Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I see many pictures of kids 6, 7, 8, 9 years old who have killed deer. People on my lease let their young kids kill deer. I have always had a problem with this. Why should a kid who is too young to drag a deer out of the woods and clean it, be allowed to kill that same deer? Isn't there some type of responsibility that goes with killing an animal? Doesn't this foster sloppy hunting ethics? I had to hunt with my dad WITHOUT a firearm until I was old enough to field dress a deer and clean it myself. It seems like parents today are so caught up in trying to get their kids a deer they are forgetting to teach them the basics. To me, it is nothing more than a target range if all the kid has to do is pull the trigger while daddy holds the gun steady. Any thoughts?

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RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

Yes there is a resposibility to killing a animal.It depends on the individual youth.I know some 20 year olds that are dummies and some 7 year olds that have more sense then me.How old must a child be to eat a mcdonalds burger and carry it out to the car????? How far does a child need to lift a spoon or fork at the table to put meat in to their mouth? Depends? I know some small ladies that can shoot a deer ,but dont have the muscle to drag them out.Maybe ban them from hunting.My son shot his first deer at age 6 in South Texas,75 yards double lunger.And I'm proud of it

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I took my boys hunting with me at ages 5 & 6.I taught them how to shoot bb guns & 22's when they were 5. My oldest got his first deer at the age of 12. This year my youngest turned 12 & he got his first deer. What's the difference if you teach your kids responsibility with a firearm & respect for the animal at an early age? My boys "Tow the Line" when we're hunting. If not they get their ass busted by me.I guess I'm just a little old fashioned Italian. People let their kids fish at an early age, so why not let them hunt if they listen to you & show responsability? I'm all for it.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I say when they are old enough to fully understand what that responsiblity is, and why they are doing it, then they are old enough to hunt. If you wouldn't put a razor sharp knife in thier hands to gut a deer, then they are to young to carry a gun or bow to harvest an animal IMOP.

I've noticed this too, if you have to aim the gun for them and keep it steady, then they didn't really shoot it did they? They just pulled the trigger. I'm not against kids hunting, just ones who are to young to really understand what they are doing, or remember it when they get older.



"Hey ya'll, watch this"

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I would say 13 or 14 would be alright if there dad was with them.I mean right with them..They need a hunting safety course..I know a few grown men that I wouldn't want to be in the same woods with much less their kids..

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

Before any misinterpretation of my post arises, I am talking about KILLING, not HUNTING. I hope everyone takes their children hunting with them. I am all for children being in the woods with a supervising adult. My posts concerns those children who have no ability to deal with an animal other than to shoot it. I don't think that it is responsible to let a child kill a deer when that child cannot even field dress the deer. THERE IS MUCH MORE TO HUNTING AND TAKING AN ANIMAL THAN KILLING IT. And Cardeer, please, don't confuse the issue by bringing up irrelevant arguments.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

My kids didn't hunt until they were 12,thats the law here in Pa. I field dressed their first deer,my oldest dressed his with me guiding him through it.They both passed their Hunters Safety Course & have grown up around guns.I know that some states,clubs,leases,preserves or whatever let younger kids shoot animals.Would I let mine? My oldest yes he is 14 & is very mature, the youngest no as a matter of fact I wasn't sure he would even hunt as of this past spring just a little to antsy,short attention span,ect.But my wife & I worked with him target shooting, & squirrel hunting. I think it really depends on the kid & how they're taught. It is a tough decision though & should not be taken lightly,after all we're dealing with guns,ammo, & death. I always knew the kids could shoot but looking at a downed animal is a completely different part of hunting,some people could be turned off by it. Tough call.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I thought of something else ,I have two sons 29 and 38 ,the older boy hunts when he can get time,my younger son never has wanted to hunt,he said he,d rather not kill anything... I respect him for that...

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I've taken my son hunting with me since he was 4 years old and have had the privilege to take 2 deer while he was with me this year. He has been around guns all his life and at 7 years old now I'm alot more comfortable with him handling a gun than some adults I know.

Next year I plan on letting him shoot a deer as long as I'm confident he can make a good, clean kill own his own. I will be with him but he will make the shot with no help from me. Of course he will have to have help dragging it out and cleaning it but that's something we share together. Heck, he's helped me clean several deer that I've killed so I can't really see the difference in me helping him. Besides, we all had to learn sometime. I killed my first deer at 23 years old and didn't know where to begin. Luckily I had an uncle to teach me. Basically if they have the skills to make the shot with only supervision I don't see a problem.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

im 13 i started squirl hunting when i was 7 with a 22 and my dad showed me once how to clean them and that was it i started deer hunting with a gun at the age of 9 and took my first deer at the age of 11 i skined it by myself my dad just sat and made sure i done it right and now i hunt by my self with a 243 and clean my own deer

