Jamie Lynn Spears’ 10-year-old daughter Maddie is already hunting doves

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A post shared by Jamie Lynn Spears (@jamielynnspears) on

I’m almost positive that Jamie Lynn Spears lives a very quiet life in Louisiana these days. At some point, she tried to restart her singing career, but it didn’t go anywhere, right? So she’s just carved out a nice life for herself in Louisiana. She’s been married to Jamie Watson since 2014, and they welcomed their daughter Ivey earlier this year, in April. Jamie Watson – God I can’t believe Jamie Lynn married someone named Jamie!! – is also stepdad to Jamie Lynn’s 10-year-old daughter Maddie. Apparently, like all good ol’ boys down in Louisiana, Jamie Watson takes his stepdaughter hunting:

Getting her ready for dove season

A post shared by Jamie (@jamiewatson985) on

First of all, that shotgun is as big as Maddie. The kickback will probably knock her on her ass. Second of all… the things I have to look up with this job truly astound me. I looked it up, and it’s perfectly fine for a 10-year-old to hunt in Louisiana. Jamie and Jamie Lynn just had to get Maddie an under-16 hunting license. Which we don’t know if they did, so…?

Everybody had to yell at Jamie Watson for putting a shotgun in his stepdaughter’s hands and taking her to kill… DOVES. I think the criticism is deserved, but also: there are a lot of people in the South who do the exact same thing. There are a lot of parents who take their children – even kids younger than Maddie – out hunting. I’m not saying that every parent puts a giant shotgun in their kids’ hands, but… I don’t know. Deep in Louisiana, this is more common than most people think.

I also think it’s really strange that Maddie is hunting in track shorts and no shoes, or is that just me? If you’re going to teach a kid how to hunt DOVES, at least get her the right f–king hunting gear.

Grand Ole Opry at The Ryman

Photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram.

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51 Responses to “Jamie Lynn Spears’ 10-year-old daughter Maddie is already hunting doves”

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  1. Missy says:

    Pretty sure that’s a hunting rifle not a shotgun. I’d never do this with my own daughter but to each their own I suppose, hope she’s taking all the proper safety course

    • Helen Smith says:

      A large calibre shotgun is too big to hunt doves whose breast meat is delicious. She will have a small calibre gun without a lot of kick back like a .22. Since doves are moving quickly as they fly away little sister must be a good shot.

      • Helen Smith says:

        Oops my mistake. A .22 is too big for doves. A pellet gun or something tiny like that for doves. You guys can Google which guns are appropriate for dove hunting if you’re interested.

  2. Socks says:

    He could just be using that a title for the photo. She’s not actually shooting the gun, so we don’t know if she’s really out there getting ready to hunt doves. Parents do this with photos of their kids all the time. I think it was just a fun caption to him.

  3. Beth says:

    Yeah, this is the kind of pointless stuff we let divide our country. Lots of people take their kids hunting. It’s family tradition, legacy, bonding, the works. Maybe it’s not common everywhere. Maybe you don’t agree with it. But it’s legal and it’s their choice. Be safe.

    • gf says:

      exactly. what is the big deal?

    • isabelle says:

      Until my parents, my family, mountain people hunted to survive because there was no was no option, no groceries and super-walmarts you know. Grew their own food, made their cloths, hunted, had farm animals for basic food, cooked everything from scratch etc. This is a hard concept for some people that have families not from mountain or a farm history, some people are descended from families that had to hunt to sustain their families. My parents passed down hunting because that was how they survived. It is pretty smarmy really, also an indicator of people not knowing the history of the states and ignorant of pre walmart, grocery stores, era in America.

    • Millenial says:

      I agree, to an extent, but usually these are the same folks who moan on and on about being responsible gun owners and then their toddler finds their gun and shoots themselves or their teenager brings it to school. And then they get their jimmies in a twist when non gun-owners wonder why we can’t have some restrictions on how these guns are managed. So I’m okay with some division — and I say this as someone who can’t talk her husband into getting rid of his shotgun – but at least it’s unloaded in a separate location from the ammo and locked in a closet only he has a key to.

  4. HelloSunshine says:

    This doesn’t bug me. Maybe because I live in the Midwest where people take their kids hunting every year. But every kid has to start somewhere to learn to hunt, you can’t just throw them into the woods with a gun and say shoot that deer. To each their own, I don’t plan on teaching my kid to hunt. It’s not something my husband and I did growing up but as long as they are teaching her responsibly, I don’t care.

    • Helen Smith says:

      @ hellosunshine I live in California and grew up in a family of hunters. What little sister is doing receives a no big deal shrug from me too. Doves have delicious breast meat and a day in the field hunting your own meat is a great way to have a connection with your food.

