Advice from all the Dads that trained their kids

[txdukklr]

So I need some advice I have a plan but wanna bounce it off yall.

My son has been shooting since around 8. Can very easily hit a pie plate at 25 yards actually he's about 80% in a silver dollar and then a stray from time to time.

He gets buck fever something fierce and his kills have always been tough. He's lost one animal and one of us has had to put a finishing shot on every bow kill.

So this weekend we're going to a management deer hunt. I dont' care if it's the weakest 8 point you've ever seen he's gonna get PUMPED.

Normally in a hunt I'd wait out a buck and not shoot a doe if I had an opportunity. But my thought is to tell my son the first doe that shows her face you shoot. Take your time but at least get an arrow bloody and settle him down. Now I say that knowing any minimal chance he actually has at a management deer is better if he doesn't shoot and waits it out.

What say you?

[BrianL]

Coming from someone who still gets PUMPED after 28 years of deer hunting, I don't think it will make much difference. It is worth a try, but don't expect him to not get the fever when the buck walks out. THe thing that helps me some is drawing on several deer but not releasing an arrow. Don't think I would do that with a kiddo because they would have a tougher time bringing the sting down in a controled manner, but it does help me. You might have him do it without pulling back though.

[aironeout]

Have him focus on the silver dollar and form. Also, try to make it as instinctive/reactionary instead of letting him think about it for a long time. It will all work out, it usually does.

>E

[jpbruni]

Best advice I can give you is to tell him to focus on just one spot on the deer. Tell him to pick out one single hair on the deer, or maybe a spot that is a different color, and tell him to only aim for that. What is most likely happening is that he is sooo focused on just the animal itself and not a single spot.

By doing this it will force him to concentrate more on where his arrow is going to hit, rather than WOW! I'M ABOUT TO SHOOT A DEER!!!

If you are sitting with him, YOU pick the spot for him. Tell Him...See that little tuft of hair that is darker brown, right behind the shoulder?? Aim for that!

One other method that works pretty well is to tell him to start the aiming process by picking a spot or hair, then have him put the (correct) pin on the top of the back, right behind the shoulder and then have him slowly, but steadily lower the pin straight down to where the spot is and then release the arrow. The downward motion should be almost perfectly vertical from the top of the back to the spot he has picked out. Works with rifles too!

This should do the trick.

J.P.

[oktx]

He is gonna get the fever no matter what. Some handle it better than others. Put him at a distance he can shoot and let him shoot. You probably need to be there to coach.

[EnglishRedneck]

Thsi game is 90% mental, so I would have thought that knowing that the first thing that walks out is fair game would take some of the panic out. There is no looking at antlers and considering if it's big or small...what you see is what you get.

Also, try to get him to focus on one hair rather than the whole animal. Works for me!

[EnglishRedneck]

JPBruni - you beat me to it! One Hair...

[GregO]

What typically happens when you get wrapped up in the excitement (true for me and my kids)
See deer
draw, aim (maybe), shoot, miss- all of this happens in about 5 seconds.
the cure for both me and the kids- watch the deer, watch even longer- calm down and plan the shot- which one, where, when...
relax, execute-- success.
I've watched deer as long as 45 minutes before shooting, usually try for at least 15 minutes.

[Shane]

I don't think there is any trick or cure for a kid getting excited other than experience. It's just gonna happen early on - at least you HOPE it does. If a kid isn't excited by a chance at taking a deer, then they may not be lifelong hunters anyway.

What I've always tried to do (right or wrong) is to not show ANY disappointment or anger if/when my son got too excited and/or spooked a deer or missed a shot (gun or bow). I focus on the positive of the situation, which is DANG!!! THAT WAS FUN, HUH?!!

I let Zach shoot armadillos, rabbits, birds, mice, whatever..... Shooting at things besides paper or block targets builds confidence, and it helps calm some of the "first time" jitters that happen when a live animal walks into range. I really believe that shooting sparrows with a BB gun even helps when you get into a hunting situation.

I also learned when he was little that I didn't need to tell him that a deer was coming as soon as I saw the deer in the brush in the distance. The longer the anticipation, the worse the buck fever, usually. When he was starting out, he always did much better if the deer appeared in range, we got the gun up, and he shot relatively quickly. That's easier in rifle hunting, because you don't have to wait until the deer gets within 15 yards or so. The up close factor of bowhunting just flat makes it more exciting - for kids of all ages.

You have to focus on breathing, one hair, etc...... Easier said than done.

[SaltwaterSlick]

When I first read your post, I thought your son was 8, but I went back and re-read it and it appears that he is older than 8... and it appears that he has been shooting for some time. You have been given some very good advice in this thread, but what I have not bee able to determine is whether or not you will be sitting with your son from all the posts... I'd assume you are, and the best advice I could give you is that you should sit with him and coach him through the hunt using the excellent advice given above by JP and others, and not leave him to his own devices...

[stinkbelly]

What works for me is to let the deer walk out and watch it for a while. If you are hunting a feeder let it feed for 5 minutes if you can. It is amazing to just sit there and watch deer.

[big_smith]

I have the same problem myself, and I've been hunting for almost 30 years. I have trouble with the first shot of the season for some reason. I usually rush it and mess up. That being said, I like the doe idea, turkey or hog would be better. I usually try and poke the first doe I see. It kinda breaks the ice and settles me down. I too have forced myself to watch a little longer than I used to.

[Tommyh]

I usually try and poke the first doe I see. It kinda breaks the ice and settles me down.

classic signature there!

[stinkbelly]

Thinking back about this problem, my dad always shot his deer in the butt or throat while aiming at the vitals. We took him on a high fence hog hunt to give him more confidence and settle him down.

[huntinfool]

I like to let the boys watch them for a while and talk about what they are going to do and when they are going to shoot and where. Give them time to calm their nerves.