{"id":1249,"date":"2021-02-13T15:12:32","date_gmt":"2021-02-13T15:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/?p=1249&#038;fishpig=1613228836&#038;preview=true"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:37:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:37:22","slug":"getting-kids-into-hunting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-kids-into-hunting\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Kids Into Hunting"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-kids-into-hunting\/#Getting_Kids_Into_Hunting\" >Getting Kids Into Hunting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-kids-into-hunting\/#The_Future_of_Conservation_Hunting\" >The Future of Conservation Hunting<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-kids-into-hunting\/#Start_Small\" >Start Small\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-kids-into-hunting\/#Teach_Safety\" >Teach Safety<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-kids-into-hunting\/#Provide_Distractions\" >Provide Distractions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/getting-kids-into-hunting\/#Pack_Snacks\" >Pack Snacks<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_Kids_Into_Hunting\"><\/span><b>Getting Kids Into Hunting<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>Getting <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/binoculars-for-kids\/\">kids<\/a> into <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"hunting\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"314\">hunting<\/a> has such intrinsic values that go far beyond the thrill of the kill.<\/strong><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I can still feel my heart beating as I sat in my dad\u2019s lap, looking through the rifle <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/riflescopes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"scope\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"196\">scope<\/a> on his old Remington Woodmaster. The stories that gun could tell. The crosshairs wobbled then settled on a doe standing 50 yards down the South <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/a-beginners-guide-to-nilgai-hunting\/\">Texas<\/a> scendaro where we sat in an elevated <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/the-benefits-of-having-a-rifle-suppressor\/\">shooting<\/a> house.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The rifle\u2019s recoil (.30-06) knocked me off my dad\u2019s knee and I landed on my back on the shooting house\u2019s floor. He managed to snag the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/long-range-rifle-scopes\/\">rifle<\/a> as I fell; years later, I\u2019ve come to realize the smart choice between the two falling objects. Beyond my beating heart and the fact that I\u2019d just killed my first deer, the memories that stick with me most are the smell of gunpowder filling the blind and my dad\u2019s smile as he looked down at me. I still have the shell casing. And every so often I sniff the spent <a title=\"The Best Coyote Hunting Cartridges\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/the-best-coyote-hunting-cartridges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cartridge to try and reel back the years of what it felt like to begin my hunting<\/a> life.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I guess you could say my <a title=\"Texas Feral Hog Hunting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/texas-feral-hog-hunting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting life actually began a few years before that morning in Texas<\/a>. When I could walk well enough, dad took me arrowhead <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/finding-a-hunting-lease\/\">hunting<\/a>. He explained the significance of each artifact we found. When it came to playing cowboys and Indians, I was always the latter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The thing with kids is that you have to start them slow. The world is large and unfamiliar. Guns are loud, animals are bloody, and early mornings are cold. If we\u2019re to pass on the <a title=\"Why the 2.5-15x Rifle Scope is Ideal for Hunting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/why-the-2-5-15x-rifle-scope-is-ideal-for-hunting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ideals of conservation and see our hunting<\/a> heritage carried into the next generation, let\u2019s hope that getting our kids into hunting will be as easy as it was for many of us. But if not, there are plenty of ways to contribute to society.<\/span><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Future_of_Conservation_Hunting\"><\/span><b>The Future of Conservation Hunting<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is obvious. It\u2019s also really important. There are factions out there that would prefer another animal is never killed. But you know and I know that hunters are the ultimate conservationists. Perhaps it\u2019s this point to which we really need to find a way to implement. What the boy learns may not come to fruition until he\u2019s man. But when hunting becomes more about the planting of a tree, the watching of a sunrise, even the preparation of a new wild game recipe, he\u2019ll know where those traits are derived from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_1254\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1254\" style=\"width: 768px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1254 size-large\" title=\"Getting Kids Into Hunting\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/IMG_2251-002-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Getting Kids Into Hunting\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/IMG_2251-002-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/IMG_2251-002-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/IMG_2251-002-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/IMG_2251-002-630x840.jpg 630w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/IMG_2251-002-960x1280.