’re old enough to put their finger on top of yours in the trigger guard and “pull” the trigger to “kill” their own. That way you can get that good photo op poundsigned with “so proud” and “hooked”.

**Sportin' Woodies** · 02-21-2018, 10:54 AM

I take mine in a pop up blind. It's fun. I could care less if they wanna learn the hard way bc I could care less if they suck at turkey hunting. More for me.

**Sportin' Woodies** · 02-21-2018, 10:55 AM

Plus if they get good they may start acting like some of them TCF creeps and then I have failed as a father.

**marsh chicken** · 02-21-2018, 11:03 AM

My kids don’t have time for turkey hunting. It’s almost travel ball season. They LOVE it!!!

**FEETDOWN** · 02-21-2018, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by marsh chicken

My kids don’t have time for turkey hunting. It’s almost travel ball season. They LOVE it!!!

Hell yeah! I've already scheduled mine for their Tommy John surgeries after the season this year. Might as well go ahead and get it out of the way so they don't tear something mid season and miss playing time

**MKW** · 02-21-2018, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by marsh chicken

My kids don’t have time for turkey hunting. It’s almost travel ball season. They LOVE it!!!

That's pretty weak. There is no travel ball season. #travelballislife
I hope they were, at least, training in this so-called "off season".

**Glenn** · 02-21-2018, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Sportin' Woodies

Plus if they get good they may start acting like some of them TCF creeps and then I have failed as a father.

I’ve nicknamed my triplets The Little Buice Coup.

They got their 4th legion patches in the mail yesterday.

Gonna get bottomland face and neck tats when they’re 6. Poundsign no face mask needed.

**Sportin' Woodies** · 02-21-2018, 11:11 AM

I'd give one green leaf so u can tell em apart. Congrats on 4th. Surprised the wife let them chug a mini bottle of wild turkey while taking a boot on neck selfie

**MKW** · 02-21-2018, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Sportin' Woodies

I'd give one green leaf so u can tell em apart. Congrats on 4th. Surprised the wife let them chug a mini bottle of wild turkey while taking a boot on neck selfie

I'm sure the wife didn't know. Women and non-legionnaires just don't understand.