jimmy the foot

i would say it all depends on the maturity and trust you have in the youngster. but IMO i would say 16. old enough to drive, still young enough to fear your dads belt...LOL...just kidding. seriously though if i KNEW a very mature and responsible 8, 10 or 12 year old I'd let him sit in a stand by himself.....but i don't know one so 16 is the minimum age IMO.

HuntinGUS

Although supervision is indeed subjective, I don't like to age restrictions. To say you must be X years old is detrimental factor to the future of hunting IMO

I just read an article about this same issue and although I cannot quote the stats, the overall theme of the article addresses the fact the our youth are not getting interested in hunting at an alarming rate. Much of the reasons were due to some of the age restriction in may states.

Many of our youngsters are not allowed to hunt until they are 14, 15 or even 16 regardless if they are supervised or not. The article indicated that many of these youth never take up hunting at this age and the trend indicates that they never will.

I think A HSC should be mandatory and I think a youth under 11 or 12 hould be with an adult, but if a 6 year old goes hunting with his/her dad I have no problem with it and would encourage it!

My nephew just turned 10 this year.This is his second year hunting with his Dad. He has killed 2 so far and learned a lot. He is hooked for life and will most certainly pass the tradition on to his kids on day. If we would have had to wait until he was 16, he may have never bacame interested.

BJR224

I agree with quicksilver. It's only takes one bad seedto ruin it for the rest of us. There probably are some10 year olds more responsible to handle a gun then some 14 year olds and vise versa, but how can we monitor that. Heck I know 14 year olds that I would rather hunt with than "sum 41" (lol thats the name of a band)year olds. I guess there is really know right answer but the best we can do is offer the hunters saftey courses and set a resonable age limit.

Okie807

Wow. Rarely does one sentence reveal so much. Imagine the gall of those parents who presume to know more about their children and/or hunting than any purported "expert". I think that a lot of attempts at forcing a minimum age on hunting is nothing more than another way to put responsibility for our young hunters off on the government. It's also the anti's best hope to completely ban hunting in the next 25-50 years. The median age of hunters has risen to the mid-40s as the percentage of hunters in the population has steadily dwindled. I've thought about this from another angle, too. Do I really want to be in the woods with a bunch of rifle-wielding children? Hell, yes. (Just not on my lease without permission, please.) A kid who has been properly instructed from an early age is, i think, at least as cautious with a firearm as most adults. I think that a kid should be required to take a hunter's safety course before hunting by himself, but that's really just a formality to show that what he's been taught at home and in the woods has taken root. There will always be children on either side of an arbitrary age limit. Some are ready at 10, and some are not ready at 20. We as hunters are also teachers and mentors. Take some responsibility. If you think your child is ready, then let them have at it! More importantly however, if they are not, be smart and strong enough to make them wait.

BJR224

Okie, you make a very strong argument. Unfourtunatley we live in a society where these rules and regulations are there. And they are there for a reason. And that reason is because not "all" of our elderly are responsible enough themselves to carry a firearm afield let alone determine when their children should. It is sad to say, but even tho some may be able to live there lives with out law and rules, there are a number people who cannot as we all know, regardless of their title (ie. "expert" or "parent")

James B

I believe that there is and should be a age limitation. I believe most states are 12 years old to take the hunter safety course and I think thats a good age to start. After reading the Dead Deer post, I believe there are many adults that should not have a gun yet as their attitude needs some serious adjustment. That said, I think most kids by the time they are 16 should be able to go to the stand alone. Parents who let their kids break the law are setting a terrible example that some laws are made to be broken and that some people are above the law. I hope those kind of people get their head handed to them.

