Hello HNI Visitor. Welcome to our message board. You can tell your mom that I started taking my oldest daughter deer and small game hunting when she was 12. She had expressed a lot of interest in it as young as 10 but I waited until she was a little older. I convinced my wife who shared the same skepticism as your mom that she would be safe and never out of my sight. Well, I can tell you that after that first day of deer hunting in Virginia, she was definately hooked. She's 25 now and lives in Las Vegas now and doesn't have much time to hunt anymore, but she still wants to go badly. When she has more time, I'd love to take her again. Before she was grown and gone on her own, some of the best and most memorable times we shared together were during our deer and small game hunts. We had a blast and I sure do miss her being with me. She is by no means a "Tom Boy" and is very much lady-like so tell you mom not to worry about the fact that you are a girl and want to hunt. More and more women are into shooting sports (including hunting) than ever before. If you get a chance to learn to handle a gun properly (NRA Hunter Safety Courses are a must!) and have trusted friend or relative (Dad's are the best...but that's my biased opinion)to teach you to hunt safely and ethically, you will have outdoor experiences that will last you a lifetime. There is nothing "unlady-like" the sport of hunting and I wish you all the luck in the world. All mom's worry and there really isn't a safer Outdoor sport that I know of. Good luck!!

Vinny