I vividly remember getting my Daisy BB gun for Christmas as a young boy. My dad taught me how to handle, load, and fire the gun. He also explained which living, breathing birds and animals I was allowed to pursue. From that point forward, I spent countless hours packing that gun around, trying to get close enough to shoot my intended quarry. I didn’t have much luck, but I did manage to make a couple of kills.
After a couple of years, my dad could tell that I needed more firepower if I was going to find any real success. So, I was gifted a Crossman .177 pellet rifle with a low-power fixed scope. It wasn’t much by today’s standards, but to me, it was everything I needed. Soon, I could shoot birds at greater distances, and ground squirrels were in trouble if they gave me a reasonable shot.
My dad and brother sometimes took me cottontail hunting with their .22 rifles in the winter, and my mom cooked the rabbits when we were successful. They would also take me ground squirrel hunting during the summer months. However, my appetite for hunting was insatiable, and a random weekend rabbit hunt or squirrel shoot wasn’t enough to satisfy me. My folks didn’t think I was old enough to take a .22 rifle out without parental supervision, and I had no means of transportation, so I had to figure something out.
My buddy Casey and I started finding places to walk with our pellet rifles and hunt rabbits. From my house, we’d walk down the canal bank through town until we reached the BLM land, then climb the mountain, scouring rocks and brush for cottontails. We could walk down the old railroad tracks straight onto adjacent public land from Casey's house.
Around this time, a new friend, Jason, moved to town. His family's place had several acres with a ground squirrel infestation, so we made it our mission to take care of the problem. Jason loved shooting bows like me, so we put the guns aside and started bowhunting squirrels.
We never killed many rabbits or squirrels on these trips, but we did something much more important—we fell in love with the hunt. I loved the hiking, the searching, and the patience required to succeed with our limited weapons. It
was during these early adventures that I fell in love with the process of what it took to be successful. That’s something I feel is often lost in today’s society. We live in a results-driven, instant-gratification world, and we rarely take the time to fall in love with the pursuit of our activities.
Through these formative years, I fell deeply in love with hunting. I was given the opportunities and the tools to try my hand at hunting in a low-stakes environment. Nobody cared if Casey and I killed any rabbits on our adventures or if Jason and I culled any ground squirrels. But, man, when we did, we felt like Daniel Boone!
Why am I telling you all this?
I often talk to my wife about certain aspects of hunting and comment about someone's lack of drive or why they aren’t doing something to make them successful. She always is quick to “jokingly” tell me, “You know you aren’t normal, right? Most people don’t want to hunt as much as you do.” I fully accept that this is the case. My appetite for the outdoors, hunting, and fishing, coupled with my parent's willingness to encourage me, was the perfect recipe for how I ended up with such a love for the hunting lifestyle.
I am not saying everyone should be obsessed and want to hunt all the time, but I often get asked how to get kids involved in hunting and hopefully make them like it. So, I thought I would share a few things on the point.
Take them on Adventures
Taking your kids on adventures might be the most essential piece of the puzzle. Planning an adventure with your child creates lasting memories and fosters a love for the outdoors. This doesn’t need to be a week-long deer hunt three states away. If that’s your plan, great, but it’s not necessary. A simple day trip or weekend squirrel hunt can be just as meaningful—what matters is the shared experience.
Talk to them about where you’re going and what you’ll do. Include them in the preparation and packing of gear, making them an active part of the process. The anticipation of the hunt builds excitement and makes the adventure even more special. In the days or weeks leading up to the trip, share your enthusiasm and talk about how excited you are to experience it together.
When the time comes, focus on making the trip enjoyable and pack plenty of snacks and drinks. While out on the adventure, take the time to explain the little things that might seem second nature to you. Teach them about animal tracks, droppings, and how to read the wind. Assign them a task on the hunt, like spotting game or keeping an eye on the wind direction, you’ll be surprised at how engaged they become.
I remember the first time my son and I went on a big out-of-state trip. He was only nine and not old enough to hunt, but he joined me on a weekend deer hunt in Montana. I put him in charge of navigation. He used OnX the entire time we traveled, telling me about the surrounding land ownership, the rivers we passed, and the roads we were on. Giving him a role made him feel involved and excited about the trip.
The key is to make them part of the entire process. If the only thing they experience is watching you pull the trigger or pulling the trigger themselves, they might not develop a genuine love for the hunt. That love comes from being immersed in adventure, the preparation, the exploration, and the shared moments along the way. Now, with kids aged 15, 17, and 20 who have been on countless hunting trips with me, it’s rarely the kill they remember most fondly. The small, seemingly insignificant moments throughout the adventure stay with them. Those are the memories that truly last.
Let them Adventure Alone
It’s strange how much things have changed since my boyhood. I’m only 45 years old, and the memories I speak of don’t feel like they happened so long ago, yet the world seems so different. I’m unsure if the world has become scarier or if our helicopter parenting has shifted the dynamic, but we’re much more hesitant to let our kids venture out on their own compared to how many of us were raised. Ironically, the digital world we allow our kids to immerse themselves in is typically far more dangerous than the wild outdoors. Yet, we still hesitate to turn them loose in nature.
I fully understand the struggle—I wrestle with myself—but giving our kids the freedom to explore and take on their own little “hunts” is an important step. It teaches them self-sufficiency and builds confidence in the woods, increasingly rare traits. I’m not suggesting you have to let them wander far.
Even keeping them within sight or allowing them to venture just a few hundred yards from camp can feel like a true adventure for a young child.
Allowing them to experience these moments on their own fosters independence and a connection to the outdoors that can’t be taught in any other way. These small steps can significantly impact their confidence and sense of responsibility.
Teach Them to Handle a Weapon
Before our kids step foot in the woods—alone or with anyone else—it’s paramount that we teach them to handle a weapon safely and responsibly. Whether it’s a BB gun, pellet rifle, .22, bow, or .243, they need to understand how the weapon works and how to use it properly.
Start with the basics: show them how to load and unload the weapon, practice proper muzzle control, and explain the importance of keeping their finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. Once they’ve mastered handling the weapon, teach them to shoot accurately and confidently.
Beyond mechanics, emphasize the ethical aspects of hunting. Teach them to respect the animals they hunt and only to take shots they’re confident in, ensuring quick and humane kills. If they’re heading out with friends, ensure those kids have received the same training and share the same expectations for safety.
When everyone is adequately trained, letting kids head out with siblings or friends can be an incredible experience. It fosters independence, builds confidence, and strengthens their love for the outdoors and the hunting way of life.
Closing Thoughts
Hunting is about more than the harvest; it’s about spending time outdoors, teaching important lessons, and creating memories that last a lifetime. By giving our kids, the tools and opportunities to explore and learn, we’re ensuring that the tradition of hunting lives on for generations to come.
Ultimately, I wrote all this to say, for heaven's sake, take your kids rabbit hunting!
Zach Bowhay is known as a hunter and writer who has successfully hunted many species all across the western states and beyond. Specifically he is highly regarded in the western hunting community as an expert in DIY elk hunting on public lands. For 15 years he has been a well-published writer, sharing his love of the outdoors and expertise in both gear and tactics through his writing as well as video and photos. When not spending time with his wife and three kids he can be found roaming the mountains of the west in the pursuit of adventure.
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