Secrets of a Successful Youth Duck Hunt

Admin

Admin

Staff Member
Administrator
Moderator
NES Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2005
Messages
42,064
Likes
33,836
Location
Monadnock area, NH
Feedback: 18 / 0 / 0

Here's how to create an unforgettable hunting experience for beginning waterfowlers​



youth1.jpg


www.ducks.org

Secrets of a Successful Youth Hunt | Ducks Unlimited

Here's how to create an unforgettable hunting experience for beginning waterfowlers
www.ducks.org www.ducks.org
 
Lots of good information in that article.

My son passed his hunter ed course over the spring but since he won't be 12 until Nov... both MA and CT won't let him participate in any youth hunter days until then.

Doesn't make any sense.. they need to change the rule.
 
Penniepup1 said:
My son is looking forward to the Ma youth duck hunt day this year. It will be exciting to see him take his first duck.
Click to expand...
My son went many years ago on the youth duck hunt at plum Island reservation. Danvers fish and game ran it. He got his first duck and we had a blast.

If your boy is used to pheasant hunting......get used to telling him "more lead"! My son when through almost his whole box of shells before he finally caught up with one. Ducks on the wing are WAY faster than pheasants just getting airborne.
 
whacko said:
My son went many years ago on the youth duck hunt at plum Island reservation. Danvers fish and game ran it. He got his first duck and we had a blast.

If your boy is used to pheasant hunting......get used to telling him "more lead"! My son when through almost his whole box of shells before he finally caught up with one. Ducks on the wing are WAY faster than pheasants just getting airborne.
Click to expand...
He has been out with me (observation) and he knows it’s not an easy task. I won’t be upset if he blows holes in the sky till he connects.
 
We will just be starting the shooting training for our youth pheasant hunters next week. Youth hunts are my favorite hunts of the year.
 
RDG said:
Lots of good information in that article.

My son passed his hunter ed course over the spring but since he won't be 12 until Nov... both MA and CT won't let him participate in any youth hunter days until then.

Doesn't make any sense.. they need to change the rule.
Click to expand...
They hold the rule at 12 for a reason. Your kid might be big enough to handle a gun and have some experience.

Many kids are smaller and have no experience. We have to vet them and decide if they need another year sometimes.

Its all about safety.

That said.......if you kid is turning 12 in that year, it should be up to the instructors....not the state. But you know how MA works. Honestly it should be any age that they
can handle a gun and shoot safely and have passed hunter ed, they should be allowed in the program is my opinion.

Same thing when my kid turned 15 but couldn't get his FID until after the pheasant hunt. Because the state is retardedly slow.

They made him use a muzzleloader on pheasant hunt day because he was 15 without an FID. Technically he had to have an FID to have a gun by himself but was too old for the father/son one gun rule at 14 and under. Dumbest rule ever.
 
Mark from MA said:
They hold the rule at 12 for a reason. Your kid might be big enough to handle a gun and have some experience.

Many kids are smaller and have no experience. We have to vet them and decide if they need another year sometimes.

Its all about safety.

That said.......if you kid is turning 12 in that year, it should be up to the instructors....not the state. But you know how MA works. Honestly it should be any age that they
can handle a gun and shoot safely and have passed hunter ed, they should be allowed in the program is my opinion.

Same thing when my kid turned 15 but couldn't get his FID until after the pheasant hunt. Because the state is retardedly slow.

They made him use a muzzleloader on pheasant hunt day because he was 15 without an FID. Technically he had to have an FID to have a gun by himself but was too old for the father/son one gun rule at 14 and under. Dumbest rule ever.
Click to expand...
Agree on all.
Should be up to the instructors/parents especially since he's be turning 12 during the hunt season.
 
Mark from MA said:
They hold the rule at 12 for a reason. Your kid might be big enough to handle a gun and have some experience.

Many kids are smaller and have no experience. We have to vet them and decide if they need another year sometimes.

Its all about safety.

That said.......if you kid is turning 12 in that year, it should be up to the instructors....not the state. But you know how MA works. Honestly it should be any age that they
can handle a gun and shoot safely and have passed hunter ed, they should be allowed in the program is my opinion.

Same thing when my kid turned 15 but couldn't get his FID until after the pheasant hunt. Because the state is retardedly slow.

They made him use a muzzleloader on pheasant hunt day because he was 15 without an FID. Technically he had to have an FID to have a gun by himself but was too old for the father/son one gun rule at 14 and under. Dumbest rule ever.
Click to expand...
Same happened to my son. I get the youth hunt sticking to the rules because it's their ass on the line if something happens but......

My son turned 15 in September and I mentioned to the licensing officer during my son's interview that he would miss small game and maybe some of deer season waiting for the license to come in. He handed me his business card and said hunt like you did when he was under 15.....one gun between the 2 of you......and if the boys in green give you any shit tell them to call me.
 
Penniepup1 said:
He has been out with me (observation) and he knows it’s not an easy task. I won’t be upset if he blows holes in the sky till he connects.
Click to expand...
I wasn't upset either he was having a blast. Tons of ducks coming in the day we hunted.
 
whacko said:
Same happened to my son. I get the youth hunt sticking to the rules because it's their ass on the line if something happens but......

My son turned 15 in September and I mentioned to the licensing officer during my son's interview that he would miss small game and maybe some of deer season waiting for the license to come in. He handed me his business card and said hunt like you did when he was under 15.....one gun between the 2 of you......and if the boys in green give you any shit tell them to call me.
Click to expand...

