Holding your Kids’ Attention When They Are Young

When my daughter and son were younger, they both wanted to be firies. That passion came about after our local Fire Chief Joe and his crew visited their school. The demo included a look at the fire truck, the helmets, the axes and pike poles, and the siren. I thought about the impact the firie’s visit had on them, and it dawned on me to break down that visit and incorporate a similar series of demos into my hunting tutorials. Several years later, it’s been working a treat.

Make it real, mate. What was it about the firie's visit to me kids' school that got 'em all fired up and inspired? It was the problem/solution thingo that was a piece of cake for them to get – like how a firie puts out a blaze. Have a go at telling 'em you're a marketing whiz and you'll see their eyes glaze over like they're bored stiff.

As you go through the process of teaching hunting to kids, always make each event tangible in a way your child can understand. Here are some examples that might inspire them to get really excited about bird hunting.

Reinvent Yourself. Step outside of the teacher role, move away from the occasionally authoritarian position of a parent, and become more of a mentor. Out in the bush is where the magic happens. It’s where the dog that a kid thought was just a 'pet' turns into a legendary hunting mate. It’s where a dad, an uncle or a mate makes shots that will be yarned about for decades and become part of a tradition. Show them about the bush tucker and wildlife and how it all works together (seeps mean moist soil, earthworms fancy wet soil, woodcock are keen on earthworms, and that sort of thing).

A kid going hunting with you is really a sign that they look up to you and want to spend more time with you. You can give your mates a hard time for being late and stir them up when they miss a shot, but say that to a kid and they’ll stay at home and play video games.

Reward good behaviour, correct bad behaviour. The easiest way to get a kid to routinely perform well is to reward their good behaviour. Kids like the praise and a simple compliment lets them know they’re on the right track. The flip side is a bit more difficult, and that is how to handle something that isn’t right.

Many of us hear a comment like “you missed that bird because you stopped your swing.” The key bits in that line are “missed the bird” and “stopped your swing.” Kids get confused about what to do. They watched you hit the flushing grouse so they know the goal is to hit the bird and they didn’t. Say “next time, swing through the bird and squeeze the trigger.”

Another common source of tension is lost or broken gear. Take a deep breath and avoid the 'you shouldn't have been mucking about with those shooting glasses, they're not a toy.' Replace those sentiments with 'next time, pack a spare pair of shooting glasses.' Tell them what you want them to do and when they do it, praise them.

Pre-Hunt Scouting. As all hunters know, finding new spots to replace the ones that have gone to the dogs or have overgrown is a constant task. We'll chuck in some mountain biking and orienteering into the mix. Riding down logging tracks or on trails through the bush is a family favourite. When we stumble upon a decent spot we'll name it and mark its location on a topo map or save it in a GPS for later. The combo of biking and orienteering is a blast for everyone, and it gets the kids involved in the hunting that comes later. Finding birds in their spots brings the whole process full-circle.

The Hunt.Taking the kids out hunting is a whole different ball game compared to going with your mates. You've gotta plan for a shorter stint, maybe just a half-day or a couple of spots. Choose places that are right for their skill level too. I always make sure they've got clear protective glasses and gear that fits them properly. Chucking an adult-sized pair of boots on them with three pairs of socks is gonna rub their feet raw, and they'll be deadset against heading out again if they end up with blisters.

After birds are down I'll task each of them with marking the downed birds and for sexing the birds (they run for the grouse tails and always carry a dollar bill for woodcock beaks). We'll examine the wear patterns on the woodcock wings, check out the crop of a grouse to see what they're feeding on, and then snap a few pictures to commemorate the hunt.

Post-Hunt Activities. The time after the hunt's a good chance to teach responsibility, and I use it to get ready for the next hunt too. Usually, the kids are keen as mustard to hit up their mates on the blower and yarn about their day, and that's fair dinkum after the dogs are looked after and fed, the firearms are cleaned and put away, and the birds are sorted. We divvy up tasks based on what each kid's into. My daughter loves plucking feathers for winter fly fishing or for making Chrissie decorations. She once knocked up a Halloween mask from grouse and pheasant tail feathers that was all the rage in her class. My son's all about getting his hands dirty, so he's on bird cleaning duty. We make a bit of a biology lesson out of it, going over the different organs and what they do. The big moment was finding a woodcock with a live worm still hanging from its beak, which really showed the whole cycle.

And then comes the cooking. We'll always whip up a few favourites, but the season's long enough to have a crack at a bunch of new recipes. Finally, we print out photos they've taken and chuck 'em in an album of the season. The photos don't just chart the birds and the dogs. Our kids can watch themselves grow up right before their own eyes.

If you make hunting enjoyable, chances are pretty high that in a few years you'll have built-in hunting mates who will go from dawn till dusk. And if they're better than you in all aspects, well, then you've done your job right.