Too much success, too early?

Depends on the kid I guess, but if their only connection is one trip out and one dead trophy they are probably going to loose interest, I’ve known a handful of guys like that. I think quality animals should be worked up to progressively - but who is going to have a kid pass up a trophy if one presents itself. I do believe that giving kids OIL tags is a poor idea, no reason to peak out on a dream hunt so early.
 
Interesting post. I worry about this too. I have been taking my son (who is 14 yo) into the mountains for a few years and now he does most of the hunting.

He is super keen and we do public land missions together that push both our boundaries. BUT i worry he has been too successful. For example he has shot several big stags and very big bull tahr. While he worked hard for these trophies, having this early success seems to short cut the 'failures' which are really when hunters learn and appreciate the hunt. No doubt he will draw a good AZ bull tag and better my WY elk haha

I guess the key is that he loves the outdoors and wants to spend time with this dad.
 
ILbowhntr said:
It’s been a while since I went through through hunter Ed, but when I read the OP I was really thinking about mentoring and educating for conservation with younger hunters. There are, and will likely always be, folks who are focused on the trophy, and the obligatory Instagram post that oftentimes comes with is as “the goal”. After all, I think most hunters go through “stages” during a lifetime of hunting if they stick with it.

Maybe a portion of the hunter Ed classes can focus more on conservation and stewardship of the land to provide a broader context. Is there a Class or any kind of formal structure to help people mentor new hunters? I’m sure many would be willing to mentor younger/newer hunters, but just aren’t sure how.
Click to expand...
What a coincidence…I actually just saw in my NM reg‘s that they have a “mentor certification“ program in NM. Thats pretty cool. I may have to look into taking that if it’s offered on line.
I just happened to be re-reading it as I depart on Saturday for a 17hr drive to get there a couple days before my tag is valid. Can’t wait!
 
If a kid is going to be eventually hunting with me, especially with our traditional opening day fiasco, I am certainly all for them having an opportunity at a great animal on a special youth hunt.
 
I had my first deer tag at 13 and I got the most marginal stand on the property. I watched a lot of chickadees, nuthatches, and red squirrels…for 5 years. I saw my first live deer with a rifle in my hand at age 18 when I had been upgraded to a better stand after chopping a lot of firewood, doing dishes, and otherwise being the camp helper.

Grouse hunting was in the same vein. I walked behind the adults who walked behind the dogs. If there was a late flush at the back I got to shoot, but mostly I did a lot of walking and watching.

Adults back then had the right idea. The lessons were that you if you want something you have to work hard, be patient, and earn it. No handouts, and no participation trophies.

I’m going to do the same thing with my kids and hunting, even if every last one of my kid’s friends’ parents are cutting them to the front of the line to get some huge meaningless reward.
 
Indeed an interesting topic. I'm a Hunter Ed Instructor and have always found it fascinating what kids and adults for that matter are looking to start hunting. Some take it very seriously, some just curious, and others are a mystery. I've had this similar discussion with associates as to the good and bad of youth hunts.
One take away I have is action and experience are far better motivators than a trophy. Like many have stated a lot of these youngster don't know how special a true giant mule deer or elk really is. I believe a good waterfowl or upland hunt with lots of shooting, surprise flushes or cupped up mallards will ignite a fire. A stalk on any big game animal be it Doe, Spike, or other could be just as exciting.
The other aspect I've discussed often is the right amount of suffer. There is a fine line between "earning" and "plain suffering" that can make hunting un appealing to a new comer. The example that comes to mind was my oldest son when he came along with a bunch of guys to North Dakota for his first chance at deer, he was 11 years old. There was plenty of learning experiences on the trip, but what stands out is when one of the "alpha" guys made a big scene about the boy skinning his deer by himself. It was around 8 degrees that day, everyone including my son were exhausted. It was a strange scenario that went from excitement about success and comradery to him being put on the spot in front of a bunch of guys. The deer was skinned quickly by myself and a buddy with my son's "help". I think it would have been a huge mistake to force such a task upon a 11 year old. On the other hand I've seen young kids kill deer simply by getting out of a truck, shooting, taking a picture, and then being completely out of the process. All kids are different but there is definitely a sweet spot between treating a child like a recruit at basic training and a prince in the woods.
 
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I started off on a deer farm (figuratively) and killed a buck either the first morning or the last morning (if I got busy with sports earlier) for a decade. It's taken a long time to realize how much work it should actually take
 
Some success breeds interest

The ones that bug me are the 5 to 6 year Olds sleeping in the. Lind, get woken up to pull the trigger and clearly don't k ow what they did other than it made dad happy
 
Here are a couple of my concerns (and I will preface this by saying both of my kids first animals were non trophyis.....a small WT for my son and a pig for HP).

1) I have seen this a lot, especially when I have lived in he southeast and hunted in Texas, not as much in the Midwest or West. A rush to get kids into the hootin, hollerin killing culture at a VERY young age. This age varies by kid but it really has to do with them being able to comprehend the actual taking of a life. While I am usually for parents being the barometer of most things with their kids this is one place where I am ok with a minimum age (like the 12 in CO) to force a little restraint on some. I feel pretty strongly that no six year old should be taking a big game animal.......which I have seen on a regular basis......

2) As for the trophy component, if a starter hunter kills a trophy class animal in a fair chase environment I believe how that affects his/her future interest is mostly to do with what led up to that moment....traditions, learning and discussions about what hunting means, appreciation for creation. The real problem I see, and it goes hand and hand with what I was talking about above, is when parents who simply spend money to go shoot "big" ones to put on the wall take kids to do the same. Whether that takes the form of high fence, hunting clubs managed just for inches or super high success/big trophy ranch type hunts. This is where you get a recirculating culture where bragging and one-upmanship devalue the game and it's life.

My 2 cents
 
Interesting topic! My eight year old is sick for hunting, it’s all he talks about. I want to spend as much time with him in the outdoors as possible, without him thinking that every hunt starts and ends with a death march. For him, I’ve got deposits and mentor tags lined up for him to kill bison, elk, deer, bear, and antelope before he’s 14. I also might throw in a ewe bighorn hunt for him. If he never hunts after that, I’ll be just fine with his decision. For me, hunting is just another excuse to spend quality time with the family in the outdoors.
 
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Having grown up without ever getting the chance to fill my tag as a youth, I want to try and help my son have that opportunity while hunting together. It doesn’t matter how impressive that animal is to others, I know my son will be happy with anything. Were planning to go the cow tag route to enhance the opportunity, rather than status. That being said my time as a teenager paid off for my younger siblings that had a lot more success after dad figured it out.
 
My parents aren’t the outdoor type but I was lucky enough to grow up 30 miles out in the country. Dad worked on a natural gas and we lived right at the plant. I lived outside and always loved looking for deer up the creeks or when we were on our way to town. There was a couple of other families that lived out there that hunted. Seeing them bring home bucks was what hooked me at a young age. When I turned 12 I jumped on the 4wheeler and headed out hunting. My first buck was bigger than a lot of grown men’s best buck and I’m still just as addicted today as I was then. Still not sure how I drug that thing out and then got it loaded on our Kawasaki bayou 220 at 12 years old. 20 years later It still sucks to drag anything.
 
I was fortunate as I developed a love for the outdoors. Hunting and fishing was just a by product of that. I never put too much thought into killing the big trophy I just loved life outdoors.
 
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