nodog

My kids could do many things when they were little, but we aren't talking about that, were talking about killing. I doubt your wee ones understood that.

Guy has a point, killing something shouldn't be easy and without anymore effort than point and shoot and sachiko I'll bet you are very much involved in other ways like taking the harvested game and feeding it to your family, not just some happy meal experience where the kid thinks food comes in a happy bag. The OP was very much for educating kids to hunt, but earning the right to kill first. I agree.

sachiko

We don't just take the girls hunting. We spend many, many more hours in the woods just scouting and learning about plants, trees, other animals. Often times we will end up crawling through the brush, the girls crawling along behind mama and daddy sneaking up on something. Beginning of last summer, we were able to get about six feet from a fawn hidden iin the brush. We then carefully snuck away so as not to alarm the mother.

We don't hunt from a stand. So it's all a matter of learning about the habits and movements of the animals. Although she's too young to actually make a kill, I think Miriam might be just as good at finding a deer as some of the people on this forum.

Champlain Islander

I am all for having youth be able to kill deer as long as they are mature enough to do it properly, safely and with the full understanding of what they are doing. Killing something is more than just pulling a trigger at least to me.

MZS

The laws vary by state. For many states, kids under 14 will have to hunt side by side with a parent or other adult. For example in WI, kids down to age 10 can legally gun hunt, but must be within an "arms reach" of the adult.

sachiko

Yes, the age is 10 now in Michigan, a change with which I fully agree. You still have to hunt with an adult until age 17. The adult has to be close enough to talk to you without any electronic aids.

The adult doesn't have to be a parent.

nodog

Sounds perfect to me.

DTC

My son starterd running trap lines with me at the age of 3. He basically cut his teeth with me checking cameras, listening for turkeys, and glassing for deer. He killed his first deer and turkey at the ripe ole age of 6. He is 10 now and has 3 nice bucks on the wall and just lacks the osceola to complete his grand slam.

I am not sure that just b\c physically he can't drag a deer out why you think kids shouldn't hunt. What's the difference in the adult who has his deer loaded in the truck and dropped of at the processing plant to have it gutted, skinned, and proccessed. We package all of our meat at home. I've spent many hours in the stand with my son and have some very fond memories. I know my passion for the outdoors kept me out of alot of trouble growing up and hope it works for him as well.

Chopayne

You know whats funny, he guy who originally wrote this posted it back in 2002 and hasn't been back in years. I don't know how it got revived again.

So I just saw a post where some guy said the minimum age to hunt is 10, not 14 as it was changed 10 years ago. It might be because that guy wrote the post 10 years ago = )

w123t

Besides staying legal depending on what state your in,
I think it is a decision that should be made by the parent
depending on the maturity level of the child and their
ability to reasonably be accurate with the weapon of
choice---whether or not they can physically move
a deer out of the woods should not be a factor.

AmyRose

Absolutely a problem with this. I think the real problem is parents who are allowing their children to shoot record class bucks at such a young age.