Tal/IL

The point of my original reply was that age is irrelavent. My kids, two daughters age 19 & 16 and my son age 10, have grown up in the outdoors, and even at their young ages are more skilled and knowledgeable than many adult deer hunters. The 16 year old's interest in deer hunting has waned some. She says, "Clinging to the side of a tree like a squirrel, in the rain, waiting for a deer to walk by" isn't really her thing. But, she still has a better understanding and appreciation for hunting than many adults.

They all began shooting muzzleloading rifles competitively as sub-juniors at about age 6 and I'd bet my money on any one of them today in competition against 75% of the adult deer hunters I know. (Feel free to take me up on that bet any time at the Kickapoo Muzzleloaders Club.)

My kids and I discuss where to locate their stands, and why. They help build their stands and set up our deer camp each year. They know when to shoot or not shoot. They know the hunting regs. and good safety practices. And, even the 10 year old is more knowledgeable about deer habits and hunting techniques than many adult hunters I know.

The fact that my 10 year old son or my daughter, who weighs all of 105 lbs., get help from their dad or uncle with field-dressing and dragging doesn't reflect on their hunting skill. And, as for their "hunting ethics", I'll stack them up against anybody!

Edited by - Tal/IL on 12/16/2002 14:24:54

Mark C.

My 12-year-old son has killed four deer, and my 10-year-old son has taken two. This year my older son was fortunate and tagged out in about 15 minutes. The younger one hunted all or part of seven days, including one entire day sitting with only three 30-minute breaks to go to the car for a rest, before finally filling his tag on the last day of the season. I've been sitting right beside them when they've killed those deer, just as they've been sitting with me when I've killed mine over the past few years. Both have learned a lot about wildlife, habitat, deer behavior and many other things. Ask either of them what their favorite thing to do is and I guarantee you that above football, baseball, video games and all the other stuff they enjoy they'll tell you it is deer hunting with their Dad. The hours we spend hunting, driving to and from hunting spots, staying in a hotel on hunting trips, etc., are some I'll always cherish and hope they do, too. Every single time is a learning experience -- heck, sometimes I learn even more than they do. And you can see the pride in their eyes when we eat some of their venison and comment on how they helped feed the family. I think it's up to every father or mother to decide on their own how old, or mature, a kid should be before they can start hunting. But I do know that the way things are going with my two older boys, they'll probably be taking kids of their own out to enjoy deer hunting some day. And that's one effective way to keep our favorite pastime alive. Good Lord willing, 25 years from now there will be three generations of us out chasing Oklahoma whitetails together.

Deerslayer_37

my dad took me hunting as early as 6.i shot .22 at 7 and killed my first squirrel at 9.i think its fine if parents take their kids hunting when young,just not carry a gun.teach them the basics first.i earned my first deer.i walked drives two years straight until i was 12 then i got to hunt.12 is the golden age.i really can't comprehend it when i see 6 year olds with turkeys biggger than them.hard to believe.if guys wanna do it,let em.but i disagree.

slayer

Deleted User

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gilber

NC...I am 15 years old and not yet have i had the wonderful oppertunity to go deer hunting. I was introduced at an early age around 5 to hunting. Dad would let me go with him squrill hunting and i got to put the bullet in when we first got ready to go in the woods. I feel that a child should know how to be safe, shoot, field dress, and comprehend what their doing...killing a living animal.

soarkrebel

My 12 y/o killed four this year with a rifle. two were taken while he was hunting alone in a stand. i will promise you he is more responsible than LOTS of adults!!! he killed them and he got his hands in the blood and never flinched. he is the best hunting buddy i have ever had!!!!!

Kingpin i think it's great having my son with me , i think you should try it . he is still a kid ,just a responsible one!!! he has more ethics than most hunters i know! And remember that school you send them to everyday has lots more nuts than the woods!

SOUTH ARKANSAS REBEL

Deerslayer_37

i agree,some kids are more responsible than adults.but thats not the majority i bet.

slayer

"Accurate,Deadly,Dependable."

Member of Troll Hunter Squadron, Aerial Gunner

trey78942

It is the responsibility of the child's parents to determine if the are responsible enough to hunt. The only opinion I have on the subject is that age has little to do with responsibility or hunting ability and every case is different. Parents have to decide when they feel its right and as long as the parents continue to teach their children the first deer does not really matter. Its seems to me that it is more of a first step in the right direction, but there has to be someone to make sure the child stays on the right path, and learns how to hunt ethically and responsibly.

CAJUNBOWHNTR

What you are talking about is the difference between teaching someone to hunt or just to kill deer.It has nothing to do with age.I believe in getting kids started early to kindle interest in the outdoors.My oldest son starting tagging along when he was 5.I taught him to hunt small game,read sign in the woods,how to be an outdoorsman.He killed his first deer at 10.He helped me drag it out and clean it.He is now 18 and loves to hunt.He has killed several nice rack deer on his own.He has turned out to be a good hunter and outdoorsman.I would'nt have done it any other way.In fact last weekend he was at the camp while I was working and was able to find and track a nice buck someone had shot that several adult hunters could'nt find.Now my youngest son did'nt kill his first deer until he was twelve.He was just not as mature as my oldest.Some of this I attribute to him not getting as early a start because of his two older brothers.You make a valid point we should be teaching kids to hunt and love the outdoors not just how to shoot a deer.

CB

WHACKEM N STACKEM

Misplaced Buckeye

I've read your posts and I think it's up to the parents and the laws of the state/territory you reside/hunt in. I will not allow you to tell me that my son, daughter or grandchild is not capable of doing something I know they can if the law allows it. I may be an acception but I killed my first deer when I was 8 years old, I went to the barn got the tractor, field dressed it and drug it back to the barn and hung it up with out the help of an adult. I was using a knife to unzip hogs and other livestock a few years before that. I also cut up the skin of hogs for cracklins. My sons have gone hunting with me from an early age, one is 31 one is 27 the youngest is 17 and all helped field dress, and process the animals I've taken the older 2 have hunted on thier own from ages 11 and 12. I made them field dress thier own deer after the second one. unfortunatly the youngest has yet to get his first. he has however taken many pheasants and squirrels that he cleans on his own and has every sense he got his junior hunting lis. He even did some of mine before that. Never would the hunt end until the job of tracking, field dressing and processing where complete. If they needed help I would have helped, but not done it for them.

Misplaced Buckeye