Hunting With My Kids

By Dan Williams

My children were introduced to my passion for deer hunting in their early years.  As babies, they would snuggle in for some “Daddy time” and watch hunting videos.  As toddlers, they were learning to make deer grunts and snorts right along with learning what a cow says.  Their first gifts from me were camouflage outfits or a deer stuffed animal.  Currently, we often shoot our bows, BB guns or the .22 in the backyard.

Ryan seems to have taken a real interest in archery.  He will start his first year of bowhunting this Fall.  We often have little competitions trying to put an arrow in the smallest target. Our favorite is trying to shoot an arrow through a pop can top. Also, this Fall Ryan will participate in his first rifle hunt during the Se­ptember Youth Season.  He passed his Hunter’s Safety course in May.

Rebecca, ­t­he oldest, was the first to accompany me on a hunt.  She will often come home on the school bus and tell me about where she has observed a deer.  Last Fall, she was at Grandma & Grandpa’s home and told me about a big buck she saw.  She pointed out to me exactly where he came out of the river bottom and where he went afterwards.  Needless to say, I had a stand hung there the very next day.

Rebecca took part in her first hunt last fall during the 2010 Youth Season. Following some very intense minutes during the second afternoon out, Rebecca harvested her first doe.  

Brandon, the youngest, loves to shoot his BB gun.  He occasionally shoots bow and the .22.  One fall, during the MN gun season, Brandon was sitting with me and pointed out a buck coming across the field.  Minutes later, Brandon and I were holding “his” buck’s antlers out in the field.

All of the kids like to look at the trail camera pictures with me. They always get a kick out of the close up shots and raccoon pictures. They also like to be out in the garage when the deer are butchered.  When they were smaller there was always a lot of “eww’s” and “aww’s”.  Now, they want to touch body parts and help out. They especially like stuffing the burger bags and making jerky or should I say eating the jerky.

I am proud of my children and it pleases me very much that they share in my passion of deer hunting.

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