I have a 5 year old boy of normal size and strength that wants a bow. I think it's awesome, but I don't want to start him out too soon to where he might not enjoy it as much as he could if he was more developed. Is there a good bow out there for a kid his age? What do you all think? Thanks.
What age to start a youngster in archery?
- Thread starter ELKLOVER
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never_catch
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My son will be 5 this coming March, I got him a Fuse Freestyle bow for Christmas and can hardly contain myself!! I want to bust it out and have him shoot it so bad!! Don't get me wrong i'm having plenty of fun with my Alphamax...just can't wait for my little buddy to be throwing arrows with me 
I don't think there is a right or wrong age to have a child start shooting a bow...as soon as they can pull it back I would say. You're son will have fun shooting with you anytime!! The bow I got my son comes with the bow, quiver, sites, arm guard, and arrows. 10-25 lbs. and 14-24" draw...good luck with whatever you decide to do.
~Z~
I don't think there is a right or wrong age to have a child start shooting a bow...as soon as they can pull it back I would say. You're son will have fun shooting with you anytime!! The bow I got my son comes with the bow, quiver, sites, arm guard, and arrows. 10-25 lbs. and 14-24" draw...good luck with whatever you decide to do.
~Z~
L
littlebuck
Guest
My boy is 3 and I sit in the grass with him and help him hold the bow and make sure he doesn't pull it back past his ear. He almost riped it off once. we shoot from about 10 feet back from the target. He lets go of the string and its a crap shoot as to where the arrow will end up. Just make it fun, I used to tape ballons to the target for my daughter.
bgh7404jas
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I bought my son the Whisper Creek Phantom last year for xmas. I really like the bow, it is easy to adjust the draw length without the need of a bow press. It ranges from 15# to 30#. My son was six at the time and is already out growing that bow, not so much the draw length but the draw wieght. I bought him the Mathews Genisis this xmas which should last him alot longer.
We did have a fun summer shooting the local 3-D shoot together.
I don't feel 5 is too early to start a kid shooting. Have fun with him.
We did have a fun summer shooting the local 3-D shoot together.
I don't feel 5 is too early to start a kid shooting. Have fun with him.
c3
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My youngest kid started shooting when he was 4. He shot JOAD as a 5 year old and earned his qualified archer badge by shooting over 100 in a 300 round barebow at that age. I think he was the youngest at or club ever to get his qualified archer. From there I pushed him too hard and he burned out on on it.
Now at 10 he and his buddies come and shoot JOAD and in the back yard all the time. They love it. The key is to let them have fun. Too much coaching and too much pressure to score at the early ages will burn them out quickly. Let others do the coaching and let them goof around as long as it's done safely.
In the long run they will learn to love the game and the flight of the arrow as much as the kill or the score. That's where the lifelong passion comes from anyway
Cheers,
Pete
Now at 10 he and his buddies come and shoot JOAD and in the back yard all the time. They love it. The key is to let them have fun. Too much coaching and too much pressure to score at the early ages will burn them out quickly. Let others do the coaching and let them goof around as long as it's done safely.
In the long run they will learn to love the game and the flight of the arrow as much as the kill or the score. That's where the lifelong passion comes from anyway
Cheers,
Pete
Both my boys started shooting at age 2. My one boy is now almost 6 and my younger boy is 3. They both love it and beg to shoot all the time. My older boy shoots the whisper creek phantom and he loves it. It is fully adjustable for draw length and poundage for small kids which is cool. My older boy shoots with a peep and a release, but younger boy is still fingers and instictive shooting. I even took my boys to Kansas to hunt turkeys because there isn't a hunting age limit there. I got my 5 year old a tag and we got some toms into about 30 yards. Unfortunately he can only shoot accurately to about 15 with his bow so he never got a shot. They both had a great time none the less.
www.basinarcheryshop.com
www.basinarcheryshop.com
swbuckmaster
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Both my girls shoot!
My oldest was 7 when she started. She shoots every week and has been doing it since January. She is now eight. She loves to shoot and just last week we started her shooting a back tension release. She also loves to go hunt elk, deer, turkeys with here dad.
Here is a picture with here bow. Her bow is a Hoyt Trykon JR... and is maxed out on 20 lbs. I will need to get her heavier limbs soon.
archery shoot
scouting trip
here they are with their archery coach
my oldest first lake trought
This years rifle deer hunt before we hit the trail with some friends at 4:30 in the morning on opening day
My youngest was 5 when she started. She doesn't like it as much as here older sister does "yet" so I just let her shot when she wants to. She is shooting a mini genesis bow. I wish I had a picture of her shooting her bow because I think she is cute.
