Getting youths into hunting is a delicate task and rabbit hunting is a good way to gain a child's interest.

It takes a lot of preparation and patience to make sure their first hunting experience is a pleasant one. Children have a very short attention span; therefore keeping a child's interest during a hunt will take patience.

First you need to make sure your child is comfortable handling a gun in the field. After you have established they are ready, you will need to be in a controlled environment for their safety. Also make sure the conditions for hunting are kid friendly; not too cold or rainy. We don't want to put a child in conditions that will scare them off! Next you need to make sure they will be able to see rabbits and have shooting opportunities. To go out and see nothing is a good way for a child to lose interest quick. Make sure there is an abundance of rabbits so the child will stay interested. Even if they don't get a shot at the rabbit, it will keep their interest enough to want to return for another shot at a cotton tail.

Time is also very important in developing a child into a hunter, all day hunts are not for children. Try not to stay too long or they will become bored and uninterested. Let them be comfortable and excited to be there, but when it comes time to go; go! They need to hunt when it is all about them and their hunt. Make sure at the end of the hunt the child knows the importance of the harvest and quality of the meal it will provide for all.

So remember, take them hunting often, but not all the time. They are kids and have a thousand other things they want to be doing….