Four Reasons to Introduce Your Child to the Treestand This Season

I recently took my youngest son to the woods for his first deer hunt from the treestand. It was a monumental moment in his hunting career that, no doubt, paid off in big rewards toward the advancement of his hunting skills. It was a good move. A move I highly recommend every parent or guardian make as well. Here’s a look at four reasons to introduce your child to the treestand this season.

Stoking the Fire

My son has been hunting for the last couple months from the ground blind. It’s all he’s known since he first started hunting several years ago. But after months of hunting from the ground blind, my son was beginning to get in a rut in our routine. He was eager to see some new territory. The idea of climbing into the treestand for the first time was just what we needed to light a new fire. He was as excited as the first time he ever stepped into the woods. The treestand provided a new and exciting tactic that helped stoke the deer hunting fire for my little boy, and I’m sure it will for yours as well.

Their Own Gear for Deer

There’s a big difference in giving a child their own gear and passing down the old, beat up, leftovers. When possible, make sure you invest in the best of the best in gear designed just for a young hunter. I gave my boy a youth-sized Hunter Safety System vest as a gift, and you would have thought I gave him a million bucks. He was so excited! He finally had gear like the big boys. His little vest was simply a mini version of the HSS vest for adults. It’s the same great quality, built into a youth-sized version for the smallest hunters. The safety harness is nothing more than insurance and peace of mind. Don’t skimp out here. Make sure you spend the money to ensure your child is safe from the moment his or her feet leave the ground.

Better Visibility

The visibility a treestand allows a young hunter to have will often make them write off ground blind hunting forever. They simply enjoy the climb into the tree over most any other hunting tactic. “I can see everything,” were the first words out of my boy’s mouth when he first climbed into the ladder stand. A ground blind cuts your visibility in half. Put your child in a treestand, and a whole new world of visibility will be opened to them.

It’s Just More Fun

Treestand hunting delivers all the good stuff a child is drawn to on every trip. They’ll love the adventure of climbing a ladder into the stand. Taking their post on top of the stand with a weapon in hand makes them feel like a warrior! And having deer and other critters below them on the ground is an exciting experience like no other.

Kids and treestands are just more fun together. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to introduce your child to treestand hunting this season. Just remember, always wear a safety harness, and keep them connected to the Lifeline from the first step off the ground.