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Do we make it to easy?

Posted By: Donnersurvivor

Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:14 AM

I was thinking back to my first season, think I caught a few possums and a couple muskrat. I trapped alot of hours with a couple hand me down traps from my uncle and no real instruction.

My first bow was much the same, saved up 75 dollars and bought a used compound, practiced with it and after much struggle got a nice doe.

I see alot of kids now have instant success, they go out hunting for the first time and dad puts them on a nice deer. They have nice guns, bows, traps, boats but they seem to lack the passion that some of us who struggled when we started had.

I think part of the passion may come from the struggle, the season without getting a shot at a deer, the first year of putting food scraps over a old Victor long spring and being proud of the possum.

Curious what the members think, is passion born from struggle?
Posted By: FairbanksLS

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:18 AM

Only when the struggle ends. Passion comes from the reward after putting in the hard work.
Posted By: Deerkiller

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:25 AM

I have done the same. When my kids started hunting I put them on them! The other day my son now 16 said he has not seen me kill a deer in years. I asked him you know why? He said yes sir you letting us hunt the good spots. This year I’m going to kill a few.
Posted By: MnMan

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:28 AM

I agree with the OP on this one. It seems like the harder you work for something, the sweeter the reward.


But, on the other hand if we make it too difficult they might become discouraged. Encouraging them and showing enthusiasm yourself goes a long way toward keeping youngsters interested.
Posted By: Yes sir

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:33 AM

Hunting has changed a lot in my lifetime and I don't think it's been a good change for the sport. Though population, tactics and equipment there's a big push to make it as easy as possible. Don't even get me started on the commercialization of it.
Posted By: J Staton

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:39 AM

I remember my first deer hunts. A pair of uninsulated rubber boots, wool socks, insulated under britches, blue jeans, long sleeve shirt, and heavy jacket. Froze my *(%^ off ! grin
Posted By: GREENCOUNTYPETE

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:46 AM

Originally Posted by Deerkiller
I have done the same. When my kids started hunting I put them on them! The other day my son now 16 said he has not seen me kill a deer in years. I asked him you know why? He said yes sir you letting us hunt the good spots. This year I’m going to kill a few.



yup , my son knows he got the sweet spots for those years

some need a little success to get hooked

others maybe don't

it needs to be enjoyable and not just working for a bunch of old guys at deer camp.

he is 18 now I think I would still rather let him shoot the deer but it doesn't mean I am not going to shoot any

I don't mind walking every drive if it keeps my dad and uncles hunting a few more years

I know uncle Bill put me on some sweet spots early on back then we traded drive stand

once Uncle bills knees were shot I was happy to let him stand well more like sit in the lawn chair just far enough in from the road to be legal and I would drive

we lost Uncle Bill 2019 the Tuesday before opening day to cancer he had been doing well in Nov 2018 and we had a good year hunting my son shot 2 and my dad shot one

I think my son gets it in 2018 he was 16 and lent his gun and set up Tony uncle Bob's grandson in law in a good spot and Tony got his first deer even though he was in his 20s. it was the first year Tony had hunted with us having just married into the family. Tony's first deer was a good size body fork.
Posted By: Willy Firewood

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 02:19 AM

I have helped several kids and young men get into trapping. Only one has stuck with it mostly because he works for me in my wildlife business doing nuisance trapping. He traps a bit on his own during fur season.

I cannot imagine any young person today having the interest, motivation, drive, and passion that I had as a kid, young man, and still do as a graybeard. Starting out with a few very rusty number 1 longsprings and jump traps in a burlap bag walking miles to trap muskrats made me feel like a mountain man. Receiving a small black and white trapping catalog or later an FFG magazine was spiritual. My first whiff of Hawbakers muskrat lure was intoxicating.

Working to build up my arsenal of traps and gear and was exciting. I was fortunate to trap during the fur boom beginning in the late 1970s. To really pay my dues I worked tirelessly to oppose the 1977 legislation on the ballot to ban the leghold trap - and we defeated it. Trapping turned me into a good hunter, fisherman, and person. Fur money helped pay my way through college and law school.