100%REDNECK

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I have been around guns since I was born and learned very early about the responsibility of having and using firearms. I killed my first deer at the age of 11 sitting on stand by myself. I gutted and dragged it out with the guidance of my grandfather. I feel that it has more to do with how the child was raised and how firearms were introduced to him and how the child was taught to handle them safely. Also stay within the laws where you are hunting.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

i dont think so either..if your with me your gutting and dragging your own kill...only exception i will help first timers gut and if you are a female or a younger kid that cant drag yourself you can help me..thats how its going to be when i take people afield...i think its sick that people can take an animals life but not gut it...girls in school say all they do is hold the feet while there poor dad who didnt even kill the animal is doing the dirty work...killing them is the easy part anybody can do it...but to me you shouldnt be hunting until you can care for the game yourself...when i shot a deer my dad says good job tag it and get to work and he sits down to rest and if i need a pointer he will give it to me..but now im older and forgot what to do on my 3rd deer in my life first this year...and he told me to cut whatever was holding the liver to the rest and it would all come out...blood spilled everywhere..hes like opps i guess i forgot to!...i guess it was to teach me to remember! i found it funny lol...but i agree with you...

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

Yeah, it's almost as bad as an adult "hunter" paying some outfitter $1,500.00 so he can roll in from out-of-state on Friday afternoon to have the outfitter drive him to a stand he's never even seen before on Saturday morning, where he can shoot a 10 point buck and then wait for the outfitter to come pick him up to track and field-dress the deer for him - and the "hunter" thinks he's really accomplished something.

My daughter killed her 1st deer at age 16, and my son killed his first at age 9. Both with traditional muzzleloaders. And yes, I field-dressed both their deer. But, they did a lot more "hunting" than a lot of the "hunters" that hunt on the commercial properties in our area.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

My son started going hunting with me at 3 years old. He got a BB gun when he was 4 & used it only with my supervision til he was 7. He got a .410 last Christmas at age 8 & is never more than arms reach away from me with it until I feel like he is ready. Every kid is different, but he knows more about hunting & cleaning deer than a friend of mine who just started hunting at age 25, and I'd trust him with a gun before some adults I know.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

Tal/IL, I think you hit the nail on the head! I don't know if I mind that it is young kids as much as I mind that it is not what hunting is about! This is a common scenario on my lease:

Dad and Jr. get to Dad's stand opening morning. Jr. has not been in the woods at all except for his one day hunting last year. A deer shows up and Jr. shoots it. Dad loads the deer up and takes it to camp. Jr. is dropped off at the house so he can brag to Momma and his friends. Meanwhile, me or someone else helps Dad clean the deer (or track or drag, depending on the circumstances). Dad is happy because Jr. killed a deer and he can brag on his boy. Jr. is happy because he killed a deer and can brag to his friends. My question: is this hunting? What has Dad taught Jr.?

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

kgkoon...
what the heck is irrelevant about cardeer's suggestion that a small woman might have the same difficulty that a child would? Are you telling me that if you kill an 800lb elk that you are going to field dress it, and pack it out all by yourself... no help? Even if help is available? Don't be silly.
In some ways I agree with your complaint.. I don't think sticking a child in a deer blind, and pointing him in the right direction just so he can pull the trigger is a good way to teach him to hunt. But if a 7 yr old (or 5, or 6, etc..) is willing to go to the range to get proficient with his deer gun, and is eager to get out to the woods and look for deer.. then I think it is our responsibility as parents to guide them into the hunting experience. Doesn't mean they can "do it all" from the start... that's ridiculous. They do what they can handle. If they can cleanly kill the animal, then they can sit by and observe, or even get involved in the field dressing. I think they need to see what is necessary to bring an animal to the table. Kids learn by being shown... it's your responsibility to pass along your hunting knowledge and ethics to them.

"Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness..those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Santayana

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

My daughter who is 7 started to go with me at the age of 5.She wanted to go with me at 3 but I told her she was to young.she would cry the whole time. then at 5 I took her she loved it.she started to practice on my grunt tube and rattle bag.she was able to help track the deer that her uncle had shot and wanted to see for herself on how to gut it out,she wasn't bothered by it all.this summer when she turned 7 she got her first bow,because she begged for one.she seen a deer and shot at it,she missed by a mile of course,When I seen that I knew she had the heart to shoot at one.I did not force this on her.Both sides of the family hunt,so she is naturally in tune with it.Because of some of the reason fot it,she's been exposed to the woods since the day was born.My 3 yr old boy is the same way.IMO each child is different some can handle it,some can't.The only way you can tell is by taking them and their brains are like sponges they will absorb everything you teach them and they will appreciate it the way of hunting much greater in the long run.But some states have different laws in youth hunting.My state is 12 years old.MY daughter understands and respects the widlife better than most adults that I know.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

in Fla. you have to pass a hunter safty course befroe you can hunt.I thank a child that is unable to read and understand the question and rules,they are to young.I thank it is great to take them with you in the woods to hunt,(not shoot)and get them ready.if they are in the woods with you they will learn where (NOT) to be.

