Daddy/daughter hunt?

[Marc]

I am both excited and dreading tomorrow...

I will be taking my 5 year old with me for her first turkey hunting experience.  She has been fishing, dove hunting, and duck hunting with me.  She is a trooper, and a great companion in the field.

She did not mention this to me, but has told Mommy that the worst part about duck hunting is being quiet (and not talking).  But, she has yet to complain, and has hunted in December and January, never complaining, and never asking to go home (although she will occasionally ask how many more birds we need for a limit).

Here are some pics of her last duck hunt with me (in January of this year):

Holding our limit:


Working the jerk cord (which it turns out she is actually really good at):



I have found that if I can get her involved and participating that she enjoys these outdoor experiences much better.  Fishing, she is pretty much autonomous, dove hunting, she spots dove coming in better than I do.  She can actually blow a duck call good enough that there is some benefit to her calling (better than many members of my club), and as seen above, she gets put in charge of the jerk cord (which she takes very seriously).

I plan on hunting a ground blind tomorrow (portable stand-up, not sit-inside), and I will be using decoys.  I am hunting an area I have not been back to in a couple several weeks (but I will be going back to a spot I saw a bird strutting with 2 hens). 

Hoping to get some gobbling, and really hoping to have a bird come in range...  But I am uncertain as to how to get her physically involved in the hunt without deleteriously affecting the hunt???  (I already have her binoculars, snacks, and camera packed for her).

Any advice on keeping a young child involved and engaged in a turkey hunt, without ruining or hurting the hunt???

[wvmntnhick]

Spending time with the kid is more important than the hunt itself. Just go and enjoy it.

My girls wanted to go trapping with me some over the season. Typically, I'm worried about scent control. Does it matter? Probably not cause they're going to smell you either way I'm pretty sure. Anyway, when they come along, I pretty much let them do what they want and not get concerned about it. A lost/missed opportunity on a fox or coyote is easily replaced by outdoor memories with the girls.

[eorlando]

My 6 year old daughter does it all with me as well. She loves to go duck hunting as well. I brought her on her first turkey hunt this year. It only lasted a couple of hours but she did get to hear a bird gobble on the roost about 100 yards from us. She loved it!  Just make sure you have plenty for her to do. An IPad works wonders when they start to get bored and want to go.

[g8rvet]

First - what a doll!  To both posters.  Mine is 22 and I still see her as that curly headed little girl. 

You do have ear protection for her right? I know I don't need to tell you, but anyone else reading this needs to remember that. 

Have her help set the decoys and ask her opinion on how they look. Let her pick how to arrange them. have her help set up the blind.  Let her practice on a slate call at some point. With both my son and daughter I used a ground blind (not a pop up) and I stressed that they can slowly move their hands safely, just try to not move your head much or do it slowly. I also practice the whisper game with them.  My son and I whispered back and forth as I encouraged his movements as he killed his first bird - 26  yards away.  We also had a BE STILL signal that meant there was a bird near and both respected it.  We practiced it as a game and then I did not use it unless it was real. (it was PSSSSSTTTTTTTTTT - a hiss whisper).  Pray for hens to practice on.  Gives them confidence they can be still with birds close (and you too). 

[Marc]

Yep...  Hearing protection is a must.  I am taking it with me, but am unsure as to how I will have her use it for turkey hunting.  I will either have her put them on as the bird approaches, or have her just cover her hears; I want her to hear the gobbling and turkey sounds, and with a single shot, I think covering her hears might be appropriate.

As for the iPad...  Yep, she would love it, but I do NOT want her to get in the habit of asking to take out electronics when we are doing outdoor stuff.  If I take it once, she will want it every time.

She is a bit on the fence as to going (the whole going to bed early and waking up early is a tough pill to swallow for her), and I made it clear that the decision is all hers...  I guess we will find out tomorrow, if she is ready for turkey hunting...  If she decides to go.

Thank you for the replies guys!

Eorlando, Great pics!  Glad to see someone else is brave enough to take out a little girl.

[Marc]

Well...  It was a complete and total failure.

We had a couple birds gobble, and she did very well sitting still and remaining quiet...  That is until the ants came out...  She has a terrible phobia of insects (which are not an issue during the duck season), and I did not consider the ant issue.

Actually had a bird move in on us from a looong ways off.  Barely audible when I first heard it, and came into about 100 yards...  Focusing on the road that the bird would likely (hopefully) walk down towards us, I set Kierra so she could see everything...  That is when I heard "ANTS! ANTS! ANTS!"

With high's in the high 80's, I did not consider foot warmth.  Had her bundled up, but she had uninsulated rubber boots with regular socks on, and her feet got very cold in the early morning.  When she told me her feet hurt, I thought the boots did not fit (I did not realize her feet were cold).  Although the condensation on the top of the grass burned off quickly (and I thought it was dry) her feet became soaked when I switched to tennis shoes.  This ordeal occurred as I attempted to set up on another bird we heard walking back to the truck...  At that point it was time to go home.

I will not be in a big hurry to take her out turkey hunting again...  If she asks to go, she will be welcome, but I think for this season, I will be hunting solo...

[eorlando]

Marc, I'm sorry to hear it didn't go well. I was really pulling for the 2 of you. She will remember it for the rest of her life regardless of whether you guys killed a bird or not. Better luck next time.

[Marc]

Marc, I'm sorry to hear it didn't go well. I was really pulling for the 2 of you. She will remember it for the rest of her life regardless of whether you guys killed a bird or not. Better luck next time.

I appreciate it...

Not sure how  I could have handled the insect situation differently.  That is something she will have to learn to over-come.  I will say, the red ants we have here are nasty though (not as bad as fire ants, but still very unpleasant little creatures).

But, it was a significant over-sight on my part not considering her foot warmth.  I was in a long-sleeve t-shirt and a light sweater and quite comfortable, and she was quite cold with two shirts, a sweatshirt and a thin jacket.  Luckily, I had enough foresight to take one of my thicker jackets for her to use as a blanket...  But I am kicking myself for putting her in those thin socks and thin rubber boots.

Unfortunately, it was an unpleasant experience all around for her...  She offered to take a nap in the truck while I continued to hunt, so she is a little trooper.

I think if I take the girls hunting in the future, I will have to invest in an enclosed blind.  Also have to remind myself that when taking the kids hunting the priorities shift completely to the kids...