The 10 Best Hunting Toys

For a young duck hunter, the NKOK Realtree Polaris Sportsman set packs a whole morning outing into one box. A four-wheeler in orange Realtree camo carries a posable hunter, and a yellow Lab, two ducks, a helmet and a cased shotgun fill out the scene. The dog and ducks are painted by hand, so the set looks good on a shelf between hunts. It's graded from age 3, and some sets break within days of rough play.

Babies and toddlers who copy a hunting parent can start with the Wild Republic White Tail Buck, a soft standing deer from the maker's Cuddlekins line. The seller rates it for every age from birth, and its plush antlers and white tail make it look like the real animal without any hard edges. The fur is surface-wash only, so a trip through the mud means a damp cloth, not the washer.

Kids who want a deer to track get one in the NKOK Realtree Buck Hunting Playset. A camo pickup rolls on a push-and-go motor, and a button sets off its roof lights and engine noise. A posable hunter in an orange vest, a scoped rifle and a whitetail buck complete the set, which suits ages 3 and up. There's no scenery in the box, and the battery details aren't spelled out, so check the package before wrapping it.

School-age archers get a bow that glows with the JOYIN LED Bow Set, which comes with suction-cup arrows, a quiver that slings over the shoulder and stand-up targets. A button on the grip switches between flashing light modes, a fun touch at dusk. The maker aims it at kids 6 to 10 and warns to shoot only the arrows in the box. The light runs on AA batteries you buy separately, and the cups stick only to smooth surfaces.

A pocket-money gift that still looks like the real animal, the Schleich White-Tailed Buck is a painted figure with a full rack of antlers and a coat that shows every shade of brown. It's sturdy enough for the sandbox and detailed enough for a bookshelf. Schleich sells many more forest animals in the same line, so a herd can grow one birthday at a time. It suits ages 3 to 8, and it's smaller than many buyers expect.

The Big Country Large Hunting Playset builds a whole hunting property, not just a ride. Big Country lists a Polaris four-wheeler, a tree with a stand, a feeder, a ground blind in Mossy Oak camo, a buck, a hog, a strutting turkey and a hen decoy, plus a hunter with a chair, a bow and two guns. The age grade starts at 3. Many of the extras are tiny and vanish under the couch fast.

A log-cabin hideout gives kids a hunting camp in the living room, and the Pacific Play Tents Hunt'n Cabin sets up on a light plastic pole frame under a printed polyester cover. The door and back window roll up for air, and the fabric wipes clean with a damp cloth. It's sized for preschool and early grade-school kids, and the seller lists a one-year warranty. There's room for one or two small kids at a time, not a crowd.

Hung over a bed, the Adore Boone Whitetail Deer gives a child's room the trophy-mount look. It's a soft plush head with a bendable neck and antlers, so it can be posed, taken down and hugged. Adore designs it in the U.S. and grades it from age 3. It's a head only, so it won't stand or sit on a shelf, and it needs a hook or nail for its hanging loop.

Family game night moves to deer camp with Hunting-Opoly from Late for the Sky. Players buy hunting spots, build cabins and lodges and collect rent, moving tokens shaped like a crossbow, a shotgun shell and a backpack. It seats up to six, and a shorter rule set helps when bedtime is close. The maker rates it for 8 and up. Under the theme it plays like the classic property game, so kids who want new rules may lose interest.

A first call for little hunters, the Beetle & Bee Duck Call is a plain wooden tube from Toysmith's nature line that quacks when a child blows through it. The wood comes from certified, responsibly managed forests, and the package marks it for kids 3 and older. It fits a coat pocket for pond walks. The sound depends on breath control, so small kids may get a squeak instead of a quack, and some calls barely sound at all.