theres nothing irrelevant about comparing a child to a small lady,same as a physically challanged person. so you say if they can't do what you can,they need to saty at home ??? Daaa.

my 2 cents,there are 98 more.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle>

I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest

remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I've taken my boys and girls (the ones that wanted to go) hunting with me since they were about 6- not to kill anything but to get them into good hunting habits, I just make sure that they have good ear protection on,dressed warm and don't keep them out so long that they get bored.always obey all laws and safty rules. if kids see grown ups cut corners then they get into bad habits. They all have shot squirrels by the time they were 12 and started shooting the 22s when they were 6. I just have reservations about taking them on strange land where wearing orange is about the same as wearing brown. too many hunters shoot first and see what they shot at second.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

My grandma let shoot my first deer when I was 9,been hooked ever since but I was raised around hunting and she taught me how to shoot and about were to shoot a animal.And she made me gut it to she said that if I was going to hunt and take a animal I best be learning it all I still remember puking about 4 time's.I have taught my own son's early as soon as they showed intrest and now they are 20 and 18 and very fine hunter's and far as the draging out part I'm proud to drag it for them and I still do and they do the same for me,half the time when I get one I don't even get a chance to gut it because they are right there knives ready,Teaching them young about hunting,shooting and woodsmanship I think makes the sport that much stronger and gives alot of memories that I cherrish

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

this is a pretty interesting thread. Lots of different ideas. My take on the situation is this. Taking a kid out and letting them shoot a deer just to say they did, isn't my way of doing things. However if that is what gets them hooked I guess it might be ok, but should never be construed as hunting. I personally was 12 before I could legally hunt. I followed my dad into the woods countless times before that though. I was a mature child and my dad had enormous confidence in me at that age. I gutted my 1st deer, with a little help. Also dragged it. I was small, but its amazing what an adrenaline rush can do for your strentgh to drag a deer. I swear I have a harder time dragging a deer now as a full grown man than I did as a little tiny kid.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

Check the law. If it's illegal don't do it. Even if it is legal then you have to be careful to assess the youngsters ability and maturity. As has been said, if you have to aim for them or hold the gun, it's too young.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I appreciate everyone's comments and thoughts. I agree that dragging the deer out is something someone should not be expected to do alone in every situation. I have helped others and they have helped me do this. However, I do think anyone who shoots an animal should know how to field dress it and clean it. My comments to Cardeer were concerning his arguments about eating at McDonalds and using a fork or spoon.
My topic is not concerned with adults with a disability or &quot;little ladies&quot; as some have put it. That is a different issue as far as I am concerned. A healthy child still has the potential to learn to hunt in all its aspects and clean animals. A disabled adult would not. I also think an adult would have a greater capacity than a child to understand the taking of an animal and the implications of killing an animal without actually doing the associated dirty work. The comparison is not valid in my opinion. I am not so stupid that I would not recognize the limitations of a disabled adult and that the normal rules shouldn't apply to them. I'm sorry, I just don't buy the disabled adult-healthy child analogy.
The thrust of my post is aimed at those parents who make &quot;hunting&quot; similar to a video game, where there is no responsibility for one's actions. Simply pull a trigger, and there is meat in the freezer. The child does no scouting, no preparation, or no dirty work after the kill. I simply do not think this is teaching proper respect for the game.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I GREW UP IN PA. WE WERE ALLOWED TO HUNT AT 12 YEARS OLD. LOOKING BACK, I THINK IT'S REDICULOUS TO HAVE A 12 YEAR OLD HUNTING WITH A RIFLE. RMEMBER, THERE'S LOTS OF IDIOTS THAT YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER.....I HAVE 2 BOYS, AGES 6 AND 11, AND I HAVEN'T EVEN CONSIDERED TAKING THEM HUNTING.....THEY CAN HUNT THEIR WHOLE ADULT LIFE IF THEY WANT TO........LET THEM BE KIDS, AND PLAY SPORTS WHILE THEY CAN....TOO MANY PARENTS, WANT TO SAY &quot;JUNIOR&quot; SHOT A DEER, JUST TO MAKE THEM FEEL BETTER........THAT'S SELFISH AND STUPID!!!

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

I feel the same way about a kid killing a deer before they know how to hunt as I do about a person who pays a guide to do all the work for them. They are shooters and not hunters.

