Introducing Kids to the Great Outdoors (Without Overwhelming Them)

Dave has hunted with me many times over the last 25 years. He loves to hunt and is usually successful. Dave’s dream was that one day his son, his only child, would join him in his hunting adventures. Today his son is grown and has never had an interest in hunting. As much as he wants his son as a hunting partner, he hunts alone each year.

Most of us that love the outdoors desperately want our kids to enjoy them too. We’ve had so many incredible experiences, like hearing the first gobbling turkey at 4:00 a.m., or being on the water when fish get active at first light, that we naturally want to share. We expect that those following in our footsteps will see it the same way. We are convinced that if they could just see the things we have seen, hear the things we have heard, and feel the things we have felt, there is no way they couldn't become passionate outdoorsmen and women. We encourage our kids to embrace the outdoors as we do, and this is where we can make mistakes.

All too often, when kids get tired, cold, or bored, we try to convince them to stay a little longer and maybe we will see or experience something incredible. When they are hungry, we tell them to wait a little longer before opening a bag of chips or candy that may spook something away. When they want to blow the duck call or grunt call, we want them to sit quietly. When they want to sit down and rest, we want to push them on so we can make it to the top of the ridge before it gets light.

In our desire to make our young children enjoy something, we forget to allow them to have fun. We push them at our speed to be successful, when success doesn’t always depend on bringing something home. It should be about the experience. If they want to sleep in one morning instead of heading out in the sleet and wind, it’s not because they don’t want to be with us, it’s because it’s not fun for them. Also, every kid is different, and some will never find that passion. We should realize early on that not everyone shares the same appreciation for certain things, and we can’t force others to be in the same place we are. But there are things we can do to help build that connection.

Don’t push too hard; go at their pace. When Ryan, my oldest son, was about 8 years old I took him to Florida on a hog and deer hunt. We pushed pretty hard and he killed his first hog, and minutes later I killed one too. We had a great time together. Each morning we were up way before dawn and we were still going until long after dark. After a few days of this, we got up one morning and he was sitting on his bed weeping. I was confused and asked him what was wrong. He said, “I’m just so tired.” I told him that he didn’t have to go out that morning, we would hunt in the afternoon. He went back to bed and in a few hours we were having fun together again.

Allow kids to be comfortable. One time, I took my grandson bear hunting in Minnesota, and we sat in a two-man tree stand. It was a long sit, and he eventually got tired and fell asleep resting against me. The weather was beautiful and I felt blessed to have him leaning on me when he needed sleep, but it wasn’t very comfortable. I’ve found, when hunting with kids, it’s helpful to use an elevated, enclosed hunting blind. We might like to do it the “hard way”, but generally our kids don’t appreciate it.

Make small adventures into grand adventures. One of my earliest memories of hunting with my dad was a squirrel hunt where he only took one squirrel. It was a sunny fall afternoon and Dad came home from work and asked if my brother and I wanted to go hunting. I was probably only 7 or 8 years old, and my brother was 2 years older than me. My dad asked where my daisy Red Ryder BB gun was and I ran to find it. He got his 22 and off we drove to my uncle’s house. My brother went with my uncle and I went with Dad. He taught me a lot about squirrels that day and just before sundown he shot a fat gray squirrel. That squirrel could have been a 10 point buck and wouldn’t have been any more valuable to me. Take the time to allow your kids to have simple adventures.

Encourage them to experience the adventure. My friend Dave had an opportunity to bring his son on a great youth hunt when he was about 10 years old. I invited the two of them and Dave asked his son if he wanted to go along. Dave called me and said that his son didn’t think he wanted to hunt and he didn’t want to push him into it. I suggested Dave push his son, just a little, so he could get a feeling for what a hunting camp and a good hunt could be like. He stuck with the thought that he didn’t want to push him, and today Dave still comes hunting on his own. We shouldn’t push too hard, but at times it is good to coax the kids along to try an experience.

So, what is it that makes some kids choose the outdoors? What can we do to help them find a passion for hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities?

• Don’t make it too hard
• Go at their pace, not yours
• Find out what they enjoy about it, and build on that
• Give them opportunities to experience real adventure
• Make it comfortable for them
• Make sure that they know you love them, and you want them with you
• Make it fun and they will want to do it again and again.

Kids today are drawn in so many directions that were not there when most of us were kids. They have many more opportunities in their lives, and many more distractions. When introducing them to your passion, whether it be hunting, fishing, or just being outdoors, make it fun, give them options, and don’t push too hard.