      As for the stereotype of the uneducated gun toting yokel, really Celebitchies on this thread. Come on. Everyone in my family is college educated with middle class jobs in education, medicine and law enforcement. You are better than resorting to tired prejudices about people who support Second Amendment rights.

      And the whole it’s okay to stereotype a group of people as long as those people are white thing needs to die. Racism is racism even when the target of your stereotypes are poor whites. I seriously doubt you would be derogatory if the poor people were black or Latino.

      • Maybe something got deleted, but I didn’t see one post where anyone was being stereotyped as uneducated, not one. Most commenters are saying their families hunt just like you’re saying, and the ones who are against it are sighting their own reasons why, without bringing up others.

        And why are you bringing up race and racism? You seem to have an agenda that has nothing to do with anything anyone has said in the OP or the comments.

      • Morrissey says:

        You lost me when you tried to say that racism against white people exists. Nope. Nope. Nopety nope nope nope.

  5. Kath says:

    Well, I’m from south Brazil, and for families that have farms it is pretty normal to take kids hunting doves.
    My grandpa used to take my dad ever since he was like, 5. And I used to shot at targets ( I personally could never shoot a living thing) when I was kid, no kick back . My cousins used to go all the time as kids too.
    I personally don’t like hunting because I feel too sorry for the doves, but my family eats them so it’s not like it’s just for fun. Besides, hunting makes my dad remember my grandfather (who passed away when my dad was young and who he ideolized) so I don’t have the heart to complain too much.
    In regards to proper gear, people think you need way too much stuff to go walking in the forest for a little while if you are not used to it. I used to go to the waterfalls in the farm ( which included a long walk on the forest until you got there) in just shorts and a tee, no problem. Whenever we bring visitors they get all padded up and it feels really silly to me

  6. Juls says:

    1. That rifle is probably a .22, which has very little recoil. Anything with larger ammo would obliterate a dove. 2. You can get a 1 day license to hunt pretty cheap but you don’t need one at all if you’re hunting on private property. 3. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t doves mate for life? If you kill one, it’s mate will die of heartbreak and starvation. That is the part of this story that really chaps me. Don’t kill innocent animals for sport!

    • dota says:

      Annie Oakley would not hunt doves with a .22, you cannot get a 1-day license and you have to have one to hunt and you are half wrong on the mating, they pair off but will find a new mate when one of the pair dies. Pet cats kill more doves than hunters since they go at them year round.

      • Merry One says:

        You most certainly can buy a one-day hunting or fishing license. I live in TN, and you can buy them at almost any sporting goods store or bait shop.

        I agree with the other posters, this is no big deal that is trying to be made into something for no reason.

  7. Tate says:

    I don’t hunt myself but grew up in an area where many people did. My only question on this article is… do people eat doves?

    • KMK says:

      Yep! My husband and his friends hunt a lot. They essentially make jalapeno poppers with dove breast. Not my thing, but they all love it.

      • Tate says:

        Thanks! I didn’t know. I grew up in central NY. It was mostly deer and duck hunting there.

  8. MellyMel says:

    I live in the South. Parents taking their kids hunting on the weekends is so normal around here, so nothing about this is strange. I personally don’t hunt nor have any desire to do so, but I’m not going to knock anyone who does it.

    • bleu_moon says:

      Also in the south. My husband’s family buys each new baby a lifetime hunting license as a gift. Meanwhile, my kids have all declared themselves vegetarians. I think we’re the black sheep of the fam.

    • TandemBikeEscapee says:

      Of course hunting and gathering was a way of life AN HUNDRED YEARS AGO. I guess it’s a “choice” and a way to “honor tradition”, but HELLO, we are in a major die off of species and an interruption of wild life habitat. Not only that, but the proliferation of firearms in the US has led to school shootings and a government bullied by the NRA. I guess, “to each his own”, but I pay attention to current ecology and sociology, & teach my son to revere life, to hike & see wildlife, not shoot it. I doubt very much this family lives off of dove, deer or whatever. I say let First Nation people hunt and no one else, in the TRULY traditional ways. You may call me an hypocrite because we buy grocery store meat, but let’s all admit that hunters also buy grocery store meat AND teach their children to kill wildlife.

  9. Elvie says:

    Meh. I grew up in rural Eastern Canada. We used hunting rifles at summer camp. I would have been Maddie’s age in shorts and sandals target shooting.

