How old for first solo hunt?
 

For those of you with kids I wanted to pose this question. My oldest son just made 13. He has been hunting with me since he was 5 or 6. Of course more and more each year as he could tolerate. We have really focused over these last few years on getting ready to hunt alone. We have spent the time at the range, talked safety every time we hunt, reviewed the do's and dont's. I can't think of a thing we have not covered several times, in fact he is more prepared to hunt alone than I ever was. The reason I ask a this is my wife does not think he is ready. I do, as a matter o fact I feel safer with him than some other adult I have hunted with.

Define hunting alone. My son hunted with me with a rifle out of my sight when he was 8. To be honest I don't ever want him to hunt completely alone but we go into wilderness where that's a bad idea at any age.

alone as in I am a stand or two away with radio and cell contact at all times. Basically we are in the woods together he is just on stand by himself.

I started when i was 12, but we pretty much hunt behind our house, is it like stnad hunting? or going out in to some mountains all day?

first time i hunted alone was when i was 12 in the mountains. My dad was confident in me and i was confident in myself. we usually get out of the truck and say where we are headed and make a time to meet back up at the car. i took my compass and thats all i felt i needed. i usually go a few mountains away from were we are parked. count the mountains as i go over them and remember all streams i pass, where the meet up with other tribs and if as a last resort i need to follow them back to the truck. about the worst thing you can do in a situation in the mountains or vast wilderness is to panic. then you start going all over the place going in circles, getting all mixed up. i am now 17 and go miles away from the truck at a time. As for your kid, i think he should be fine if your just going to be in 2 seperate stands. set up a place and time to meet, even come get him at his stand if he is not comfortable walking back to the car alone.

I'm right here with you. Sounds like we did the exact same thing and are about on the same timeline from starting to current...and I just cut my son loose this year for his first few hunts alone. (He just turned 14 last month).
My son got his first solo deer this year (a doe), he was pretty excited...and proud of himself as well.

We still hunted together some this season, but I have cut the cord and given him his freedom as well. Sounds like you've done everything right...let some leash out and see how he does. I'm sure he'll do fine :)

i have 2 gurls...dont think ill ever leave them alone...grown men make mistakes and kill themselves every year...big difference between a child and a man with a fire arm, and things do go bad!!!
private property i might ease up when she is 15, and she is in ear shot of me....that doesnt mean a phone er radio...will this be as safe for her..no, but i hope i have burnt in the safety aspect enough that she doesnt kill herself or anyone else....a 13 y/o with a gun all by themselves in the woods...a bad idea...yeah we did it, but times have changed....i think its probably a crime now...providing a firearm to a minor?

No offence meant here either, but imo 8 is WAY too young to be hunting solo. To me, that is irresponsible as a parent...way too many things can go wrong. Count your blessings if nothing did.

Thats a tough question to answer. As for my 11 year old daughter Im sure she would do well on her own away from me on a stand,but I wouldn't do well at all knowing she was by herself. I think I'll wait until shes about 15 or so for her first solo in National Forest. Now if we were hunting private land I would be far more at ease letting her go at it alone. I guess it depends heavily on the circumstances and the parent's feelings alone.

tell ya what...set him up...put a few small pieces of blaze orange around a target at 100 yards..( like in a bush, kinda hidden ya know) if he takes the shot, he aint ready, and dont tell him why....work it into a lesson later..then next year, try again, see if he takes the shot..settin my kids up for this just b4 new years, thx for the idea.

reward of teaching
 

well this is the result of my sons first solo hunt. Not a monster by no means but for a new hunter trying to make his way it is a trophy to us.

:)

Looks like an awesome trophy to me! He'll remember that one for the rest of his life I'm positive. Congrats to your boy, he did good. (Obviously your question was posed after the fact LOL).

halfbaked, and others....
I also have a daughter....she just turned 11, and has hunted with me the past 4-5yrs also, though not as much as my son. She hasn't had as much interest. She is no where near ready...in fact, she hasn't even wanted to shoot one herself yet. Much different than my son, he shot his first 6 yrs ago with me. She's been with me when we've shot some....maybe next year she'll be ready. I envision at least 3-4 more years with me before even thinking of letting her go solo.

