my son is 13 he has killed deer.he has committed to this life style. I want to know how often do you expect your kid to pratice.Iam talking that intense pratice as you ramp up for deer season.he shoots 3-d pretty much all year long.I dont have to push him to pratice.but some days he will put it off.I make sure he knows he aint huntin if he dont pratice.just wondering what some of you all do thanks.ED

I have 3 boys. all killed deer with guns and bows by 14. When they get to driving, you might as well get ready to give him up for a while. My youngest is almost 21 now. they all have come around and love to hunt 4 legged deer again. It's part of the circle of life I guess. Hopefully yours will stick with the bow the whole time. DB

Does he need intense practice every day? I don't think taking a day off from shooting now and then would hurt anything.

its not he needs intense pratice.I just want him to be confident on stand.I belive pratice will help eliminate bad shots,with that said bad shots will happen time to time.bad shots are a little esaier to stomach when you know you have praticed an done everything on your end to pervent it from happening.other things come into play in witch we have no control.as with anything in life.

Pick your battles.
If he decides not to practice to your satisfaction its his decision at that age. Decisions have consequences. Just don't rub his face in it when he can't hunt with you.

Has he heard from you your explanation why practice is so important to you, and by extension,  anyone you choose to hunt with?(him)

We make practice fun. Lots of little side bets for anything from treestands to bubblegum. My kids are so darn competitive and love to beat me.

I'd get a tennis ball, a couple of judo points and challenge him to a 10 minute competition 2 or 3 times a week. Make sure it fits his day, like maybe just before or after supper, when there are no "good" programs on, etc.

Maybe only 5 rounds of "judo horse" where the guy who gets closest tosses the ball for the next challenge and chooses the distance/complexity.  Contest may go to 25 tries before either of you has had too much.  Bragging rights may be prize enough, depending on his personality.

90% of the practice I've had that made me feel hunt-ready has come from judos and a little ball...

You're in a familiar spot that most of us have been through. If you "force " him to shoot, it's not fun anymore. Maybe take him out to see some deer or to scout/hang a stand. Get his camo out to "see if it still fits" him. Something to make him WANT to shoot to get ready. Just light that fire a little and the rest will take care of itself. Good luck to both of you this season.

If it is getting close to a season like this he has been shooting daily for weeks. I don't like to push- the whole thing is his choice-he is a month shy of 18 and I am glad that he still wants to spend time with his dad.

I only shoot a few dozen arrows 2 or 3 times a week and dont notice any increase in skill when I do shoot daily. Get out the broadhead arrows and shoot one at a time. Kill shots only count.

I shoot most everyday -- some days my 13 year old shoots with me, some days not.  He knows I won't let him bow hunt until he is ready -- I'm afraid it may not be this year.  He is having a really hard time with his form -- anchor is all over the place.  I try to keep it fun and we keep working on it. some days are harder than others.....

The most important thing in learning quality shooting form is to not shoot at a target. Close "blank" bale work is the key. Close blank bale work allows the individual to concentrate only on their form...if you put trying to hit a target in the mix without good shooting form it just won't happen or it will take years of overcoming bad shooting habits. So, start each practice session with 25 to 40 arrows at a blank bale and work on each component of the "shot", bow grip, anchor, the loose etc.  Work on each component individually for a few shots then switch to the next component of the shot. Then play a game like shooting  at tennis balls on the law or a leaf or something other small target to get dialed in at "picking" a spot. It will be fun and a reward for doing the hard work on developing good shooting form.

Olympic shooters when they first arrive at Chula Vista to start their training will shoot several hundred arrows daily and never shoot at a target for the first month.

Art
Cedar Ridge Leather Works

I don't have a teen or a child that hunts but I would say if you have tought him well from day one and he shoots 3-D regularly and shoots well don't push him. He will find his own level.

I remember when I was his age,I practiced everyday so I could hunt,there has to be incentive for him,a little praise goes a long way,tell him how much your looking forward to the two of you hunting together.

My son is only 11 but he will shoot till its dark! His problem is he wants to shoot my bow...the wifes bow...both his bows..I love him dearly but I usually try to practice when he's not around then shoot a little while he's home...oh yeah I almost forgot...he's a good shot with any of them!

When I started hunting deer with bow, around 10...(wow 11 years ago already!) My father told me if I can put 5 arrows in a pie plate a 20 yds I was good to go hunting. The thing you need to worry about is making sure he is calm in the stand as that deer approaches. That is something you can't teach and all the target practice in the world won't matter. Deer fever is that split second we lose focus on finishing the job and think about holding the trophy. If he is accurate when he does decided to shoot don't fret over him taking some days off. Me on the other hand...I'm addicted to shooting.


Hi, my name is Jarad and I've been shooting traditional for 15 years.  :D

Me and my son have a judo safari in the backyard with small stuffed animals. You can buy the stuffed animals in the pet department at wal mart for a couple of bucks each. Me and my boy both get bored just shooting groups. Chris

QuoteOriginally posted by Hawkeye:
I'd get a tennis ball, a couple of judo points and challenge him to a 10 minute competition 2 or 3 times a week. Make sure it fits his day, like maybe just before or after supper, when there are no "good" programs on, etc.

Maybe only 5 rounds of "judo horse" where the guy who gets closest tosses the ball for the next challenge and chooses the distance/complexity.  Contest may go to 25 tries before either of you has had too much.  Bragging rights may be prize enough, depending on his personality.

90% of the practice I've had that made me feel hunt-ready has come from judos and a little ball...

I've been through this with my oldest son whose now 17.

He's a crack shot and liked to shoot 3D when he was 12-16 and won alot of 3D shoots, but didn't really want to hunt when he got old enough to. (Girl Friends)
I REALLY wanted him to bowhunt with me, but it seemed like the more i talked about it or tried to get him to, the less interested in it he became, so i no longer push him.

He's a really good shot and he doesn't practice as much as i want him too, but thats fine as long as he understands what he's up against in the woods.

He went one afternoon last season and took his compound with him and thats fine with me because he shoots it well, just not as much as he shoots his widow.

He came back to the house and seemed a little perplexed almost like he was avoiding me on purpose. I knew something was up, so i waited untill he was ready to tell me what happened.

He dropped his bow out of the treestand.

I also believe, There's to much of the trying to keep up with the world going on with teen's nowadays. Techno junk, facebook garbage and so on.

As has been stated, if you can find a way to make it fun it'll go a long way.  As a kid I LOVED roving with the guy that I hunted with during our summer scouting trips.  We'd shoot at stumps, pine cones, leaves, etc. It was really good practice and we'd compete as we shot, closes arrow gets a point and got to pick the next target.

I would also try to throw in a little pressure on one shot a session if you can.  If you're stump shooting with him, say something like "Okay that log is your buck, let's see if you can put one in the vitals".  I remember my mentor doing that with me and it added just a little something to the shot.  A couple of shots like that where he pinwheels the target will make both of you feel good about his ability to get it done on the real thing.