  10. Sunnee says:

    People all over the world hunt. My father used to take my brother, the oldest, hunting for ducks, geese, deer, you name it. My brother hinted from the time he was eight years old. My grandmother was a fabulous chef who cooked whatever they brought back and turned it into a gourmet meal. We’re from Latin America not the south.
    I don’t get the objection to hunting, it’s as old as humankind. As long as you don’t eat endangered animals and you eat what you kill, what’s wrong? The meat in the supermarket was once a living animal, so if you’re an omnivore you’re a hypocrite to object to hunting.
    As a matter of fact people who hunt often have a deeper appreciation for the environment.

  11. Zoid says:

    Before people get upset about the shotgun – she’s probably getting ready for mourning dove season, a migratory bird that has its season regulated by the federal government. By federal law you cannot use a rifle to hunt migratory birds. There are shot size requirements for the shotgun as well. Her age, 10, is legal in my state too. I know people want to get into a tizzy about things, and love to judge, but this one feels like a stretch. I’ve never had dove myself, but have a coworker that swears by it.

    • isabelle says:

      It is not a shotgun though, it is a small hunting rifle, looks like a .22 which is a graduation above a BB gun? All young kids/teens are started off with BB guns, small rifles like she is holding, the bigger guns are later when you are able to control it. Some people never graduated to the larger shotguns.

      • Bunny says:

        A .22 is just as deadly as any other gun. It is a far cry from a BB gun.
        It is somewhat less likely to be one-shot stop than say, a .45, which is why hunters and police use a larger caliber.
        I target shoot and treat all weapons with the utmost respect.
        We don’t allow BB guns, toy guns, pellet guns, or water guns around our home due to the fact that we expect all weapons to be treated with equal seriousness.

  12. Dot says:

    Totally agree with what everyone is saying. This is no big deal. I live is southern Ohio and many families fish and hunt together. I eat meat and wear leather so I am not in a place to judge. If this is a hobby they enjoy as a family good for them.

  13. Zip says:

    His feet are so … pale.

  14. JRenee says:

    Wow she is 27?

  15. TrueStory says:

    Since the caption says he’s getting her ready for dove season and there appear to be at least three people standing around in a reasonably open looking field, I’d imagine this is just practice and hopefully gun safety lessons.

    • tealily says:

      This. Who knows if she’s even hunting herself. I don’t particularly like hunting or guns, but I have no problem with it if she were.

    • Dutch says:

      Exactly. Dove season doesn’t start until Sept. 1 in La. She’s probably shooting at clay targets and getting proper gun handling instruction.

  16. Maples says:

    Hunting takes the lives of animals. Each one of those animals should have had the right to live their lives free from harm just lIke us. They want to live as much as any one of us. I hate the killing of defenseless animals for ‘fun’ or ‘sport’. That is deranged and sadistic. As for killing animals for food, humans generally have a choice. They can choose not to take the life of a sentient being and eat any of the many alternatives to meat. But in hunting there is no empathy for the animals being killed. Humans have hunted through the ages. That does not mean it’s right or okay to currently take the lives of these animals especially as currently there is absolutely no need to do so.

    • TandemBikeEscapee says:

      I know, ppl on here are defending “hunting”, but I SEE hunters in my wilderness area all the time. They HUNT for SPORT and dump animal remains all over the four wheel drive trails, along with beer cans and GARBAGE. Half those “hunters” can afford ATVs, fancy guns and gear, but God Forbid they should spend the money to process an animal in an respectful way. As I said a few comments back, let the First Nation ppl hunt if they choose in a way that is authentically traditional, humane and respectful. Don’t even try to tell me that modern hunting is good for species control or whatever because I see the horrible results with my own eyes!

  17. Bunny says:

    Louisiana has reciprocity with my state, so Maddie had to take a hunter safety class (usually 5 days long), pass a written test, and a shooting test with a rifle to get her hunter safety card, which is required by law to get a hunting license. Classes start at the age of 10. My daughter has one that she got at that age, but she doesn’t hunt (she only target shoots). All states with reciprocity have very similar requirements.
    Maddie is holding the gun correctly (pointed up, finger off the trigger), and her clothes are pretty good. I’d personally wear leggings to keep any hot brass off my legs when the shell ejects.
    You’re not supposed to wear a shirt with an open collar to keep hot brass off your chest, so she’s okay there. I’d personally wear long sleeves for the same reason.
    Her feet do need to be covered. Going barefoot isn’t smart, because anything that you might step on could startle you, taking your mind off safety, and that is a bad idea. I wear cute Italian-made hiking boots, but even tennis shoes would be fine.

