HUNTING GUIDE 2021: Father trains his young children to hunt safely
Courtesy Photo Maddison White poses with a buck she shot in this undated photo provided by the family. She has already killed four deer and is looking forward to the upcoming deer season to get another. Her father, Shawn White, said she will have to help clean her next deer.
Courtesy Photo Zayden White, left, Shawn White, center, and Maddison White pose for a photo with the children holding the rifles they use while hunting in this undated photo provided by the family. Shawn White said that, when they have their guns out, safety is always the number-one issue he stresses to his kids.
Courtesy Photo Maddison White gives a deer a little sip of her water after it approached her while on a hunting excursion in Manton in this undated photo provided by the family. The resort has some deer that are very tame and enjoy the attention guests give them. She said she likes being close to deer, but also the thrill of the hunt.
Courtesy Photo Zayden White, left, and Maddison White sit on a tractor their family uses to ready the food plots for hunting season. The children’s father said Maddison is learning to drive the tractor, and they both help with the work that needs to be done long before hunting season starts.
Courtesy Photo Zayden White and Maddison White sharpen their shooting skills on their bows. Both are well-acquainted with rifles and their father, Shawn White, stresses the importance of how to handle the weapons safely.
Courtesy Photos Zayden White sits in his father’s hunting blind and plays his video game. He is excited to shoot a deer later this fall and joining his father, Shawn White, and sister, Maddison White, as successful hunters in the family.
Courtesy Photo Maddison White poses with a buck she shot in this undated photo provided by the family. She has already killed four deer and is looking forward to the upcoming deer season to get another. Her father, Shawn White, said she will have to help clean her next deer.
Courtesy Photo Zayden White, left, Shawn White, center, and Maddison White pose for a photo with the children holding the rifles they use while hunting in this undated photo provided by the family. Shawn White said that, when they have their guns out, safety is always the number-one issue he stresses to his kids.
Courtesy Photo Maddison White gives a deer a little sip of her water after it approached her while on a hunting excursion in Manton in this undated photo provided by the family. The resort has some deer that are very tame and enjoy the attention guests give them. She said she likes being close to deer, but also the thrill of the hunt.
Courtesy Photo Zayden White, left, and Maddison White sit on a tractor their family uses to ready the food plots for hunting season. The children’s father said Maddison is learning to drive the tractor, and they both help with the work that needs to be done long before hunting season starts.
Courtesy Photo Zayden White and Maddison White sharpen their shooting skills on their bows. Both are well-acquainted with rifles and their father, Shawn White, stresses the importance of how to handle the weapons safely.
Courtesy Photos Zayden White sits in his father’s hunting blind and plays his video game. He is excited to shoot a deer later this fall and joining his father, Shawn White, and sister, Maddison White, as successful hunters in the family.
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ALPENA — Many hunters can hunt a lifetime and never shoot a buck as large as the 11-pointer Maddison White bagged before she reached 11 years old.
Many aren't as dedicated to preparing the land around their blind, practicing with their rifle or bow, or focusing on safety while handling the weapons.
Now, Maddison's brother, Zayden White, is following in her footsteps, and he hopes to bag his first buck this year at the age of 6.
Both of the children hunt with their father, Shawn White, who began hunting at a young age himself.
Shawn White said he passes on what he learned from his elders to his children, and he believes the time together and lessons of hunting will help them grow into responsible adults.
He said he introduced Maddison, who turns 11 soon, to the woods, blind, and hunting before she was 2, and watched her passion for the outdoors and hunting grow as she did.
"I carried the diaper bag, my backpack, and my unloaded rifle with me to the blind," Shawn White said. "I always had ear muffs for her, and I made a little bench so if she fell asleep I could lay her down. I had coloring books and crayons and stickers for her and the blind is still covered with them. She was always pretty attentive and alert, though."
It didn't take long for Maddison White to find success in the woods, and she's bagged four deer so far, including the large 11-pointer that is currently being mounted.
Maddison White, whom her father lovingly calls Maddy, said she enjoys helping plant the food plots that lure the deer near the blind and working on the blind itself. She said being in the woods is enjoyable to her and she treasures the time with her family while waiting for the deer to arrive.
"I really like spending time with my dad and my brother, and I like to watch the deer, too," Maddy White said. "A lot of times we see them but they won't come close to the blind. I also like the adrenaline rush of it, and learning about nature."
Shawn White said he waited until Zayden White was a little older before he began taking him out to hunt. He said it was because Maddy White was still quite small and often got wobbly when walking through the thick of the forest.
"Plus, I got tired of hauling the darn diaper bag through the woods," he said.
Still, the boy was in the blind with his father and sister when he turned 3, and is just now ready to shoot his first deer this year.
He had a shot at a deer during a recent youth hunt, but, when it came time to shoot, he let his sister take the shot. Shawn White said that is OK because he should get another opportunity to shoot a buck later this fall.
"He got a little anxious, and there was a lot of commotion in the blind," Shawn White said. "With the two rifles in there, I just wanted to make sure everything was safe if he had to shoot. Safety is always my top priority."
Although young, Zayden White said he enjoys being in the woods and seeing the deer that do come out.
He said he wants to shoot a deer when he and his father return to the blind.
"I love to sit in the blind," he said. "I'm really excited. I never shot a deer before, and I hope I get one."
Maddy White is sharpening her skills with her bow and is preparing to spend more time in the woods hunting with it when she becomes more accurate while shooting.
"I still need to practice," she said.
Shawn White said that, thus far, he has gutted and skinned the deer Maddy White has harvested, but that may change soon.
He said she is seasoned enough to begin cleaning her own kill.
"Well, she's already got four deer, so I'm thinking for her next one she can get her hands into it," Shawn White said with a chuckle.
White said hunting is a generational activity and he hopes his children will pass on what they have learned to their children one day.
"They learn about hard work, patience, safety, and how to respect the outdoors and our natural resources," he said. "These are lessons they will be able to use for their entire life."