If he enjoys hunting but needs the video games to pass the time then I guess it would be okay. May not be mine or your idea of what it is all about but each to his own.

We sometimes get questions on this site about what to do to help pass the time while sitting in a deer blind. It seems that your young friend has one of the answers, if he remembers to lift his head once in a while to check for game.

i played games when i was like 8 and 9, but now i just mainly text, but 2 years ago i was 13 i was bowhunting and was in an intense game of bowling, heards something off in the distance and seen 2 big does, which i killed, im sure at some point my texting habit in the stand will end up with me being busted by a deer, but im pretty alert for the most part, and im really alert whenever i dont have signal lol

This is not new to our sport. Videon games have taken over the youth of today. They'd rather sit in front of a screen then be active. All you have to do is watch any of a number of hunting shows on TV, you'll see guys playing games, reading books,listening to the radio or watching tv shows. The art of being a woodsman is fast becoming a thing of the past. As my son pointed out to me this past season. These people think that wearing camo and putting a weapon in their hands makes them a hunter. As long as they get into the woods and carry on the sport I guess it has to be acceptable. It's better then lighting up a joint or hitting the bottle while pertending to be hunting. Whatever it takes to get them interested and keep them interested. Only time will tell what a young hunter will become in the field. I teach paitents while in the field, as that is what pays off in the end consistantly, not just dumb luck as so many have come to believe. You never know when Mr World Record Buck will pass behind the tree your'e sleeping in,or playing games and miss.

i say get him into still hunting, not time or space for video games in that.

I am 14 and the old fashion way is more interesting and fruitful. although i may get a little cross eyed by the end of a long day, one ear bud in listening to quiet music is a good way to mix up the outdoors while staying mostly alert.

A cold December wind blows,
As I sit alone.
Will I be successful this day?
Who knows?

The trees below me raise their vertical grayness
Reflecting my current mood.
Ah, but this day started with such elation,
With the thrill of the hunt upon me!

Isn’t this how much of our lives are spent,
Used and perhaps wasted?
Often alone, in the cold,
Looking at grayness?

Yes, you are right, I did choose this,
To be at this place, at this time,
Instead of being in my warm home,
With my companion at my side.

What then is this need?
That drives some men,
To choose to face,
The wilderness alone?

For me it is not the thrill of the kill,
And resulting meat I seek.
Yes, that is welcomed,
When it happens.

No, for me
It’s the experience of solitude.
And why I sit alone,
Feeling the cold December wind.

~PigHunter

I usually take my cell phone and keep it on vibrate incase my hunting partner tries to call me or if my parents need me but i usually dont text back to people if it isnt important why im in the stand. I just kinda sit there and watch the woods waiting for a deer to walk into my setup.

A paperback thriller is an indispensable part of stand hunting equipment. Sure, I've looked up a couple of times and seen the south end of a northbound deer, but not often enough to make me stop. Squirrels and birds begin to bore me about thirty days into a seventy-two day deer season.

emansfie,
I agree with your conclusion to live and let live, but I don't know about that part concerning nobody's opinion being better than any other:)

I always bring a cellphone even though a lot of spots i hunt don't get a signal, mainly for the camera but also for emergencies. i can admit to at least one time in the tree, texting my wife about how bad this new spot stinks and that i was getting down soon, and i'd be home in a few hours and we could..."Ooops, gotta go honey, there's a deer coming." 5 min later "Got him!". It was pretty cool.

i only take my cell phone in case of emergency. i don't even have any games on it.

Is he there to just ambush and kill a deer or is he there for the full experience of the hunt. Quiet time in the stand or up on a ridge while stalking is true quality time. I like to tune in to the forrest to truly listen to all that is going on around, smell all the scents, and feel the breeze. I find it a great opportunity to have that long overdue deep conversation with The Creator. If he can't sit still without his MP3 or Gameboy he is really missing out on a lot. What have we done to this generation?

Sure you can change it. Don't raise them into video games and/or don't let them bring any entertainment devices hunting and overtime they will start to see nature the way you do.