  18. Laur says:

    I don’t understand why in this day and age, given everything we know about the catastrophic impact we’re having as a species on every living creature, people still think this is okay as a sport. It’s disgusting and unnecessary. If you have to hunt for food that’s a different kettle of fish, but this isn’t for food, this is for fun, and even if they eat it, it’s unnecessary. Billions of animals die each year because of us, we’re literally wiping out entire species directly or indirectly, so for people to say it’s okay because it’s just a dove or it’s sport is so incredibly ignorant. Maybe if someone hunted them for sport they’d think differently.

    • Sam says:

      To your points, it is entirely justifiable that you don’t understand it if you did not grow up in a setting where this was common. Hunting is absolutely a cultural staple in the southern and more rural states in the US. Even “in this day and age”. Hunting for sport and for food are often intertwined. There are families in rural communities who absolutely would not have meat in their freezer if it weren’t for hunting. Poverty in our nation is at epidemic level. In cities and suburban environments food pantries are more available to help with this, but in rural communities they are few and far between. Hunting helps to alleviate this. It helps families to remain self-reliant and help each other. It’s not uncommon for a hunter to fill not only his own freezer but those of neighbors and extended family as well.

      It’s perfectly natural to hold strong opinions about this but I just want to stress again that this is cultural. Although we live in the same country, there are many different regional cultures which may seem foreign or alien. I’m not trying to attack you and I hope this doesn’t come across this way. I personally don’t hunt, my husband has but does not regularly. I do, however, have friends and extended family who literally fill their freezers and feed their family through this means. Not even to get into the conservationalist aspect of it (briefly, certain species would over-run and endanger humans if not controlled through hunting) try to consider the cultural aspect before you point to a large group of people and label them ignorant.

      • TandemBikeEscapee says:

        I get the “theory” about hunting, but as I’ve said in a few posts, the REALITY is wasteful and interruptive. I don’t CARE how the NRA wants to promote hunting as a “sport”- it’s not, it’s recreational murder of helpless animals. I actually see hunting and it’s affects- too many guns, disruption for habitat via RVs ATVs etc. Plus don’t event get me started on the literal amount of dumped killed animals these drunken jerks can’t bother to properly pack out.

      • Ange says:

        I’m sure Britney’s little sister is absolutely agonising over how she’ll fill her freezer this year. All the eye rolls. This is killing for fun, nothing more.

  19. Sam says:

    Maybe “getting ready” means preparing her as in teaching her about gun safety and target practice, not necessarily going out hunting on that day. I can’t imagine anyone who is serious enough about hunting to take a 10-year old dove hunting (which, yes in the southern US is far more common than you think, I grew up in rural KY so I can vouch for that) would allow her to do so in shorts and barefoot.

  20. magnoliarose says:

    I have relatives who hunt but I still disapprove of it. I already know it is cultural but I still think it is wrong. Killing for sport is unnecessary.

    • Kitten says:

      Same. Kind of surprised by all the comments but wh’evs.

    • sid says:

      I just don’t see the fun whatsoever in sport hunting. Skeet shooting and other types of target shooting sure, but getting joy out of the act of killing another living being? I don’t get it.

      • Anika says:

        I agree, sid. I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 11 (though my family isn’t) and I don’t wear things like leather b/c I love animals, but it’s not just that. The idea of bonding over killing and causing great pain to animal life is just so strange to me. I know it’s “natural” for some, part of a traditional ritual, and that some people (relatively few) do need to hunt to eat, but taking joy or relish in it–zeal–is unappealing and baffling to me.

  21. stinky says:

    DOVES.
    god willing this family can make it thru the season with enough food on the table. cause its cultural & such. (not snarking Magnolia above, btw … I just kept seeing it cited by many posters)

  22. Veronica S. says:

    Teaching them to respect guns and their capabilities from a young age is fine to me. Hunting is pretty common everywhere in America where there’s substantial wildlife, and seeing the kill draws a very deft line between the power of a gun and its consequences when aimed at a living thing.

    Edit: Some people here seem to focus on hunting as purely sport. It’s actually necessary in a lot of areas where natural predators have been killed or driven off. We have a major deer problem here in Pennsylvania, which sometimes results in active culling. As long as the animal’s meat isn’t wasted, I have no problem with it. I do think it should be productive, but most of the hunters I know are. Why go to the trouble and waste the food?

  23. Mala says:

    I won’t even talk about hunting as a fun sport of anything, but I’m really shocked that kids can have guns and shot animals that young, and everyone seems to think it’s ok, and that’s legal.

    • Veronica S. says:

      I can see the guns being a culture shock for some people, but I don’t find the hunting itself particularly offputting. Plenty of kids grow up on farms where they care for animals that get put to slaughter, and nobody thinks twice about that.