I was under the impression that kids could apply for their FID once they turned 14 so it was ready and given to them on their 15th Birthday?
 
RDG said:
I was under the impression that kids could apply for their FID once they turned 14 so it was ready and given to them on their 15th Birthday?
Click to expand...
We tried that with our officer and he said he had to be 15. That's what we were told anyway. Can't argue with the po po
 
Penniepup1 said:
He just got his hunters Ed cert this past spring, he will be 13 come the season. You are only allowed one shotgun and he primarily handles it when hunting. It will be a lot of fun for both of us.
Click to expand...
The best times I had with my son were when he was under 15 and we hunted with one gun. Such great memories.

Hes 21 now and still comes home from college on the weekends to hunt with me even during small game season.
 
Screw them youts. What about a "teach old morons how to duck hunt"???? LOL.

I've now got land to duck hunt on. I have nary a clue. I've got a buddy so I think I'm good. And I like this. Get the young in on it. Teach them early.

I've been watching the MeatEater duck show on YT. THSOE guys are serious waterfowl hunters. Damn. I'm not sure I'd EVER get that serious. I might go out a few Saturdays every fall and see what turns up. Otherwise, I'm not going to work too hard.
 
whacko said:
Same happened to my son. I get the youth hunt sticking to the rules because it's their ass on the line if something happens but......

My son turned 15 in September and I mentioned to the licensing officer during my son's interview that he would miss small game and maybe some of deer season waiting for the license to come in. He handed me his business card and said hunt like you did when he was under 15.....one gun between the 2 of you......and if the boys in green give you any shit tell them to call me.
Click to expand...
Yeah....youth hunt we towed the line. Which was kinda fun for him hunting with a muzzleloader because he had started at 12, hunted with us every saturday and at Addieville and already shot 50 pheasants, a few squirrels, a few woodcock, a rabbit or two, and three deer by then. It was no big deal.

Rest of that season went on as usual.
 
whacko said:
We tried that with our officer and he said he had to be 15. That's what we were told anyway. Can't argue with the po po
Click to expand...
They changed that law about 5 years ago..........now they can apply at 14 because the LTC/FID process is so slow.
 
whacko said:
The best times I had with my son were when he was under 15 and we hunted with one gun. Such great memories.

Hes 21 now and still comes home from college on the weekends to hunt with me even during small game season.
Click to expand...
Same here. Best memories were back then when we had more time to spend together. He was a great archery shot too.......I was sitting in the same tree with him and watched him shoot two bucks in on day in CT. Smoked them both. Killed his first deer ( 120 doe) on VT youth day when he was 9 with a 200 yard shot with .243 handload. Dropped in its tracks. Tons of laughs with our group hunting pheasant and small game.

He just graduated and got his first job as an Engineer in PA and we are gonna chase some deer down there and I'm sure he'll come home for the big Thanksgiving day pheasant hunt at my club. That's good enough, he's focusing on women and other things, but as long as we get out a few times I'm good.
 
This will be my third waterfowl season. Also got my first versatile hunting dog. I'm trying to do more decoying. Right now I mostly bump shoot from shore or my canoe. Open to tips or articles that seem especially helpful to you as far as getting better. Also trying to get better at finding the "X" (I know that's a life long struggle to figure out).
 
My son took the hunter safety class at 12 years old. He did very well with it that year went to Maine with me for his first deer hunt! His middle school principle says she had issue with giving him time off to go but I asked her if I was taking him to Disney would she react the same?? She shuts up!! Told her he will learn more about himself and life in general then going to a overpriced tourist trap!! Then when in vocational school the superintendent was more than happy saying he wished more dads would do the same he'd have less issues with misbehavior ! Well now he is 32 and been part of our hunting group for years! Many cherished memories for all!! Oh yes lots of venison!!
 
I had to remind my wife on several occasions when we wanted to take our kids out to travel or hunt, that they are OUR kids, not the schools. Missing a few days of grade school will mean nothing over the time we will spend with them at that age. Now they are both graduated college, working and out of state and you can bet for shit sure, that Im glad we took that time to go on trips with them while they were young.
 
buckhunter said:
My son took the hunter safety class at 12 years old. He did very well with it that year went to Maine with me for his first deer hunt! His middle school principle says she had issue with giving him time off to go but I asked her if I was taking him to Disney would she react the same?? She shuts up!! Told her he will learn more about himself and life in general then going to a overpriced tourist trap!! Then when in vocational school the superintendent was more than happy saying he wished more dads would do the same he'd have less issues with misbehavior ! Well now he is 32 and been part of our hunting group for years! Many cherished memories for all!! Oh yes lots of venison!!
Click to expand...
You should have heard the conversation my wife and I had with my sons 7th grade teacher about the deer heart sandwich. Yes.....we got called in because he was asked by a fellow student what he had for lunch and he told them a deer heart sandwich. Which was true. Teacher said it upset some of the other students. 🙄

Ended up being a somewhat one sided conversation when we asked her if "minority" students that eat "ethnic" foods are persecuted as much as Caucasian students who's families hunt.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

DIY Duck Sled
Replies
1
Views
247
Dennis in MA
Dennis in MA
2022 Successful Deer kills
Replies
2
Views
236
dezignguy
dezignguy
Holden's Tom O'Shea picked to lead Mass. Department of Fish and Game
2 3
Replies
65
Views
1K
FisherTech
F
AZ unit 10 cow hunt
Replies
13
Views
515
whalerman69
whalerman69
A proud dad...
Replies
0
Views
166
Andy in NH
Andy in NH
Back
Top Bottom