Hunting is one of the few things a family still does entirely in the dark. Somebody wakes a child at four, hands them layers they will sweat through and then freeze in, and drives out to a place where the whole activity consists of not moving. Most mornings end with nothing at all. The ones that don’t end with a question almost no other childhood experience asks so plainly: you wanted this, and here it is, and a minute ago it was alive. That is why the best hunting books for children are hardly ever about the shot. They are about the waiting, the person in the next seat, the rules a family hands down along with the gun, and what a child decides when the moment finally arrives.
A word on what this page is. It collects hunting as people do it — deer camps and duck blinds, bird dogs, first licenses, and the arguments that come with them. Books where a wolf runs down an elk, and books about the bear hunts, egg hunts, and treasure hunts children go on with nothing more dangerous than a stick, are different shelves entirely; a keyword search blends all three, so we have pushed those two senses down to the related topics at the bottom. Drawing from Bookroo’s collection of 85 hunting books, our editors chose ten that get the mornings right: a Caldecott Medal about a boy who set out to shoot a bear, Gary Paulsen’s shortest and hardest novel, a hunter-safety course in the Oklahoma hills, an Ewenki reindeer herder in the forests of northern China, and one genuinely useful how-to on whitetail. Start with the shortlist, then use the shelves below.
A boy works two years to buy a pair of coonhound pups, and then finds out what the Ozark hills will ask of all three of them.
The only barn in the valley without a bearskin on the door belongs to a boy who decides to go and fix that.
A thirteen-year-old goes into the Minnesota woods alone to shoot the winter’s meat while his grandfather is dying at home.
A girl gets a whole November Saturday alone with the father just back from the war, and a crow call of her own to blow.
A trapper’s son in the backwoods falls for a champion show setter, and has to prove that a dog that pretty can work.
A boy earns his hunting license the same week his parents deploy, and is shipped off to grandparents who want him nowhere near a gun.
A first duck hunt on Lake Huron runs into two storms at once, with the boat a long way from any shore.
Before anyone will let a twelve-year-old near the deer woods, there is a hunter-safety course and a set of family rules to get through.
Everything a first-season whitetail hunter needs to know, from the stand to the tag, in thirty-two photographed pages.
An old reindeer herder shoots a moose in the northern forest and finds her calf standing there, waiting for him.
Read-alouds about first mornings in the woods, hunting dogs, and what a family does with what it brings home — plus the slim photo guides an eight- to eleven-year-old reads the week before opening day. Ages 4–11.
Join a whimsical hunt with children chasing creatures, from foxes to dinosaurs, in a playful adventure.
Discover the secrets of wolves, nature's misunderstood creatures.
A young dinosaur's quest for independence leads to unexpected challenges and hilarious mishaps.
A silent winter night, a father and daughter seek the elusive owl.
A cunning fox prowls a quiet town, seeking a meal under the autumn moon.
Cat's snack plan backfires, leading to unexpected trouble.
Discover the secrets of snowy owls.
Predators hunt prey in a wild feast of survival.
A girl and her dog embark on a challenging frog-hunting adventure.
Discover essential tips for young deer hunters seeking adventure and safety in the wild.
This book explores the practice of upland game bird hunting, the role of hunting dogs, and the skills, safety rules, and responsibilities involved in the sport.
This book explains the role of shotguns in hunting, covering their mechanics, uses for different game, and essential safety and legal practices.
Longer stories for readers ready to spend a whole season out: first deer and first ducks, poachers and game wardens, bird dogs that have to be trained, and the fights families have about all of it. Ages 8–12.
A boy risks everything to protect a runaway dog from its abusive owner.
A boy escapes city life for mountain solitude, discovering hidden strengths.
A boy's life changes when a stray dog becomes his unlikely hero in the Texas hills.
A boy's journey through the wilds of Florida tests his courage and beliefs.
A girl lost in the Alaskan wilderness must choose between her human past and a new life with wolves.
A girl must outsmart hunters to save her leopard friend.
A boy's bond with a raccoon faces an unexpected spring twist.
A goddess shunned at birth finds power in solitude and a bow.
A wounded dog leads Brian on a perilous journey into the unknown wilderness.
Experience the wilds of Minnesota through thrilling and humorous outdoor adventures.
A boy's quest to save a bear cub turns into a fight for survival in the mountains.
A young haunt huntress faces a secret in New Orleans that could change everything.
