How young to start?

[blaster]

Hi All,

I have a God son that I would like to get a bow for sometime. I am just wondering how early everyone else starts out the youngsters at and if they can tell which eye is dominant at that time? I'd like to get him a decent little recurve and not one of the cheap fiberglass deals with a shelf on both sides. Is there any easy test for a youngster to figure out which eye is dominant? He turned 3 this past week.

Thanks for the opinions.

[vermonster13]

Don't worry about dominant eyes or how well he shoots yet. worry about it being fun and planting the seeds of interest that will make this a lifelong pursuit for him.

[McGeeM]

My daughter got her first bow when she was 3. My son will be one in October, and he already has his first bow. When he can stand on his own with out being wobbly, he will start shooting. He holds it now while we sit on the floor. He tries to crawl with it, but I don't allow that.

[TSHOOTER]

Give him the cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels.  Let him play with it and have him sight through it at different objects. I'd bet he will use his dominant eye.   Good luck

[slayer1]

My daughter started when she was 3. I got one of the black rino 9lb long bows. I was suprised at how fast she picked it up. She can bust baloons pretty consistantly at 10 to 15 feet. She is now 4, I think santa told me that he is going to bring her an upgrade this year.

[BobCo 1965]

Yea, I wouldn't worry about the dominant eye. With my son we couldn't tell 100% until he was nine (he started at 6). Then we made the switch to lefty without much dificulty at all two years ago.

Below is a pic of him shooting righty and then one lefty:

[rnharris]

if your patient you might find a older bear bow made for kids i found one gave 10.00 in great shape 15 lbs @24 " it was a unusual find but they are out there it's called a little bear you might want to start a thread and tell what you are looking for you never know good luck Ralph

[StephenR]

Start em out early.Worry about the eye dominance
later.Blake at 18 months old.

[BobCo 1965]

Awesome pic Stephen!

[shawnee]

I gave my grandson his first bow when he turned 2.  He loves it.  Little fiberglass bow that only pulls about 10 pounds.

Some days he only shoots 2 or 3 arrows, then he's done.  Some days he will shoot for 20 minutes or so.  I don't worry about his form, or much of anything else except to try and help him learn how to hold and pull it.  I just want him to  have fun shooting.

I just finished an osage selfbow, and was going to give it to him for his 3rd birthday, but he's not quite big enough for it yet.  Maybe by Christmas........

If they can pull it, let them start.  They can learn the finer points as they get older...just get them out there and make sure they have fun.

[NDTerminator]

I was handed my first bow at 6.  I thought that was little late, so I handed my son his first bow at 4. He's going to be 28 this year...

[Dave Schneider]

I started mine out at 3yrs, but they had  limited intrest until around 6.  I have made them Rattan bows and involved them with the building.  When they out grow one we make another.  Am ready to move them on to hickory bows now.  Lots of good advice on making kids bows avalible.

The best thing I have done with them was to take them to a Ohio Society of Traditional Archers shoot.  They had a blast and OSTA did a great job with the shoot.  Other than that buy lots of ballons.  Their biggest interest is in flight shooting so find some room, put the dogs and cats up and let them fly.

I have a different opion about the dominant eye.  My son is right handed and left eye dominant.  It became obvious because he had a scoped toy gun and he would hold it right handed and line it up on his left shoulder to use his left eye.  I also did the point at a spot with both eyes open and then cover one eye and see when his finger moved.  I have never let him shoot right handed, figured I would have to unteach him later if I did.  Just my opinion.

[Hogtamer]

Hello Dave, good to see you pop up!  As you know I killed my first hog when I was 3 with my Daddy's bow and ate his heart on the spot. 'Course everyone ain't half the man of ole Hogtamer.  But you never know....this "Blasters" boy may be the one.  Why don't you send him one of those little rattan bows you've got laying around and I'll make him up a few arrows and we'll find out soon enough....talk to me son!

HOGTAMER

[bjk]

My little guy has been dragging this bow around for a couple years...he turned 3 this wknd

The pic is from earlier this summer...



We shoot when he wants...he's been on several 3D shoots with me...sometimes shoots at all targets, sometimes at 2...the shooting pace (be it a day shoot or weekend type) is set by him.  He'll grab his bow and pull it lefty or righty, still...that part works itself out in a couple years.



StephenR - That pic is AWESOME!!!  

[knife river]

BobCo, your son has great form.  I bet he's a wicked good shot!    

[Dave Schneider]

Hal, I am always lurking in the shadows.  Never post much, seems I kill more threads than I do critters.

Don't think my youngins would part with their old ones, they get attached to such things, go figure.  But I do have a piece of rattan in the shop that could fit the bill.  Would be an honor.

Dave

[MW]

Vermonster is right.

I had an article about taking kids fly fishing and killing their love of the sport but lost it somewhere.  It was great and the lesson applies to most activities.  I have a couple little guys and I guess my first question would be to define start.

Every time they are with you or around others that use bows they start.  Mine just started picking stuff up.  Most dont care what their first bow is just that it is thiers.

The only thing Im a stickler for is safty but other than that it is about having a positive experience.  I know too many friends that where forced to do activities and now hate them.

I know thats not all you asked about but could not help it.

How young to start?

My 4 month old has been watching me and my son target shoot since born.

[trapperDave]

both my 3yo daughter and 4yo son love archery. the boy is actually fairly accurate.  

[blaster]

Thanks for the info guys. Maybe I was overthinking the eye dominance thing at this point in the game. Probably better off to just get him shooting and go from there. As far as Dave or Hogtamer making me anything for Wyatt, that's up to you guys. I would be honored to pass it along and more than willing to pay for whatever to cover your time and materials.

Thanks again.

[BobCo 1965]

Originally posted by knife river:
BobCo, your son has great form.  I bet he's a wicked good shot!      

Thanks, he is doing well, we're still working out a few kinks (myself included).    

That's a lifetime task though!