How old to hunt?
12-08-2005, 08:49 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location:
Posts: 160
How old to hunt?
Inspired by the thread "1st Hunting Season" posted by Woofer, wherehis son had a great first hunting season at 6 years old tagging 3 deer, I was just curious as to what everyone here thinks is a good age toactually let a youngster start hunting? I don't mean accompaning your Dad on a hunt, but acctually hunting (purchasing own lisence)? I'm sure everyone here will have there own opinons on the topic and I am interested in hearing them all. IMO 6 is a little young in my eyes. Thats not to say that some 6 year olds, like woofersson who appears to be quite the marksman, aren't ready, but in general I think that is a little young to be handling a firearm in the fieldeven with adult supervision. In NYyou have to be 12 for small game hunting and I beleive its 14 for big game. I think 12 is a good age.They must also pass a hunters saftey class which I also think is very much neccessary in teachingour younger generation hunting saftey and ethics. Look forward to heraing yourviews!
12-08-2005, 08:53 AM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Fremont, NE
Posts: 552
RE: How old to hunt?
Here in Nebraska, you have to be 13 to hunt big game and must have passed Hunter's Saftey. I still think that there are some kids that have no place carrying a rifle at age 13. My brother almost bought my nephew a tag for deer season. We told him that he wouldn't be hunting with us because he's not even safe with a pellet gun, so why give him a high powered rifle. Some kids may be mature enough, and for them maybe it's ok, just my .02 worth.
12-08-2005, 09:00 AM
#4
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 48
RE: How old to hunt?
YesI agree too... It takes practice and solely depends o nthe child... In MSyou don't have to have a license till your 16... Brody has his liftime license.. but when he turns 16 he has got to pass a hunters ed. course...He is very safe,adn knows how to handle his firearm...Lord we have talked enough about it that the preaches to me sometimes....
12-08-2005, 09:06 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location:
Posts: 160
RE: How old to hunt?
Well thats good. I think I speak for everyone by saying that I hope all parents are as responsible as you are and most, I would like to think...but that is not always the case. That is what scares me.
12-08-2005, 09:07 AM
#6
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 48
RE: How old to hunt?
Here in Pa. you have to be 12.I find it to be BS. I have takeing my 10yr.old daughter and son and nephew out with me before they was old enough to purchase a liscense.My daughter I took last year and she sat with me and I let her kill a doe.She was so excited about it and thrilled she laid the gun down and started to run over to the deer till I called her back and told her it might not be dead yet and showed her how to aproach it and see if it had any life in it.Anyway it was dead. To her it was like christmas.She even helped me gut it by holding the legs open and shewasn't that sqarmish or grossed out from the blood or gores. This year we didn't see any deer close enough for her to take the shot on or they was all running past us. But I know now that we have one more female in the hunting heritage and I would encourage more fathers to get their children involved even if they are not old enough to purchase a liscense they are still old enough to hunt and learn even if the law says a certain age.
12-08-2005, 09:28 AM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Caddo Mills, TX
Posts: 600
RE: How old to hunt?
My kids start going to the stand with me at about the age of 9 or 10. The oldest killed 3 does when she was 13. It was here first season of hunting. I think at 16 most kids that are properly raised should be mature enough to go to a stand by themselves.
-john
-john
12-08-2005, 09:35 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Millersville, Md
Posts: 362
RE: How old to hunt?
in maryland, i am not sure if there is a minimum age. But the child does need to be able to pass the hunter education course. But they are not allowed to hunt on there own till 16. Under that as long as they are with an adult i do beleive they can hunt. my youngest passed the hunter course at age 8. I still did not let him carry a gun till this year. he is now 12.
12-08-2005, 10:42 AM
#10
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,716
RE: How old to hunt?
Battle Buck is a fine example of the hunting parents who insist that they know more about hunting and children than the experts. They can't follow the laws as set forth, and to what gain?
Guys like that are precisely why I don't trust the "adult supervised" hunts, and I believe that kids should be a minimum of 16 years old. In my opinion, if Americans can't trust an infantunder the age of 16to safely operate a motor vehicle, why do people insist that we can trust those same infants to operate a highly deadly weapon?
Adult supervision isn't the answer, because even the adults can't follow the rules. See Battle Buck as a prime example. Sad, because there are plenty of responsible adults out there, and plenty of very responsible youngsters who are very capable of conducting themselves in a safe, responsible manner. A few bad apples, unfortunately, spoil the bunch.
Guys like that are precisely why I don't trust the "adult supervised" hunts, and I believe that kids should be a minimum of 16 years old. In my opinion, if Americans can't trust an infantunder the age of 16to safely operate a motor vehicle, why do people insist that we can trust those same infants to operate a highly deadly weapon?
Adult supervision isn't the answer, because even the adults can't follow the rules. See Battle Buck as a prime example. Sad, because there are plenty of responsible adults out there, and plenty of very responsible youngsters who are very capable of conducting themselves in a safe, responsible manner. A few bad apples, unfortunately, spoil the bunch.