My 10 year old twin girls started learning to hunt last season and have continued learning through this season. They have sat on stand with me one at a time, they have preseason scouted with me(they can tell the age of deer crap, recognize a rub and a scrap, and tracks), they have helped me drag out a deer, field dress a deer, skin a deer, and butcher a deer. They have yet to carry a weapon into the field. They are becoming hunters, not shooters!

I will be buying them thier first gun, a single shot 22 and will start them squirrel hunting next year, if they do the following:

1. Pass the hunters safety course.
2. Prove to Dad they can handle a gun safely.
3. Prove to Dad they can shoot well enough to hunt.

They will first become squirrel hunters, then deer hunters! They will not be shooters. They will help with it all until they are strong enough to do it alone, but they will be hunters and not shooters.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

Taz I don't know how you do it? You almost always say what I'm thinking first.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> My daughter isn't much into hunting and I'm not going to force her. She gets light headed when she sees blood:) My son on the other hand wants to learn he is only 9 He has gone and sat with me in the woods, he gets bored and starts moving around alot, thats fine with me it's part of being a kid. He has never been with me when I've shot a deer, but he has helped me skin them and cut them up for the frez. I try to take him target shooting as much as possible. I also preach gun safety. Same as taz said he will carry a gun when it's legal, and only after he has taken a safety(hunting) coarse, and when I believe him to be as safe as possible. As far as the question goes I think each case is different just like cardeer pointed out. Just because a kid is 16 and has the strength to pull a truck backwards doesn't mean he has the smarts to go hunting.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

Quote&quot;Dad and Jr. get to Dad's stand opening morning. Jr. has not been in the woods at all except for his one day hunting last year. A deer shows up and Jr. shoots it. Dad loads the deer up and takes it to camp. Jr. is dropped off at the house so he can brag to Momma and his friends. Meanwhile, me or someone else helps Dad clean the deer (or track or drag, depending on the circumstances). Dad is happy because Jr. killed a deer and he can brag on his boy. Jr. is happy because he killed a deer and can brag to his friends. My question: is this hunting? What has Dad taught Jr.?&quot;
__________________________________________________ ____________________

I can't say I would agree with the above senario but I also would not blame the kid for it. I think the father is the one you should be upset with. I is our responsibility as adults be it a father, mother, friend or relative to teach kids about hunting.

Do I believe that kids should hunt when they can't field dress a deer?

Sure as long as they are involved in the process in some sort. It would prob. surprise you how many adults do not scout for deer or spend very very little time in the woods before season. Most will go back to the same place every year and hunt without giving it a thought. We need this type of hunters to help control the population.

Alot of people on this board grew up around guns and had hunting parents or friends that introduced them to the sport. This can be done in alot of different ways.

I think we should teach all aspects of the hunt from start to finish but age is not always the best judgment as to when someone should be allowed to hunt.

Supervised deer hunting or any hunting for that matter should be the way you start a kid. I am not saying aim the gun for them (although I doubt this is happening because I don't know how you aim for someone else.) But sitting beside you kids in the stand and watching them shoot a deer, then teaching them to gut it (even if you are doing it), helping drag it out (obviously doing most of it yourself), and skinning it out or whatever, this is how they learn it. I didn't know it the first time, they have to have practice and that takes experience.

I don't know if we should judge someone for thier method of hunting if they are following all the game laws in thier state. For me personally deer hunting doesn't end until the deer are skinned and deboned then the jerky, summer sausage, brats, polish dogs, and steaks are cut up and in the freezer.

Does that make me more of a hunter than the guy who drops it off at the locker?


&quot; Anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a Dad&quot;

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

Isn't there laws against young kids killing deer. I know my father made me wait until I was 12 to bow hunt and until I was 14 to hunt with a rifle because those are the laws here in Michigan. I hunted with him with out a bow or a gun several times before I was of legal age but I had to wait until I was 14 to carry a gun. Don't we as hunters have some moral responsiblity to teach our young hunter to follow the law even if they are ready to hunt at a younger age?

It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

Interesting post. I was just thinking about this the other day myself (as my son is only 1yr old). When will I take him hunting? I tend to look at it the same way Tazman does. I will not let him pull the trigger until he can pass the Hunter Safety course and he has proven to me the he is responsible with guns. I too think 5 yr olds who have to have someone steady a gun for them is to young to hunt..
-hector

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

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, &quot;Clinging to the side of a tree like a squirrel, in the rain, waiting for a deer to walk by&quot; 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 &quot;hunting ethics&quot;, I'll stack them up against anybody!

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

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

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.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

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

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RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

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.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

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

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

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

slayer

&quot;Accurate,Deadly,Dependable.&quot;

Member of Troll Hunter Squadron, Aerial Gunner

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

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.

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

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

RE: Letting Young Kids Kill Deer: Is It Right?
 

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