My 10 year old son made me proud again this morning. He has Been hunting with me since he was 5 and I started taking him when he was 3.

To date, he's killed a big hog when he was 5, a 117" 7-point in Texas when he was 8 and a spike in Alabama last year he was 9.

A friend and I leased a nice place this year in tallapoosa county and from the game cameras we have plenty of deer. He and I both have young kids and decided that the kids could shoot anything legal. His son killed a 4-point yesterday and wounded a doe we couldn't find, so the pressure was on my son to kill one.

This morning at first light we had a spike come out at 90 yards and stand broadside in the field. When I saw the deer I just went ahead and got his gun up and got it ready. He says, "I'd rather not shoot that spike, we can't shoot the big bucks we have if we kill the little ones." I encouraged him to shoot him but he said he wanted to pass him.

On one hand it was a bad idea for a 10 year old that's only killed two deer to pass an easy opportunity but in the other hand it makes me proud that he's looking to the future of this lease.

Sound's like you have taught him well... I took a 16 yr old last year and he had a shot on a few does and small bucks and decided to wait for a decent buck...it never came and he has yet to harvest a deer of any kind...but I give him credit for making a decision and sticking with it...congrats again on your son's etiquette.

Whats wrong with you ??? Listen to him !LOL I think you've done a great job !!! Congrats and hope he gets one he wants to kill !

I like the way he is thinking. Good job dad.

Love reading threads like this

Sounds to me like at an early age he already has a good understanding on how to pick out mature deer and discipline to wait on a better ones. Thats good!

Sounds like you have done a great job of making hunting fun and interesting to him AND a great job of teaching him about the management aspect, too.

Congrats to y'all! 👍

Sounds like the student has more sense than the teacher

congrats BGH for both of ya'll.....


I've been carrying my now nine year old grandson since before he could walk in the woods, literally carrying him. A LOT. He pays attention and learns fast. Year before last I had him at a friends place near the Bankhead on a hunt. First light a buck comes up the hollow in front of us, Dylan looks with his binocs and says "thats a two year old nine point" (it was) and "He;s too young to shoot". Now mind you he hadn't killed a buck at this time. Three hours later he killed a buck I'd be proud to have shot. Big rack and body. He was all excited about how much meat we had. LOL

again congrats on a good job by all.

[quote=BhamFred]congrats BGH for both of ya'll.....


I've been carrying my now nine year old grandson since before he could walk in the woods, literally carrying him. A LOT. He pays attention and learns fast. Year before last I had him at a friends place near the Bankhead on a hunt. First light a buck comes up the hollow in front of us, Dylan looks with his binocs and says "thats a two year old nine point" (it was) and "He;s too young to shoot". Now mind you he hadn't killed a buck at this time. Three hours later he killed a buck I'd be proud to have shot. Big rack and body. He was all excited about how much meat we had. LOL

again congrats on a good job by all. [/quot

now thats the way you do it. Teach them to be hunters not just killers

It was short lived. I'm still very proud of his decision but He couldn't resist his second chance of the day at another 1.5 year old buck. The one he killed was a 4-point so to him it was a bigger buck.

Congrats!!

Good for him