Nauticstar

I'm sure you would be comfortable with letting the state determine who is ready right? Do they know your children? I totally disagree!!!!
The kids that are raised to standards and are taught to do the right things such as safety, ethics, etc. aren't going to be any better when they are 15 much less an adult. I don't want anyone telling me when my kid is ready. I was raised to do the right things and have been hunting my entire life. I will supervise all three of my boys 100% until I determine they are ready to move forward. I can't imagine it being any other way.

Terasec

state has to have some guidelines,
state issues say 1000 youth licenses,
they cant openly issue 1000 licenses hoping parents taught them well,
age limit doesnt guarantee that kid is safe and ethical,
(agree that is up to the parent)
just increases the odds,
when out in the field, and there are kids with guns, i would prefer to have odds in my favor as much as possible.

Gunplummer

Terasec, you could not be more correct. When my wife started deer hunting, I sat right next to her. I took the safety course with her, but it does not prepare a new person for very much in " real world " hunting situations. An accident can happen to anyone, but a kid is more likely to be distracted when excited and make a bad decision. Sometimes the Government is right.

Nauticstar

We aren't talking about handing a 6 yr. old a gun and telling him good luck see you at dark. I have introduced my kids to the sport, spent countless hours on safety, shooting, ethics, etc. I supervise them 100% and will not let them move on until they have proven they are capable. I live in a state where there is no restriction on the age of hunting and I'm glad I do. Would hate for a state to tell my kids they have to wait because of the few irresponsible and wreckless people that exist. I think the driving age is appropriate as well as the drinking ages that exist in most states. You are right, SOMETIMES the govt. is right.

kswild

Here is an article. You can take out of it what ever you want but what stood out to me is that Ohio has no age limits and for 2003 of the 32 accidents NONE were committed by children. And they MUST complete a hunters education course which the child involved had NOT done. Also even though the law says they can legally hunt after they pass the course all the PARENTS still supervise them and decide when their kids are ready!
Live it up! Doug

A weekend hunting accident involving a 7-year-old is raising questions about how old a child should be before carrying a firearm into the field.
In Ohio, there is no age limit on when a child can begin to hunt with a firearm. However, the state does require all first-time hunting license buyers to present documentation showing they have successfully completed a hunter education course.
Regulations do, however, require youth hunters to be accompanied by an adult when in the field.
"After seeing the results of this past weekend, I don't believe a 7-year-old should have had control of a gun," said Brian Wilson, 44, of Lowell. "My son didn't carry his first loaded weapon for a few more years."
Washington County Sheriff's Detective Jeff Seevers said charges are pending from the Saturday morning shooting in Palmer Township. He said the 7-year-old's father, who was present at the time of the accident, will likely be charged because his son was unlicensed and had not completed a hunting education course.
Seevers said the 7-year-old was attempting to make his firearm "safe" after his 15-year-old hunting companion had shot a turkey. As the older boy ran out to inspect his kill, the boy dropped the lever on his .410 gauge shotgun with too much force, causing it to fire into the back of the 15-year-old's right leg.
Seevers said the 15-year-old was hunting legally.
The names of the individuals involved in the shooting are being withheld as charges are pending.
While some people would never allow their children to carry a firearm, Hunter Education Coordinator Matt Ortman, of the Division of Wildlife, said despite a large number of children and adults hunting, the sport results in very few accidents.
"Hunting is a safe sport," Ortman said. "We don't have many incidents."
During all of 2003, there were 32 hunting accidents in Ohio; none were caused by children. Of the 32 accidents, two resulted in deaths.
According to recent studies by the National Safety Council, hunting is one of the safest outdoors activities, resulting in fewer injuries per 100,000 participants - fewer than fishing and even bowling.
According to the report, hunting results in an average of about seven injuries per 100,000.
Wilson, an NRA-certified rifle instructor, agreed hunting can be a safe sport. He has taken his son along hunting since he was 5, but never allowed him to carry a firearm until he was almost 10.
"You can't expect to take a 5-year-old into the woods and spend a lot of time there or have good results," Wilson said. "But each time I took him out he was able to spend a little more time, and he learned a little more what this was all about and what was going on."
Wilson said last year his son completed a hunter education course and was allowed to carry a firearm for the first time into the field.
"He had demonstrated to me that he was ready," Wilson said. "But I still keep an eye on him."
Ortman said the average age student in a hunter education course is between 11 and 12 years old.
"According to our regulations, there is no minimum age to purchase a hunting license or take a hunting course," Ortman said. "If you pass the course, you are eligible to purchase a license."
Ortman said children as young as 6 have successfully passed the course; however, he said the course is set up on a fifth-grade level.
"It depends on a lot of things," Ortman said of when a child might be ready to hunt. "You have to look at maturity levels for kids, and some are more mature than others."
Linda Stewart, 55, of Marietta, said her husband frequently takes their 9-year-old grandson hunting.
"He doesn't carry a gun. He is still just tagging along, but he still enjoys it," Stewart said. "It probably won't be too long before he is ready ... but I know it is good for them to get out and share those experiences together."

halfbakedi420

ks

seems there was a problem in teaching...as when making a hammer gun safe, you should always flip the safety button 1st.

sad story, as the one with the kid at the gunshow thing they had where the "ak" i believe flipped back and shot him in the face..he died instantly. his father wasnt there, and depending on others to be responsible with his kid around guns...PARENTS..NO ONE WILL TREAT YOUR KIDS LIKE YOU DO.

jicand

It depends on the child. I went on my first hunt at age 5. Shot my first gun at 8, a 22. At 10 I was shooting a 30.30, sharpening my grandfather's hunting knives as well as my own.

BarnesX.308

My son started hunting at 6. He was shooting a 410 and a 308 Win. He bagged his first squirrel that year. When he was 7, he got his first buck with a crossbow and shot a ram with the 308. He's been shooting a 30-06 since just before he turned 8. He can hit a turnip with it at 75 yards and has no problem cranking off a box at a time.

Other kids can't handle a BB gun.

But, the kids that can't handle it are usually brought up by parents that wouldn't take them out anyway. A parent that does very little with their child might drop them off at soccer or karate and leave. They sure as heck wouldn't spend time with their kid hunting or fishing.

Stonewall308

My daughter is seven weeks old, and they say that when kids are that age they can't focus their eyes very well beyond a few feet, so I figure seven weeks old is a little too young.

RWK

Thats a touchy ? some kids are more mature then others and will learn and understand better. Min. age i think around 10 yrs, but get them in the field at a earlier age. Rich