Ditto to the above post.

Keep in mind if you are introducing someone to hunting don't make it so challenging that they fail right off the bat. This is not going to make it more exciting for them or make them want to go out and do it more. It will make them think they suck and want to quit.

Hunting is secondary skill required to take a game animal cleanly. First you have to be a good marksman regardless of what weapon you choose. And most will agree it is harder to become proficient with archery equipment, especially in a hunting situation. This is why archery is more gratifying for many, it was a bigger challenge for them. Also when you talk about youths you are also limited to the amount of power the bow will produce which will make it even harder yet.

A rifle, 20 ga slug gun or a inline muzzle loader would be easier for someone young to learn to shoot and become proficient enough to hunt game at reasonable ranges. Not to mention they would not be handicapped with a power disadvantage, any of the firearms I listed are more than enough to kill a deer at 100 yards and in if the person can shoot it well enough.

If the child has nothing to compare it too then the excitement level will be just as high, as long as you let them be excited. Unless of course you get some bowhunter telling them how their deer didn't mean anything because they shot it with a gun. And if that is the case you need to find new people to hang around with. At least that is my opinion.

I would first let them learn to handle and shoot a firearm, and bow if they want. Then take them hunting with the firearm so they can learn to hunt. You can make gun hunting just as challenging if you limit your range, which you could do if you wanted to challenge them to hone their hunting skills. Let them get the basics down, like body language, how to hunt properly, how to hunt safely and how to take care of the game after the kill and that sort of stuff. Then introduce them to bowhunting after they become good at shooting a bow and have some confidence in both hunting and shooting skill.

Teaching anyone any skill is hard if you make it so hard to begin with that you can't be successful at it. They will think they suck, lose interest and move on to something different. When I teach someone to shoot a bow I don't tell them any of the technical stuff about arrows and tuning and the such. I just teach them good form, put them close to a large target and encourage them.

If they can hit a six inch circle at 10 yards to begin with I will let them how impressed I am. And when they start to improve they feel as if they have accomplished something. You can't take someone new set them up at 20 yards aiming at a dot the size of quarter and expect them to enjoy it. It will just make them frustrated is all.

No one likes to fail, and missing or wounding game is even worse.

My opinion anyway and nothing more.

Paul