I am proud to say that one of my mentors was the great Charles Dobbins. It was a privilege to work with Charles and 2 other guys to start a local FTA chapter and build up to having our own fur auction. He taught me to modify traps and gave me autographed copies of 2 of his books. It was a pleasure to share the trapline with Mr. Charles Dobbins.

Long ago, a special gal caught my eye. She enjoyed the adventure of the trapline. Watching her struggle and succeed carrying a huge beaver was very entertaining. Forty-some years later we are still together and she still asks “What did you catch today?”.
Posted By: Providence Farm

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 03:45 AM

I'm guilty of making it easy. We were poor and mom was singles. I got to tag along with one of moms friends squirrel hunting a few times for a couple of year.

Mom was anti gun so I got bows. Would bum a ride 45,min to my cousin house and we would walk everywhere to hunt at 13. Killed my first several deer with a bow. No deer stand just climbed trees and sat in a fork. No one took or taught us. I rented every hunting VHS I could find. Heck that's how I learned to gut deer.

Now my kids have had it made. Both boys killed their first two deer when they were 7. They have nice guns, 2 bows each x bows. We have stands and ground blinds and I even take them out if state to hunt deer.

Is it two easy.? I don't know but my boys are 11 and 9 and the 11year old has shot 9 deer and the 9 has 7.. they will have killed more deer before they got to the age I killed my first one than I had by the time I was in my 20s.

They are ate up with everything hunting, trapping and fishing and I enjoy their success more than my own and they will be much better outdoorsman than I.
Yes they are spoiled and may be missing some of the struggle yet they are getting more opportunities and will grow beyond my abilities. Besides they are mine to spoil and I'm beyond proud.
Posted By: VaBeagler

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 04:04 AM

Absolutely we have made it easier for the rookies. Trapped for years before I became efficient at it. Now you have youtube videos and plenty of other outlets. There is nothing like hands on instruction. Buzzard came to my place and trained me. Learned two critical things from him as far as canine trapping. It changed the whole game.
Furs are not worth skinning right now. You best teach people that want to learn just so you can have deer and turkey to hunt. No one will get into trapping for the money these days.
Posted By: 330-Trapper

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 11:48 AM

Too easy, yes
My Wife tells me I did everything for the kids that's why they rely on me.
Posted By: HobbieTrapper

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by Donnersurvivor
I was thinking back to my first season, think I caught a few possums and a couple muskrat. I trapped alot of hours with a couple hand me down traps from my uncle and no real instruction.

My first bow was much the same, saved up 75 dollars and bought a used compound, practiced with it and after much struggle got a nice doe.

I see alot of kids now have instant success, they go out hunting for the first time and dad puts them on a nice deer. They have nice guns, bows, traps, boats but they seem to lack the passion that some of us who struggled when we started had.

I think part of the passion may come from the struggle, the season without getting a shot at a deer, the first year of putting food scraps over a old Victor long spring and being proud of the possum.

Curious what the members think, is passion born from struggle?



Not certain I agree with this. Passion/Desire is born before the struggle. When I wanted to learn how to play the guitar, I was always told, “If the desire is there, you’ll do it.”

Like most other self taught guitar players, you wore out the groves in an album playing over and over the parts to learn. lol Now my sons just lookup the tab online. It shows them the what to do but they still have to do it themselves and learn the small details that make it sound right. Passion keeps them engaged to do that.

I agree the curve is shorter but there is still enough to learn to keep the fire going. There is reward in the success of each song learned just as there is with each critter caught.

Complacency and disappointment reminds us when the fire is getting low.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 12:21 PM

I read everything I could get my hands on when I was in grade school. By Jr high I had read everything in the school library that interested me. What interested me most was stories about the fur trade when Europeans were coming here just for fur. The “mountain man” era as well. I think that some people are just more in touch with their predatory instincts. Have a natural drive. Just like our pets. Centuries of civilization have bred it out of a lot of people but folks on Tman likey would have got on the ship headed to the Aleutians in 1630 or packed up and went over the Cumberland gap or followed the Missouri to the Platte and lived with and fought the Indians while gathering beaver plews just to blow it all at big drunk fest every summer.
Posted By: SNIPERBBB

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:17 PM

I think the putting them on deer thing is a good gateway. Early success can keep kids interested, though putting them on a big buck might set unrealistic expectations going forward. Struggles might put them off.