battle buck

Yes I did leave her and the rest of my chidren and nephew shoot a deer without a liscense. It Is on my property that is posted.If I want to hunt with my children without I liscense on my property I have no problem with it.If you do.I advise you to get over it,There is nothing you can do to stop it.Period.My children are more respectful and understanding of guns that I don't have to put a lock on them.And they got more sense when handling them than most ever would.I started them at 5 with 22s.So they are welled trained on fire arms.I would not leave my children hunt alone till they are 14 though. I have very mature children for their age more than I can say for most adults today. I been reading other posts on here and there was one about shooting after shooting hrs. Now if any of you ever shot or hunted after shooting hrs. That to me is still a violation of the law also. I don't care what you think. I own my property and ifmy child wanted to hunt on it with me I find it more bonding between us and why should one have to waite because you never know what tomorro will bring.A hunters safety course is a joke.8hr class.The real learning comes from the parents.A 16yr old can go and buy hunting liscense in Pa. that requires a hunting permit if never hunted beforewithout a hunting coarse permit.All he has to do is say he hunted before and show his drivers ID. And they never check them either wherever the info is sent to.There is way to many hunters in Pa. for them to check or look at them unless they are turned in.I would say if someone was on public land and shot a deer for mistake that didn't take the hunting test.I bet they wouldnt even check then either. And one more thing couple pgc are friends of the family and they have no problem with me letting my daughter shoot a deer on my posted property.It is good to own your own property and do what most city slickers can't do and cry about it when someone else can.That is the life you chose and this is my life.I got more respect for country people than I do about the sniffleing city slicker who cries and yells.HE broke the law he broke the law.Get over it allready.I can say that the country folks that I know don't go by the same rules as you city slickers do.We raise our children a bit diffrent from you all. Have a good day

BJR224

Ok battlebuck...first of all I am no city slicker, I am from the country as i'm sure a lot of us here are, but your stereotyping attitude coupled with your inability to spell and use proper English are besides the point. Who are you toput yourself above the law and deem it appropriate for you and your children to break that law just because you own your own property. Are you insane, if everyone in the hunting community had your attitude it would almost push me to become an anti, which is near immpossible, or so I thought. I own my own property and I am certainly not going to let my children hunt without a license, nor did my Dad allow it with me. You are setting a bad example for your children as well as others around you.Do you realize the ramifications you would face if you were caught. Bring your children along on yourhunts and introduce them to the sport like every other lawabiding citizen does. I had no problemwaitingto enter the field with a gun until I was 12, and the learning experience I got from spending the time in the woods with my Dad up to that point was one inwhich I will never forget.

ahankster

First off, everyone that has kids knows that every child is different. Some might be ready at 6 when others are not ready at 16. Every state also has differing laws regarding kids and hunting. In Mississippi, children under 16 do not require a license. There is a requirement for a hunter safety course, but the way that works is that under 12 they don't have to have the course, from 12 to 16, they have to have to take the course. It is my understanding that kids10 to 12 can take the course, but will be given a certificate of attendance as they cannot take the test until after they turn 12. Of course, I would never advocate putting a kid less than 14 or so on a stand by themselves, all kids must have constant adult supervision.

That said. Both my boys had their first year deer hunting last year. My 7 year old killed a nice basket 8 and my 9 year old killed a 4 point. Funny thing is that my 7 year old was and is a better shot, calmer and can stay still longer than the 9 year old. So far this year the 7 year old has taken a nice doe and I am taking him this afternoon. He averages 2 or 3 hunts a week. I am blessed with a job that allows me to hunt pretty much every day if I so choose.

A big part of the equation is how well the kid is taught and how much practice they get. Both my kids spent one season going and watching so they could get an idea of how things went. Also, I fealt this would help with getting too excited when faced with shooting a deer.

Then I bought a little 20 gauge and put an aim point on it. We went through numerous practices w/ dry fire "putting the dot on the deer" from magazines. Then, using light field loads, I let them bust tin cans with the 20 and the aimpoint to help thier shooting skills and to not be afraid of the gun. We have a very specific sequence when we decide to take a shot. (I am proud to say that they have not missed to date). First, I put the gun through the window and they put it to thier shoulder. Then I say aim, at this point they get the animal in the scope. Then I say safety, then trigger (at this point they can put their finger on the trigger, it is not allowed until I say) then I say aim again. On the second aim they should be on target. When I think the deer is in an optimum position, and only then, do I say shoot. At that time they are cleared to shoot when they are on target. We also go through every hunting magazine and look at the deer in different positions. I take a pen and ask them on each one, "ifyou were to shoot at this deer, where would you aim?" We also talk about shots not to take. I know it sounds complicated, but it is safe and very controlled.

The ported and rifled barrel on their 20 gauge is a certified deer taker and really suits their needs. I also recently modified a muzzle loader for them so they could go with me during the primitive seasons.

Children are very capable learners, it is up to us to teach them properly.
R
Hank

BJR224

Great job in teaching your kids the sport Hank. You remind me of how my Dad use to be; "is your safe on"
"yes Dad" x100