Signed up the youngest for hunter's ed.

[j-bird]

Well I just enrolled the youngest of my 4 kids in the state required hunters education course. All of my kids have taken the course (hunters or not) and it is required by the state to get a hunting license now. I was not required to take the course (because of my age), but I have taken it to aid possible future trips out of state. My wife and I require that the kids be at least 10 years of age before they take the class. I felt it was very important for them to be able to read and understand the material presented to them. They take the test at the end entirely on their own - I will only help them if they do not understand a word or the question.

She has been on my case since hunting season about going. She has gone hunting with me a few times now, but only to observe. As she put's it - "She want's to go deer hunt'n , and not just to watch!"

This will be the start of a chapter that I don't want to end. The learning and curiosity that comes with hunting is a very interesting time for me as a father and a teacher. We will start with small game and learning about the woods. We will talk about how to read tracks and to follow them and what the different deer sign means. We will talk about playing the wind and how to read the deer's body language. I was a little lost at times this past year as my hunting side-kick (my boy - the oldest) was off to college this year. My other daughters are not much for hunting and that's OK. My boy and I shared several hunts just being guys. In fact I think his buck will be the biggest off the farm to date, so I did at least teach him something. I look forward to those times again with my youngest, but those times too are limited and eventually will pass.

Maybe one day I will have grandkids to take hunting and share time with or maybe even my own kids will take the time to still go hunting with dad once in a while. Hopefully it all comes full circle - for now I have a wound up 10 year old to try to sit still and pay attention for 10 hours of class time.

 

[wiscwhip]

Great job J-bird! :cool:My youngest daughter didn't take the course until she was 13, but had been walking the woods and "hunting" with dad since she was 9. I sat in class with her for the whole course and I was actually amazed that she knew/retained so much of what I had taught her about rifle calibers and shotgun gauges and chokes, etc. She was the only one in class that knew(including the boys) why a .30-06 was called a .30-06 and why a .30-30 was a .30-30. Her Hunter Safety instructors were apparently very impressed because they actually asked her to join their group and become a Jr. Hunter Safety Instructor, but she had to decline due to other sports obligations. It also helps when her grandfather and great uncle have both taken the instructors classes and her great uncle is a head instructor in the county he lives in.

 

[j-bird]

Some kids actually take it in school and it is available on-line as well. I prefer my kids sit thru the class (I will sit thru my 4th) - they tend to learn better that way. I focus much more on the natural environment with my kids than the technical side of things. I focus on different critter tracks and understanding about the major habitat components and the like. My youngest knows what hickory trees look like and how they are important for squirrels and what oaks and acorns are as well as other trees and the like. My other two girls are more into taking photos of nature and the like and that is fine with me. I think it's important that they have as much exposure to the natural world as they want. I don't push, I simply open the door and how far they go from there is up to them. Some like it at arms length - others, like my youngest, likes it between her toes!

 

[OkieKubota]

I have been through that course a few times as well. My grandson was 7 when I took him to the class to take it. They don't allow any adults to stay in the classroom when they do the testing and he only missed 2 on the test. He has taken 2 bucks the past 2 yrs now and he is now 9...

 

[tooln]

I wish my dad would have done that for me. GREAT job.

 

[j-bird]

I told her about it when I got home from work and the questions started.

I was able to find the training booklet from the last class I attended and she immediately tore into it. We already had a "show and tell" session over the various types and parts of various firearms and caliber, gauge and cartridge/shot shell as well. The class is called "Hunters Ed" but it is much more focused on safety than actually teaching them about hunting itself. They discuss hunting and the like, but more in general terms. In any manner she is "all in" and even marked the days for her class on the calendar in her room. We even had the "it's a process" talk and that she might not hunt a deer this year, but we would start the process as soon as we can. I explained how we need to start with "training wheels" and work our way up. That didn't seem to phase her - full speed ahead as far as she is concerned!

 

[Turkey Creek]

I was a certified instructor for a few years before my kids became the focus of my life. I took my daughter and her 3 closest friends to the classes when they were in the 6th grade. Eventhough I knew all 4 of them would likely not take up the sport of hunting I felt that it was good for them to all learn gun safety and glad I took the time to do it. Out of the four girls only one has really taken to hunting, unfortunately not my daughter, but one of them shot a real nice buck this year and I told her I would do the taxidermy work on it for her graduation present this year. Time does fly by way too fast at times.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I think hunter Ed was the only test I ever got a 100% on in my life! In Mo you can take when your 11 which I did. I remember bursting into laughter when the instructor said "nipple" while discussing the basic principles of a muzzle loader. He didn't think it was very funny