I'm still recovering from my struggle bus hunt yesterday. Luckily I came home with a decent buck off public land.
Posted By: seniortrap

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:41 PM

I have an issue on the too early of age for youth hunt. Seems to only satisfy the city folks to start a 6 year old and kill a 8-10 point buck.

Personally I think 12 is good, and shoot a doe only the first couple of years. Go through the process of gutting, hanging and taking care altogether.

At the age of 6 and up to 12, they don't carry a gun in the woods. Or do they really understand the safety issue here? A little common sense needs to be here.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:54 PM

Im taking my grandson deer hunting Saturday. He will be 10 next month. Shot his first deer last year. Going to do the same thing this year. Sit in the blind with him. He has been well trained in gun safety. No I wont let him deer hunt alone. Your common sense comment is out of line.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 01:57 PM

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Posted By: Badger23

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 02:01 PM

Yes. Most kids now days are used to parents that want to make it easier on them than they had it. Ironically it's the parents that then complain when the kids just keep wanting more and for it to continue to be easy. That's society in general not just outdoor sports. Millions of parents are to blame for where we're at but about 1% will accept it.

Let me ask this. If your kids had to go through what you did when you started out hunting or trapping do you think they'd keep with it? Be honest here too. To me from outside looking in as I have no kids they seem to have a much shorter drive to do do what's needed to hunt or trap like I did 30 plus years ago.

BTW there was no youth hunt when I was growing up. Make the youth hunt doe only and see how many kids stick around for the regular hunt. That would be a true sign.
Posted By: k9-hunter

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 02:01 PM

same as fishing wanna hook a kid take them after the bluegills ,pumpkinseeds,crappie,perch and catfish ( quanity over quality)hunting would be if there seeing game chances are they will eventually get shooting and maybe score
Posted By: GREENCOUNTYPETE

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 02:05 PM

we have mentored hunting one gun between the 2 of you and you are never to be out of arms reach of them until they are 12 and have passed hunters safety.

I did that when my son was 11 he had a hard time sitting still enough

we worked on his skills and he was solid at 12

at 12 with hunters ed it is not out of sight or sound distance for us that is about 50 yards but depends on terrain and weather

he did shoot a nice doe on the very last drive of Sunday afternoon that year

he has only shot one buck the rest does

I see the OPs point it shouldn't be too easy and too much success right out of the gait if your first deer is a gimee with a boon and crocket score what have you got to work up too.

but putting them where they have a good chance of a deer isn't too much success and they can once they have their deer for the season be a DD dedicated Driver helping get others deer to pay their dues

although we shoot a fair number driving also
Posted By: slydogx

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 02:08 PM

Interesting topic.
Nobody in my family or close group of friends hunted or had parents who hunted. My dad had given up hunting when I was too young to remember (long story) but he did keep both his shotguns and made sure my brother and I always knew those guns would be gifted to us when we got our hunting licenses. Both my older brother and I wanted badly to hunt since we were very young and we got our licenses at 16 & 18 respectively.
In 1990, there were not a lot of ducks around our area and we spent a few years where between 3 or 4 of us with licenses we shot 4 ducks the entire season. Nobody had even a glimmer of hope to go deer hunting. No public land here and permission not easy to come by for a bunch of dumb teens. Only made us want it more.

Around 2000 - 2010 I started getting a bit more serious and attended some youth waterfowl events... kids had brand new camo, layout blinds, semi autos and I saw a couple with Foiles and Grounds acylic calls -- that they knew how to use. Some were humble, great kids but a few were already arrogant (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) at 15 years old and thought that the sun shone out of their butts... but if their parents didn't own farms or hadn't locked them up permission in high number areas for years before they were even born I doubt they would have been able to score a single bird here.