Archery is a year round commitment!!
My oldest was 7 when she started. She shoots every week and has been doing it since January. She is now eight. She loves to shoot and just last week we started her shooting a back tension release. She also loves to go hunt elk, deer, turkeys with here dad.
Here is a picture with here bow. Her bow is a Hoyt Trykon JR... and is maxed out on 20 lbs. I will need to get her heavier limbs soon.
archery shoot
scouting trip
here they are with their archery coach
my oldest first lake trought
This years rifle deer hunt before we hit the trail with some friends at 4:30 in the morning on opening day
My youngest was 5 when she started. She doesn't like it as much as here older sister does "yet" so I just let her shot when she wants to. She is shooting a mini genesis bow. I wish I had a picture of her shooting her bow because I think she is cute.
Archery is a year round commitment!!
5
57Loader
Guest
I started when I was 5. My first bow was a Browning Fox. 10 and 20 yard pin. I still have it and laugh now because there was not threads for a sling and I made my dad tie a rope around it so I could put my wrist through it.
I have shot in junior archery tournaments since about 6 years old and actually was the first in my family to shoot and we all shoot now.
The first time I ever saw a bow shoot I was about 4 and went to the archery range with my dads buddy from work. They started at about 30 yards and I turned to my dad and said, "Dad, it's not going to reach the target from there, they are too far away." lol
After I saw that first arrow zing into the target I was hooked.
It's nice to say I have been shooting for 20 years and I'm only 25.
So anyway my answer would be to start them as soon as they can pull a bow back and just let them have fun with it. Let them learn for themselves, except about safty of course.
I have shot in junior archery tournaments since about 6 years old and actually was the first in my family to shoot and we all shoot now.
The first time I ever saw a bow shoot I was about 4 and went to the archery range with my dads buddy from work. They started at about 30 yards and I turned to my dad and said, "Dad, it's not going to reach the target from there, they are too far away." lol
After I saw that first arrow zing into the target I was hooked.
It's nice to say I have been shooting for 20 years and I'm only 25.
So anyway my answer would be to start them as soon as they can pull a bow back and just let them have fun with it. Let them learn for themselves, except about safty of course.
CAelknuts
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You guys are in for some real fun years. My son started going hunting with me when he was 2 1/2, literally. By the time he was 5 years old, he was shooting a little kid bow (sorry, don't remember what) and a .22 chipmunk. When he was 12, it was finally time for him with a tag of his own. He drew a unit 20 pronghorn tag in Wyoming, and wanted to shoot his first animal with his bow, which at the time was a Browning, I think it was called a micro midas, or something like that. Anyway, he killed a pronghorn buck when he was twelve, and the next year he drew a deer tag and killed an 8 pt. whitetail buck with that same bow.
You guys are in for some great experiences in the coming years.
You guys are in for some great experiences in the coming years.
R
rodsroost
Guest
I totally agree with CAelknuts,you are in for some real fun.I started my son when he was about 6 and my daughters about 8yrs old.My son started shooting compatition indoors when he was 10 yrs old.My daughters would rather shoot at ground squirrels on the ditch banks than at targets.Then they moved up to jackrabbits.My son shot his first deer with a bow when he was 15.My oldest daughter shot hers at 14.Youngest decided rifles were her favorite.Now I am starting all over with my grandkids.Started my grandson out at 5yrs old.He is now 9.His little sister is shooting his hand me down bow.She started when she was 5.She is now 7.Idont think you can start them out to early as long as they want to try it.Just remember (patience),(patience),(patience),when you are teaching them and let the good times fly!Rod.
Start them when they have an interest and want to shoot. Patience and fun are your allies pressure is your enemy. Keep it simple and fun and maybe put them in a joad program at a local archery shop so they can learn is also helpful. Lessons from an instructor always help and if you discover they have a wrong eye dominance issue let them shoot from the correct side since it builds confidence and lets them develop naturally instead of with a handicap out of the chute. They'll pick it up quicker, will be better shots, and in the end enjoy it more.
R
rodsroost
Guest
IMO I would say fingers.I remember the first time I tried a release.It was a little T handle,I think it was called a HotShot.I remember I accidently touched the plunger while I was drawing the arrow and ended up with a fat lip!(ROD)
grizzlyplumber
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The Genesis and the Genesis mini are great for kids to shoot. I bought both of them last year for my two girls, 5 and 9 at the time, and now my son shoots the mini with my help, he is almost two, but every time he sees me shooting in the back yard he goes crazy and wants to shoot.
