there are many variables at which age a child should hunt and 5 & 6 year olds seem pretty young to me personally. a child should have not only the physical ability but also the mental capacity to comprehend what hunting is all about. Even with the mentor program offered in some states, most of the youngsters should be learning sportsman skills first and be trained to handle a firearm at a later age. In my opinion a youngster should be at least ten years old to hunt with a firearm. I know that I was 14 before my parents gave me my first deer rifle. Only time will tell how well the mentor program works.