What age to teach a boy to kill a fish?

[Cheechat]

Hi all - My oldest is 4 now and raring to fish. His mother and I debate this topic often. We want him to understand that things must die in order for us to live but when is he old enough to see his dad knock a fish out with a hammer handle and then start filleting? How do you all knock out/kill a fish to clean it? How old is old enough to see the process? I think I was around 8 or 9 when my father showed me how to chop off a trout's head and then stick the knife point in and run it up and then clean the guts out. I remember it was kind of graphic to me but I ate that trout I caught with my dad and it was tasty. Thanks for your help.
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[mattscru]

Thats a tough one, I'd like to know too. My oldest is 4 as well and last fall he caught me cleaning a mess of crappie. I quickly got him away and later he told me the fish where and had owie's. It made me feel guilty, so about a month later I asked him if he wanted to go fishing and he got really excited and had a blast catching some bluegill. I dont know, my dad wasnt as avid a fisherman as I am but he still fished his share. I think I was about 10ish when I cleaned my first fish. Before that he always cleaned them. But now if me and my dad do go fishing or hunting I'm the one stuck cleaning everything. I told him last year Im not cleaning anymore deer he shoots [cool] We'll see what happens this fall.
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[Dryrod]

[cool][font "Poor Richard"][green][size 3]Hi there Cheechat and welcome to the BFT. I firmly believe the age of four is not only too young to teach a child how to kill a fish but even to watch the ordeal. They really can't comprehend what it is all about. If you lived back in the 1800s when survival was code of the day then one had to teach their children how to put food on the table. I recall an incident with a relative's child where they caught a mouse in a trap. The child about 3 or 4 at the time thought that they had killed Mickey. It took some time for him to get over that scene. Let him grow up a bit. I would string your catch as in this manner he doesn't see the dying process. Think about why most people don't take their young children to a funeral. [/size][/green][/font]
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[mattscru]

Honestly I think it upset me cleaning my first fish at about 10. I remember the fishing trip and eating the fish, but I also remember the guts and how if we didnt come out there and catch those fish theyd still be out in the river swimming around. I think about 10 would be the perfect time regardless to teach a child. But thats also going to depend on the child because some might be a little less mature or more sensitive to that kind of stuff. Im glad my dad didnt let me deer hunt untill I was older, I was allowed to go bird hunting at 12, start shooting birds at 14 then deer at 16. I think I might follow the same route with my kids, say 10 for the fish and so on. This is a really good topic and a tough question, I dont think that there really is one single answer. Matt
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[Cheechat]

Thanks, folks, I really appreciate your help. The problem here is that my 4 year old is very, very aware of his daddy and his uncle going fishing and it breaks his heart to see us drive away. Also, he is very familiar with fishing rods and reels as we use them to fly kites. He knows the difference between the taste of walleye and salmon. I can't believe I'm in this frikkin situation! I just asked him what we should do with a fish when we catch it and he sai, "Eat it!"

I think we'll just do the pretend thing this summer. ; )
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[Saberfish]

[black][size 3]My .02 for what it's worth, is to not make a big deal out of it with the child.[/size][/black]
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[size 3]I grew up knowing that cleaning and eating fish was part of catching them. I remember sitting in the basement as a pre-schooler, watching my father plucking and gutting ducks and geese, and wanting to watch every minute of the action.[/size]
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[size 3]If your child grows up thinking that it is all a part of the fishing and hunting act, he will accept it. [/size]
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[size 3]The last thing that I would do, is make a big deal out of it. Just go ahead and do your thing, if he wants to watch or get involved, he will. dont push.[/size]
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[birddogwi]

I grew up along the same lines as Saberfish and share his thoughts also.

Probably should be prepared to be patient and answer a good amount of questions that the little ones have. If your kids are anything like the kids in my extended family you'll be doing a biology and anatomy lesson in no time.
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[Feydakin]

My daughter grew up a 4H kid and fully understood that we had kill to eat from a very very early age.. In fact she got pretty upset with us when she was 6 or 7 and we had her pig butchered and didn't let her watch the whole process.. And butchering a pig is far more dramatic than killing and cleaning a fish..

I think that the key is to not over explain things at that age.. It's enough to know that this fish has to be cleaned if we want to eat it.. And if you think that act of clubbing may just be too much for him, bring a cooler of ice and toss the fish in the cooler.. It's more traumatic for the fish, but not so much for the kid..
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[pennyfarmer]

Exactly! Why all this hemming and hawing about kids knowing the way the world really works?

I will soon have 6 kids and all of my kids have watched Dad clean fish. I think their mouths water waiting for me to cook it. I have to shoo the 4 girls away cause they cant wait to eat. My kids don't seem overly affected by these things and we have taught them that death is a part of life.
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[bkidder]

Personally I think that if your kid is showing an interest in fishing you should make it as fun as possible for them. This means targeting fish that can provide quicker action, doing the dirty/hard work for them, and making sure they have a good time. I think if you do this they will later develop a desire to be involved in all aspects of the sport... including cleaning fish. Then the duties can be handed over to them. I believe cleaning a fish should be a choice, and not forced on them. There are great lessons to be taught, but if they get grossed out because you force them ahead of pace, then those lessons will never be taught. They'll choose to stay home instead.

