What hunting ethics look like at four years old.

This one will probably generate some hate and that is okay.

Every season on a general hunting blog the question arises: How young is too young?

News flash! They are never too young to take along and teach them where their food comes from. What healthy nourishment looks like.

They are never too young to hear what death is. What landscape stewardship is. What conservation is.

They are NEVER too young to understand what their heritage, ancestry, way of life and circle of life is and can be.

The only people who have a problem with this reside within first-world communities that do not have to make an effort at survival. In the United States, that’s 90 percent of our population unfortunately.

The 90 percent pay the 10 percent to do the dirty work whether they eat meat or not. Whether they agree with hunting and fishing or not.

Farmers, ranchers and other land-centered trades are included with the hunting and fishing population in this 10 percent that get it. It is probably closer to 8 percent when you really dig into the numbers.

To believe that parents who live this 10 percent lifestyle do not understand what is or is not a dangerous or safe situation to include or prohibit children in is absurd.

And sometimes, our kids just aren’t interested. And it is okay to listen to them when they’re able to express it.

I hope we never get there with Morgan. Right now, I have to explain that when we go target shooting, that she can’t just shoot at birds that fly by. There is a time. Season. Species. Reason. Consequence. And so on.

Why is there a season? Because we are responsible and ethical hunters and stewards of wildlife. Some adults should remember and practice this more thoroughly. The pre-k ethics course is always available at our house if you need a refresher.

The knife wielding toddler wants to help do everything. When I introduced her to you and said she is one of the first to cheer after a successful kill, (yes it is called killing, hunting is what you do before you kill and harvest is for farming), I was not lying. She wants to help you field-dress. She wants to put her hands in the body cavity. She wants cut steaks. And yes we have to make sure she keeps her hands out of the way but we do not hide the process.

At 17 months, we couldn’t keep her out of the way while taking care of Jason’s strip deer so we taught her to pull the hide away from what we were working on. At almost four years old, she was helping run the bagging end of the meat grinder. And she helps cook many meals. Her hands are about as dirty as ours.

At almost two she was anything but quiet at gray light trying to put the stalk on gobbling turkeys, but we made it happen anyway. Happy kid. Helped cut up the bird, pin the tail and ate turkey nuggets that evening like they were going out of style.

At just over two years old, she got up with us at 4:00 am every day that we hunted on the Kaibab. She rarely complained. She also got to stay behind and glass or watch the Disney classics with Jason or her papa on occasion. And on day 14 when everything connected, when she and Jason were with me at 25 yards, she earned that first right to put her hands on a deer that was as much hers as mine.

At two years old.

We sat and talked about why we killed that deer and that we will nourish our bodies with the meat. That we can celebrate our hard-earned success. That we can be thankful and respectful.

We talk to her about firearm safety when we are handling. She helps pull the lever on the reloading bench. She has helped run patches with Hoppes through the barrels. Walks to and from the archery targets to retrieve arrows. Gets to hear the reason why we missed or are adjusting things. We tell her why she needs sharp blades on broadheads. Why we need to get closer when she can clearly see the animal we’re after.

And she has begun to remember these lessons. She will recite steps or procedures in her own way, for what and why we do things.

We talk about more than just hunting and fishing.  She was able to tag along on a bald eagle nestling banding with the department. Next week she will be able to attend a black-footed ferret release. She asks why the cattle aren’t across the street every day.

Ethics are hard if not impossible to teach but you can be a good example. Which is what we try our best to be. It is a foundation. And we know what strong foundations can support. The cool thing is, she’s being raised along side other families who are instilling the same values in their children.

She is another reason I continued to push for a seat on the game and fish commission. Leading by example.

Since day one, every day since,  and every day moving forward, we will continue to provide the best tools and opportunities for her to make choices and become the best she can be. And never once have we thought she was too young to experience any of it. And we will carry a T-Rex to the top of every mountain for as long as she wants to.