Top 10 Children's Books About Hunting Updated 04 /2024

It's almost time for your 9-year-old child to start a new school year. He or she might already be dreading reading assignments. He or she will enjoy these three books about what we love to do best in the outdoors. As long as you read them, too.

“Deer Dad"

By JJ Reich, illustrated by Jonathan Kuehl32 pages; $11.99 at kampptales.comAlso available in Kindle edition

Kampp Tales, an outdoor adventures book by Jack Kampp's father, is called "Deer Dad." It shows Jack how his father shows him how to hunt whitetails. There is enough biological information in the book that it could be used as a lesson in elementary school science. Think of it as an American Hunter "Game Profile," but written in a way that's fun for kids. All of the pictures are in full-color and on full-pages, so they keep their attention. Large-print text makes it easy for them to read or follow along. On page 23, Mr. Kampp talks about how to describe a deer's snort to your daughter.

“Little Jake and the Three Bears”

By Robert H. Jacobs Jr., illustrated by Mark Swan32 pages; $15.99 at littlesportsman.com

This is what Jake wants for his bed: a bear rug. He's old enough to hunt alone and drive an ATV. In the spring, he goes out looking for an animal with "just the right" hide to keep him warm. This is how it works: They show him how to be a good person and save the environment as well as how to care for downed game. Former Disney artist Mark Swan did the illustrations for this book, and they're very realistic. The hunt, which takes place in a landscape that will make both kids and adults want to go to the mountains, is shown in a way that makes the reader feel like they're there. It also has stories about bowhunting, a safari in Africa, and bass fishing.

“Claws”

By Archibald Rutledge, illustrated by Stephen Chesley60 pages; $24.95 at uscpress.comAlso available in Kindle edition

"His short, tufted ears, his sharp, apprehensive eyes, and his padded, dangerous feet all said that Claws was a wildcat." It was written more than 100 years ago for a boys' magazine by South Carolina's first poet laureate, Archibald Rutledge. The rich storytelling style of "Old Flintlock" will still inspire young minds today. In a new edition by the University of South Carolina Press, "Claws" isn't really about hunting. It's more about a young boy who gets lost in the swamp at night and comes face-to-face with the wildcat, which is very scary. Nearly two dozen charcoal etchings show the action as it happens. If you're a fan of Rutledge, you should read this book. It's been out of print for a long time and it's hard to find. The vocabulary level is at the junior high level, and there are a few words that, even though they were common in Rutledge's time, may be offensive to some people.

A Hobby Turns Into a Side Business

About eight years ago, Farr started a side business called Drop-Tine Custom Skull Dipping as a hobby. He started bagging deer that weren't mountable trophy deer, but they still had value.

When he looked into other methods, he found that hydrographics was a big thing in the west.

Hydrographics are a type of water transfer printing in which printed designs are added to objects that are three-dimensional. The result is decorative art.

In the beginning, he tried out hydrographics on his own deer skulls and the skulls of his dad and his friends. It wasn't easy at first, but the process and his skills got better.

He made the hobby official about three years ago by filing paperwork to be a business. Soon, friends were telling their friends.

During a hunting season, Farr says he works on about 100 deer skulls at the same time.

It took him a long time to finish the deer skulls from this season.

He has a special beetle that eats flesh that he gets from Oregon and Washington. In one day, about 25,000 of them clean the skull. Farr also has a whitening service and a never-ending list of hydrographics options.

A lot of things can be done with hydrographics, from natural camouflage to pink and purple or marble or cartoons and names.

You can go as high as you want." This season, I did more snow camo than I'd like to for a while.

He also does hydrographics for other things.

At the start of the season, he buys about 15 to 20,000 beetles in different stages of life.

They have five different stages of life, so I buy them in different stages so they keep growing. Four to five months, he said: "They keep going."

Some attention is needed, though. They are temperature and humidity-controlled, so Farr feeds and watered them all year long, just like a dog or a cat would.

Age-Appropriate Hunting Stories

In the sea of children's books, Farr has found a unique way to hunt that hasn't been widely known. His goal is to get kids interested in hunting and fishing before they are 12 years old, in part to get them away from digital devices, games, and social media.

He says that the effects of social media on kids are very real, and he sees it every day when he works with high school kids.

"Sometimes, they know things before we do."

The "ABCs of Hunting" book is for people who are between the ages of 0 and 6. "Gage's First Deer Hunt" is for people who are 12 and younger. It's not for people over 12.

 

With its simple point-and-say layout, "ABCs of Hunting" builds confidence through repetition and helps preschoolers learn new words and language skills by saying them over and over again.

It's called "Gage's First Deer Hunt," and the main character, Gage, goes hunting with his grandfather. He learns important lessons about being positive and waiting for the right time. When kids visit their grandparents, they learn about empathy, love, and caring, as well as how to deal with big emotions like being angry when things don't go their way.

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