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/IMG_2251-002-640x853.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/IMG_2251-002-150x200.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/IMG_2251-002.jpg 1512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1254\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Getting Kids Into Hunting<\/figcaption><\/figure><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Start_Small\"><\/span><b>Start Small\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How did you start? Was it a Red Ryder in the backyard with a line of Coke cans standing ready for your onslaught of BBs? When you\u2019re getting kids into hunting, starting small is a very important step. I was terrified the first opportunity I had to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/shooting-22lr-rifle-in-a-whole-new-way\/\" title=\"Shooting a 22LR Rifle in a Whole New Way\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"564\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shoot<\/a> a 20 gauge. I admit it; it was too much power for me to comprehend as a youngster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But my dad didn\u2019t make a big deal of it. I simply kept on plugging away with my .410 until I was ready. Kids will let you know. <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/the-phases-of-a-deer-hunter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The gradual ascent<\/a> often creates the sturdiest foundation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Teach_Safety\"><\/span><b>Teach Safety<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When guns and even bows and arrows enter the picture, safety is paramount. You know this. And it\u2019s such a huge benefit to getting your kids into hunting. Think of the takeaways from learning to safely handle a firearm. I\u2019d bet they flow into other facets of your life. The safety aspects of <a title=\"Teaching Children the Importance of Hunting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/teaching-children-the-importance-of-hunting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting can help provide the building blocks for important<\/a> traits like self awareness, self esteem, and respect. Not to mention learning how to <a title=\"Caring For Your Optics\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/caring-for-your-optics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">care for firearms and optics<\/a> so that they last a lifetime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Provide_Distractions\"><\/span><b>Provide Distractions<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even as an adult I have a hard time on long sits doing nothing but staring at the surrounding landscape. That\u2019s why I often carry a book. I know a lot of us are trying to remove the technological aspect that is so ingrained in our lives. But it could be beneficial for the young hunter to have an iPad in the field. A bored kid is a restless kid. And if they attribute that boredom to hunting, it could have a negative effect going forward. This also goes back to starting small, where you may consider short sits that lengthen incrementally. Watching the progress and eagerness of a young hunter unfold is really a wonderful thing.<\/span><\/p><h3 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pack_Snacks\"><\/span><b>Pack Snacks<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There\u2019s a term making its way through society known as \u201changry.\u201d Maybe it\u2019s been around a while though it\u2019s only come to my attention in the past couple years. It\u2019s the combination of hungry and angry. To avoid such behaviors, pack snacks for your youngster. Something like <a title=\"JL\u2019s Deer Hunting Gear\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/jls-deer-hunting-gear\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deer jerky is a good choice because then you\u2019re able to explain one of the many incredible results of hunting<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are your thoughts on this subject? How have you introduced your children to hunting? Or how did you get started on the journey? As always, we invite and sincerely appreciate your thoughts and comments. As I run my finger over the faded brass of a certain spent .30-06 cartridge that\u2019s been with me for 30-plus years, I smile knowing it\u2019s a story not unique to me. Rather, it\u2019s a cherished memento shared by hunters like me all around the world. May the future be bright.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getting Kids Into Hunting | TRACT design and engineer performance-grade optics without the added retail costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12167,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2255,2258,2259],"tags":[2648,2797,2812,2813,2823,2844,2845,2846,2847,2848,2849,2850,2852,2871,3303],"class_list":["post-1249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-extra-topics","category-hunting","category-hunting-rifle-scope","tag-getting-kids-into-hunting","tag-hunting","tag-hunting-calibers","tag-hunting-calibers-for-deer","tag-hunting-gear","tag-hunting-rifle-caliber","tag-hunting-rifle-caliber-chart","tag-hunting-rifle-caliber-for-deer","tag-hunting-rifle-calibers","tag-hunting-rifle-calibers-by-size","tag-hunting-rifle-rounds","tag-hunting-rifle-scope","tag-hunting-rifle-sizes","tag-hunting-with-kids","tag-tract-design-and-engineer-performance-grade-optics-without-the-added-retail-costs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11448,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1249\/revisions\/11448"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}