Daughters and Hunting

My wife and I found out yesterday at the Ultra Sound that we are going to have a girl for our first child. We are both excited but I am a little dissapointed that it isn't a boy that I can take hunting & fishing. I shouldn't feel bad though, daughters can go hunting too. My wife likes to hunt and fish so I am pretty sure the our girl will be well exposed to it. What are some experiences you people have had with your daughters and taking them hunting and showing them the outdoors?

*very big grin*

I was one of those guys that thought 'I gotta have a boy; prove my manhood'. God, with his infinate sense of humor, saw fit to give me 3 daughters. What's even funnier is that the sonigram for our first one showed we were having a boy! We had a name picked out; bought blue teddy bears, had a softball glove, toy bow & arrow set - the whole nine yards.

14+ years later, I can only say this: daughters absoultely rock!

All 3 of my daughters like to go hunting with me. The oldest prefers to dove hunt (warmer weather). The middle one can put out a goose rag spread as good as any guide. The youngest one likes to sit in the deer blind with me (she can also throw a dog-training bumper 30 yards). All 3 are fairly good with the youth model .243 I bought for them last year.

Congrats on being a new pappa. Your life is about to change forever.

had.

Chris Barnes (aka Honey) wrote:

Okay, get out the tissues. The daugthers and I are sobbing here over the sweetness of the Daddy's posts!

Mark, I have been lucky enough to have 4 daughters 23,19,17,and now 21mnths. All three of the older ones I enjoy some shooting sports. The oldest likes to shoot handguns at targets...mostly plinking, the 19 year old has been my deer hunting partner (and enjoys plinking.) and the 17 year old shoots sporting clays and hunts quail with me. The wife shoots , has a CCW and we just ordered her first Hoyt bow so that she can do archery with me....I am sure that the littlest one will enjoy something...she already likes to watch me flinging some arrows! So not to worry........nothings more fun thatn bringing a daughter along...Just so you dont think all of my girls are TOO outdoorsman like. They all have or are in things like dancing, modeling, etc. As well as the 17 year old is one heck of a fast pitch softball player..... Gee.....rantings of a proud father????? Nahhhh just the truth!

Congratulations on the happy news, mark. I can only relate my experience but i'll bet you will find it the rule, not the exception. Last, last year my twelve year old daughter wanted to go bow hunting with me. i tried to disuade her but she insisted. Three hours in a treestand was hard for her but she stuck it out and the day went well. She had fun looking at the birds and stuff with the binocs. I think i impressed upon her the need for safety. I can only hope she found peace in the all pervaiding quietude. and no we did not see any deer, but she was fascinated by the doe i shot the year before. Then again, we do all kinds of things. she is getting to be quite the fisherman (fishergirl?). she likes to play with the worms and the fish and understands the need to release the little ones unscathed, quickly, and to respect the big ones we decide to bring home. Sometimes I think it might be nice to have a son. Till i realize,daughters are just as fun. It don't matter. What does matter is introducing kids, boys and girls, to a whole bunch of outdoor activities early and often, so they can knowledgably assume the responsibility for stewardship when their time comes. (whoops didn't mean to sound preachy). best of luck! Bill p.s. with 'her' .22, she groups better than me!

Phone numbers????? Puulleeezzzeee...

HH

I think the key is to let your daughter decide what her level of participation will be. I take my two young daughters looking for shed antlers and 'hunting' with a camera. But when they are ready to go home, we head for home, even if it is early.

My guess is that they'll probably hunt with me (for real) a few times and then give it up as other things in life catch their interest. However, even though this may be a disappointment for Dad who would rather have a hunting partner, the few hunting opportunities they do participate in will be a valuable experience they've shared with Dad, and will have great value instilling the importance of hunting, conservation, gun safety, following instructions, obeying hunting laws, respecting the property of others, etc.

Sons can also become disinterested in hunting after a few tries. I did simply because I was more interested in other things at that time in my life. I came back around to hunting some years later. But the benefits of those first few hunts with my father were life long. But I think on the whole, girls are more likely than boys to lose interest.

Michael Courtney

have a girl for our first child. We are both excited but I am a little dissapointed that it isn't a boy that I can take hunting & fishing. I shouldn't feel bad though, daughters can go hunting too. My wife likes to hunt and fish so I am pretty sure the our girl will be well exposed to it. What are some experiences you people have had with your daughters and taking them hunting and showing them the outdoors?

My wife and I both wanted our first child to be a boy. Well, God gave us a girl, and as life sometimes happens, she is our only child. But she was always willing to go anywhere I would take her and do anything I would have expected a boy to do. The only time having a girl became a 'problem' was when she was in her middle teens and wanted to sun bathe on the back deck of my bass boat. All those other fisherman coming by weren't looking at their fishfinders!

She didn't care for deer hunting, but pheasant and doves were OK!

We were close friends, while she was growing up. We had our tough times, but she always felt comfortable in telling me what she was thinking, and often the heaviest stuff came out while we were fishing. Sometimes it was stuff I really didn't want to hear, but I listened. She is now 32 yr old and we still talk, as friends, as father/daughter, as peers. It is great...

You will have a great experience

I have been hunting for three years, and love it. I'm probably obsessed. I have a 18mo-old daughter, and I've hoped that she'll want to go when she is older. This thread has been very encouraging - thanks, guys.

have a girl for our first child. We are both excited but I am a little dissapointed that it isn't a boy that I can take hunting & fishing. I shouldn't feel bad though, daughters can go hunting too. My wife likes to hunt and fish so I am pretty sure the our girl will be well exposed to it. What are some experiences you people have had with your daughters and taking them hunting and showing them the outdoors?

Congratulations on your pending baby!

I am a 'almost new' Dad to a ten-month-old girl; my first also. When looking back, I can honestly say that I was never, to any degree, disappointed in not having a son. Why would you think your daughter won't hunt? Maybe she will, maybe she won't. Either way, you and your wife have a unique opportunity to expose her to things that you both find important. Hunting obviously being one of those things. Just by exposing your daughter to hunting may be a lasting impression on her. My sister never hunted a day in her life. Her choice. She could have gone anytime, and would had been welcome had she wanted to. Simple had no interest. Everyone in my family hunted, and hunting was taken very seriously in our house. My sister just opted not to hunt and that was that. My parents had the foresight not to force it hunting upon her and my sister never condemned any member of the family for hunting. She listened to our stories patiently and never turned away a plate of venison. She went to college and came out a biologist, who now works for the state helping to improve our hunting opportunities. My point is, even though your daughter may or may not hunt, you have the opportunity to instill values of safe, ethical hunting that will last the rest of her life. Her respect for you, your wife, and the sport of hunting may be more rewarding than a new 'hunting partner.'

I believe it all depends on the child regardless of gender and that the mother plays at least as heavy a role as the father.

My first wife was not a hunter and anti-gun. Our 24 year old son hunts with a passion. My 22 year old daughter never cared to hunt or fish, but enjoys plinking and loves to camp. She is also the first to the table when venison is on the menu and married a hunter. My 20 year old son (the one the ultra-sound said was a girl) prefers fishing to hunting but really goes for the time together.

I remarried 6 years ago and my wife had never been exposed to hunting. She took the safety course at the age of 33 and began hunting. She is so-so about camping and no interest in fishing. Our 12 year old daughter can hardly wait to begin hunting, enjoys plinking and loves camping. Our 8 year old son enjoys the family outing of camping and plinking but so far shows little real interest in outdoor sports. Who knows what will happen when interests develops towards boys/girls, cars, etc.

Make the chance available and let them decide. A supportive wife may be your greatest asset.