C
cohntr6
Guest
Great pictures swbuckmaster!
I have 2 girls that seem as "girlie" and petite as
yours as well as being the same age1 Funny!
i was thinking about getting them the genesis mini but then I saw the whisper creek bows for youth and may change my mind.
My kids draw lengths are all short about 13-15 inches, what are your kids draws?
I'll have to show my kids your pictures when they get home from school
Jeff
I have 2 girls that seem as "girlie" and petite as
yours as well as being the same age1 Funny!
i was thinking about getting them the genesis mini but then I saw the whisper creek bows for youth and may change my mind.
My kids draw lengths are all short about 13-15 inches, what are your kids draws?
I'll have to show my kids your pictures when they get home from school
Jeff
swbuckmaster
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I would start them off with using fingers. I like to start them off also with a bow that isn't complicated. My oldest started off with the mini Genesis this year in January. The bow was cranked all the way out to maybe to 5-6 lbs. my oldest could barley pull it back. She has shot every week this year. Once she started getting the hang of the fingers and how to load an arrow we switched to a wrist strap release. This allowed her to pull more weight back. Once she maxed the mini out. I got her the Hoyt Trykon Juinor with 20 lb limbs and backed the limbs out to around 10 lbs. She is now shooting it maxed out at 20 lbs. I think I will let her shoot it here for a while.
She has also graduated to using a back tension release a few weeks ago. This has really helped her form out.
This picture was taken at the Utah Open a few days ago
One of here better groups she shot that day. She shot it at 20 yards
Her first trophy 1st place. I won't tell her she was the only one in her age group this year because she was so happy.
My youngest started off with a piece of crap Wal-Mart 5 dollar bow. She shot it for several weeks at about 3 yards. She has moved up to her sisters old bow ?genesis? bow and is still using fingers. The bow is down to as low as it gets and it is still a little much for her. I haven't worked as much with her because she is so small. I just want her to have fun. So if she wants to shoot I let her if she doesn't that's ok.
Archery is a year round commitment!!
She has also graduated to using a back tension release a few weeks ago. This has really helped her form out.
This picture was taken at the Utah Open a few days ago
One of here better groups she shot that day. She shot it at 20 yards
Her first trophy 1st place. I won't tell her she was the only one in her age group this year because she was so happy.
My youngest started off with a piece of crap Wal-Mart 5 dollar bow. She shot it for several weeks at about 3 yards. She has moved up to her sisters old bow ?genesis? bow and is still using fingers. The bow is down to as low as it gets and it is still a little much for her. I haven't worked as much with her because she is so small. I just want her to have fun. So if she wants to shoot I let her if she doesn't that's ok.
Archery is a year round commitment!!
swbuckmaster
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For those of you in the Salt Lake City area your kids can come and shoot the Datus kids league on Friday night for free there are sometimes as many as 30 kids shooting from as young as my daughters to 16 years old.
If they want to be in the Joad awards program it will cost you a family NFAA membership and 25 dollars for the pins they can earn. This is a great cheep program for kids.
They have all the equipment you will need to get them started off right. Coaches included.
Other states cost hundreds of dollars a year for the same program. Some archery shops will charge as much as 25 dollars an hour plus bow and lane rental fees for the same kind of coaching your kid can receive here.
Archery is a year round commitment!!
If they want to be in the Joad awards program it will cost you a family NFAA membership and 25 dollars for the pins they can earn. This is a great cheep program for kids.
They have all the equipment you will need to get them started off right. Coaches included.
Other states cost hundreds of dollars a year for the same program. Some archery shops will charge as much as 25 dollars an hour plus bow and lane rental fees for the same kind of coaching your kid can receive here.
Archery is a year round commitment!!
C
cjduck
Guest
Thanks for some insight from several different folks, this is a question I have had for a while too. Both of my boys (ages 5 & 8) have been pestering me about wanting a bow too, since they have been tagging along with me archery hunting the last two years. It seems from most of the posts I've read, that's a reasonable age. I bought them some the other day at Sportmans Warehouse (not sure on the brand, they are wrapped and under the tree). Just a few more days, and I guess I'll find out, (hopefully they're mom doesn't shoot me with them).
Thanx again!
Thanx again!
