The Importance of Hunting Books for Kids

Before I launch into the topic of hunting books for kids, I want to provide some context. If you have children at home, you know how tough it can be to regularly expose them to the outdoors. I was lucky enough to grow up in a rural area, where the “outdoors” was directly behind my house. I could grab my .410 shotgun, explore the woods with my dog, and be back in 20 minutes.

It’s a different story for me today. I live in an urban/suburban area where I have to make a conscious effort to explore the large park across the street, and I certainly can’t bring my shotgun with. I’m passionate about hunter recruitment, and so it’s tough admitting to myself that my kids won’t have that same ingrained outdoors experience. That’s why I was so excited to find these hunting books for kids.

Drake’s Adventures | Hunting Books for Kids

I was researching a topic for a hunting article one day when I stumbled upon a video with Keith Beam. He is the inventor of several innovative products in the outdoors market, but he also had a passion for writing hunting books for kids.

Sharing the same concerns I had, Keith developed two amazing interactive sound books focused on the tradition of hunting and being outdoors. One book is about turkey hunting (Spring Thunder!) and the other is about deer hunting (Trick or Treat). The stories revolve around a boy named Drake and his father, and the process they go through on each hunt. From setting up a hunting blind to calling animals to after the shot, it’s all covered. It’s a very realistic scenario and the sounds are extremely life-like too.

These books are designed to help you carry the hunting tradition throughout the year and reinforce basic hunting principles each time you read them to your kids. I knew immediately I wanted to support the project and quickly ordered a set for my kids and nephews.

What My Kids Thought of the Books

My wife and I strongly believe in reading to and with our kids. At a minimum, we sit down and read two short books every night with them. But of our little library of children’s books, approximately zero of them were directly about hunting. We have many books about animals with people-like emotions and lives, or stories about camping, but none that explore the tradition of hunting in the real world. I was excited to add some stories that help provide the hunting connection any time we read them.

My kids (and most other kids) love sound books because they can be part of the story-telling process and it keeps them engaged. My son is obsessed with the turkey gobble button on these books and laughs every time he presses it. Another feature my kids and I both like is the button that narrates the whole story – they don’t necessarily need me to read it to them. In fact, my son will often play it in his crib before bed (after I’ve already read it to him). My older daughter keys in on the emotions of the story – of being out with your dad having a fun time, which just so happens to be while hunting. All in all, they love these stories.

How to Support This Project

You can access Keith’s Go Fund Me page (Drake’s Adventures Youth Project) and order a copy of both these books for your kids. They’re also perfect for nieces/nephews, grandkids, friends’ kids, etc. As an extra incentive, every $25.00 donation not only gets you a copy of each book, but it gets your name into a drawing for a hunting package worth $7,000.

And just to be clear, I have no relationship with Keith or financial incentive in providing this link or article. My kids have loved these hunting books so much, I felt I needed to share this before the holiday season. They make great presents and allow you to become a hunting mentor of sorts.