Trapping - I started late and the internet was already available to flatten the learning curve really quickly. I think I probably would have struggled a lot if I had started as a teen.... now teenagers have youtube channels where they sell them selves as professionals LOL... but who isn't a bit cocky when they're that age.

I think ease of access is the only thing keeping our pursuits alive now because if it were too hard, nobody would pick up the torch.
Posted By: Tailhunter

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 03:02 PM

I started at the age of 8. My dad had two stoploss traps he had kept and I found them.

Got some sardines from the kitchen cabinet and set them in our woods. I caught two possum. My dealer would trade a possum for a 1.5 long spring. Wasn’t long before I had a bunch of traps. I than switched to muskrats and coons and then fox.

When I was about 17 I was taking a very pretty girl out to dinner. I spotted something in the road and told her to hang on a second, I had to turn around and go back. It was a red fox in perfect condition. The only damage was to it’s face.
I flipped it into the back of the truck. Dinner was paid for. I got 65 for that one.

I’m a self taught trapper. Trial and error take awhile to turn into a working plan. It’s way easier to have someone show you the ropes but when I was growing up, no one around me trapped and books where too expensive.
Posted By: kytrapper

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 03:38 PM

Personally, I think kids should ideally start out on squirrels and rabbits not deer and Turkey. Growing up when all there was to hunt was small game I did a lot of that on my own and learned so much little things, on my own. Yes, deer was a big deal. My papaw got me a 94 Winchester when I was 11 and my first season with it I sat on my own. Nowadays, kids want to go straight to deer. I’ve sat with a half dozen or so taking their first deer. They were excited but none of them hunt now. It’s sort of like they started at the pinnacle. I was all for getting them out doing anything, still am, but over the years I wonder if deer are a good starting point. Kind of like going after coyotes and cats instead of rats and possums…..like I did too.
Posted By: hippie

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 03:58 PM

I think its too easy in the aspect that I don't think a person learns the "why's" of either why a hunting spot is good or why traps are placed the way they are.

I don't think instant success hurts much and delays wether or not that particular person will stick with it thru the skinny times.
Posted By: Marty

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 04:27 PM

yes, we make it way to e-z for the most part.
Posted By: GREENCOUNTYPETE

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 04:47 PM

I agree kids should start with squirrel and rabbit and maybe even pheasant

my son had squirrel and pheasant before he got a deer

you need to explain the why just like you would explain the why to placing jack stands while working on a car.

when I would put him in a place I would explain the most common deer movement for that place and why he was there and where to be watching , as well as keep your ears and eyes open for any direction

understanding deer behavior and historic deer movement is important when you have been hunting one place a long time you have that history.
Posted By: Providence Farm

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 04:50 PM

I have no problem letting my boys 9 and 11 hunt small game on their own especially on my farm. My 11 year old has been huning deer on his own some this year as well. He Shot a doe his first time alone.

My 9 year old picked out his stand location himself after we did the scouting all day on our KY youth hunt on public ground. He shot his deer at 16 yards blowing its heart into two pieces. The deer were closser but he waited letting them walk away untill he got the shot he wanted. The only imput from dad was the ride and getting the deer out. Not bad for a 9 year old.

Im only worried about them running across other hunters or getting turned around in the woods if on a new area. I have zero worries about their gun handeling or shot placement. I guess that goes back to them having lots of outdoor experience starting before they could walk. In fact i bet they have more hunting experiance than a lot of adults. I this season they have each shot a deer and and at least combined over 30 squirls with their.22 rifles. They can clean their own squirle and help with the deer

Got to not only teach them but also give them responsibility. The guy with the to young comment could use some prespective.
Posted By: GREENCOUNTYPETE

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 05:11 PM

Providence farm I agree completely about giving responsibility

we have 2 primary jobs as parents

1 set expectations

2 provide the support to make those expectations reachable.

my son started shooting action pistol at 12 , there are few people I trust with a gun more than him I trained him the way I wanted him trained.

have gotten many compliments over the years on his handling skills.
Posted By: seniortrap

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/25/21 06:49 PM

I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion and the level of trust in your child with a gun.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Do we make it to easy? - 10/27/21 12:38 AM

for kytrapper


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