Do you struggle getting your kids to join you on hunts or our outdoor trips? Are they more plugged into devices than tapped into their surroundings? Are sports and friends a priority over a deer hunt? Most likely at some level the current age we live in is strongly competing with your children’s desires to hunt and fish. It is a tough challenge for me personally and I never thought I would type these words. My kids have grown up dreaming of their hunts and absolutely love hunting and outdoor activities. I have a wall full of skulls and photos to prove it! Makes me proud just at the thought of it. 

However, they also love other things and that’s okay too. This was hard for me, I set aside most things in my life for the love of hunting, so it wasn’t an easy pill to swallow when my oldest son (who has been in my back pocket filming me and hunting with me since he was 8 years old) told me he didn’t want to hunt this past year. Instead, he wanted to join a mountain bike team and race. My first thought was to argue he could do both, I even tempted him with a few flashy ideas that I knew might appeal to him. But after remembering conversations with other men about similar situations and how their pushing actually hurt. I backed off and let him go have fun with something else, no pressure, no strings attached. He will come back to hunting, it is in his blood. Similar to his faith in Jesus, I have trained him in the ways that are right and he will come back to it. 

I have six kids. My oldest daughter is out of the house and carving her own path through life, however, she will take days off of work at the drop of a hat to go hunt with me, that is a success story in my opinion. My youngest daughter (also my middle child by personality) is equally as anxious to hunt as her big sister but she has more obligations because of her “go-getter” personality which keeps her life and schedule very full. Long story shorter, I am finding that hunting which once was top of the list has become a lower priority as my teens turn into young adults. Do I give up and just go-it alone? 

Sure, sometimes, but that doesn’t mean I give in. God made us hunter-gatherers, we pursue by nature, but often this is easily skipped over because our pursuits tend to be self-centered. After pondering my oldest son Wyatt and his sudden disinterest in hunting, I asked him again what his thoughts were about next year. His answer was the same, however, he showed his cards and told me why – he said he’d rather do something different, like bowhunting in Hawaii. I laughed and said something like “Sure, who wouldn’t.” 

Then he said, “Or Alaska caribou…that would be fun.” 

Now I was confused…Hawaii makes sense, dual purpose, warm weather, lots of game to pursue and an ocean to enjoy when you’re off the mountain. Pretty much checks all the boxes for a fun hunt. But Alaska? That’s long hard days, cold weather, mosquitoes that look like hummingbirds and another level of tough. “Why Alaska?” I asked him. 

His answer, though less succinct, was something like, “It’s different.” 

Similarly, my younger daughter Abigail asked if she could substitute her fall Wyoming deer hunt for a spring bear hunt in Idaho. Now keep in mind my kids have grown up watching me kill and they themselves kill regularly. So what may look crazy to take a kid to Hawaii for a change of pace for some of you, isn’t too far off. What is the takeaway? Pursuit of our children will reveal the answer. They start off hunting because it’s what we do, they get to be with us and participate in an adventure new and exciting. Then, over time it’s them joining us on OUR adventures. Finding out what their adventure is, the key. 

Pursuit of their heart will all but ensure you find it and increase the odds that they will stay interested. My younger boys are still easy, deer hunts and campfires with some good chili and a German sausage still speaks their language and I love it. But I have learned a lot with the older three and plan to keep pursuing their hunting dreams and share my experience with you guys. 

What does this look like for you? I’d love to hear your experiences and any tips or advice.