I was one that was forced into it at a young age. This approach taken by my dad was fine with me, but it didn't work on all of his children. I guess every child is different, and letting the kids dictate the pace they move at is best.

Great question! Thanks for getting us thinking about this stuff!
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[tubeN2]

Welcome aboard Cheechat. Thanks for your excellent question. As you can see, everyone has one type of answer or another.

I grew up around fishing ever since I could walk. The blood and guts never bothered me.

When I was teaching my son, I simply explained to him the process of hook to pan.

1. Catch Fish. 2. Place in bucket, on stringer or other means of storage. 3. Take home for dinner. 4. Clean and or Fillet. 5. cook. 6. Eat.

He stated to me that he saw all but the cleaning process. So I showed him. My son was 4 at the time and thought that it was really neat to see.

He is now 18 and one of the best Deckhands on a Commercial Fishing boat. He can fillet a few hundred fish and a very short time.[cool]

For your kid, I would present it to him as a process to enjoy the yummy fish on the table.[]
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[davetclown]

you dont have to knock the fish in the head. that is a bit much. five minuts on the ground is enough time to stop the flopping unless it is a cat fish.

the right age is... [center][green][size 7]"3"[/size][/green][/center] [center] [/center] [left]several times a month, repeat the process at age 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - all the way up to age 94[/left] [left] [/left] [left]seing as to how you are already a year late, take him twice a week for the next 10 weeks to get caught up....[/left] [left] [/left] [left]by age 7 or 8 he will be able to catch fillet and cook a gill with the best of them....[/left]
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[davetclown]

I was raised on a farm,

I was shown the harsh way of doing things, the ringing of necks, "a polite way of saying grab a chicken buy the head and flinging it around till its body pops off"

I still cant stand the sound of cracking bones when cleaning rabbits and squrils, dad would break the leg bones when cutting off the feet.

I dont think you need to put a knife in their hand at the age of three, but I do beleive they can hand you a new fish out of the bucket. they should be part of it even if it is a minimal part. soon they will take on the action them selves if you make seem like its a big deal for them to do it by them selves. make a joke out of the slime.[]

also include them in the baddering of the fish as well. they can mix batter if you set out the amounts needed and tell them wich ones to add next. Much the same as mixing cake batter only no one gets to lick the spoon or bowl...[laugh] they do how ever get to dip fillets in to the katchup and that is just as good.[]
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[hou_me]

That's a great question, and ultimately he is your son and it is up to you do decide when he is ready. That being said, show him the way sooner rather than later. I was way too old when I finally learned how to clean a fish, because my dad was really busy when I was a kid and didn't get a chance to teach me. In the end I had to teach myself. So FWIW the first chance you get to show him, you should take it.
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[Dubie]

I think I fall into the majority here as well. Growing up a country boy, I was exposed to the gory side of things since I can remember.
When I was six or seven, it was my job to fetch the ducks and geese my dad shot, including breaking the necks of those that crash landed still alive. (It was around this time I learned where the name for a 'Goose Egg' realy came from).
After watching the fish cleaning process for various fish for some years, also around six or seven, my dad handed me the knife, and told me to give it a try. After he coached me through a few, the "You catch it, you clean it" policy took hold.
I don't ever remember it being overly tramatic. Just a part of the food chain. Oh, I also always remember watching those shows about nature, where they videotape coyotes catching rabbits, lions killing antelopes, wolves brining down caribo, and other such things. It always seemed to me that even the cruelest of methods of converting live animals into dinner were much more humane then cranky ol'Mother Nature.
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[davetclown]

ya, it dose make one think about dinner in the wild. The thought of being devowered or digested while your still alive dose make one think of the humanity of hunting and fishing..[crazy]
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[Dubie]

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ya, it dose make one think about dinner in the wild. The thought of being devowered or digested while your still alive dose make one think of the humanity of hunting and fishing..[crazy] [/reply]
LOL. If I had to choose either being eaten by a bear, or pack of wolves over being shot with a good rifle and cleaned and dressed after the fact, I know what I'd pick. However, I'd hope my own good rifle is enough to keep me out of either situation...[]
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[davetclown]

I had forgoten to mention that some animals drug their food and eat them alive and others inject digestive fluids in the the bodies of their food before sucking the bodies dry....[crazy]
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[Tarpon4me]

As you can see, there are mixed thoughts about the subject. With that said, there is no "magic" age to teach your children about things of this nature. The best answer is to teach them when "they" are ready to learn it. You're going to have to make that call on your own. I know i've got an 11 year old and a 1 year old, and I know where you're at. But I don't hold back any punches. My oldest knows when I go fishing, I keep some of the fish. And he looks foward to helping Dad clean the fish. He's a typical boy. And when my youngest is old enough to hold a fishing rod, he'll be on the water. Cleaning fish is all part of the process, it's one of the tasks that's involved in the sport. The way I see it, the younger they are exposed to the sport, the more natural it will come to them. Besides, it's in thier genes. [cool]
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[mactuna]

Harvest a fish, not kill a fish. I'm sure your kids know where food comes from. Our Son and Daughter were fishing and learning and watch us clean fish at 4. So when ever you want to, just explain it to them.
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