Also, when I say solo....its on our own private land and I am hunting as well, and we are in contact by radio.

I have just gone thru this the last few years. My son who has been hunting with me since he could walk turned 16 this past march. I keep wanting to walk him to the stand and all I hear is I am 16 now dad....LOL. To me, my son has all the abilities to hunt on his own and has the last few years. It is my nerves that can't take it.

I don't think you can put a definitive age on when a kid is ready to hunt alone. I have 2 sons, one 16, the other 17. My older son started hunting alone when he was 13. When my younger son turned 13 he thought the old man was going to cut the leash - wrong. He was not ready, I made him wait until he was 14. This is for private property, shooting house hunting only. No climbing or fixed position stands, no still hunting. Each kid is different and thus when it comes to priveleges such as hunting, they are earned.

I have a pretty strong opinion on minimum age for hunting. Today it is felt by many that we need to get them out at an early age or lose them to the sport. People are having their child get hunter ed as early as 8 and then getting them out for a few deer before they turn them loose. All kids are different with regard to their maturity so it is difficult to say when one is mature enough to hunt and another isn't. Hunting is a rewarding and dangerous endeavor just like driving and most states have a minimum age of 16 when it is believed the child can make mature decisions behind the wheel. Having a child between the age of 10 and 14 sitting with a lethal weapon alone is just asking for trouble and not really fair to the child. I started to hunt at 12 but was in direct contact with my father. Prior to that, I tagged along without a gun starting at age 10. When I reached 15 I was allowed to hunt on my own which in retrospect might have been OK for a kid like I was who grew up in the woods but not as a blanket for all kids. I know several parents who pushed their kids to hunt at an early age and it actually burned them out and they stopped hunting. Most kids at age 10 or 12 can’t take the slow pace of deer hunting and would rather be doing things with their friends.

Theres no set age but everytime I see a post like this it makes me wonder if the parents asking because they have some doubts if thier kids ready.If you do, then he isnt ready, plain and simple.

My oldest boy started hunting with me young, and hes just as facinated by it now at 16 as he was at 5 when he would just go along and sit in a duckblind with me or when he was 8 and shooting rabbitts with his pellet gun while I hunted pheasants.When he was 10 he would go deer hunting with me and finally at about 12. I started letting him sit by himself short distances away where he was in earshot but outta sight.He was 14 when he got to sit by himself completeley and he had to carry a phone at all times.

Ive taken a lotta kids out hunting though including my own and hes an exception to most of what I see these days.He was very safety concious after getting his own gun, to the point where he would correct adults including myself if he seen them doing anything questionable.His patience level even at a young age was pretty impressive, he could sit motionless and quietly for hours.He spent hours upon hours practicing shooting.I get called a lot when people have hard blood trails to follow around here, he would always tag along, ask questions and finally he could follow easy ones all by himself.Im not bragging, dont get me wrong, the boy just had a real aptitude for hunting about anything he put his mind to.I had no doubt when I cut him loose he could get into his stand, hunt safely, and follow up on anything he killed, and he knew his weapon and surroundings well enough to handle anything that went wrong.

My other kids dont share his desire to hunt, my 12 year olds just getting into it matter of fact and it will be a long time before shes ready to go alone.My 7 year olds shown no interest at all so far.

Ive taken many other kids between 10 and 14 and 99% of them I wouldnt trust out of sight at all, half of em you wanna keep close enough to touch, pretty scary thinking of some of them alone with a gun.One or 2 of em I would have no problem at all hunting near me unsupervised.

I made my post but didn't really answer the question. Since all kids are different and so is the judgment and standards of the parents so I would defer to the same rules enacted for the privilege of driving. Just like some kids on a farm who drive on private property some age consideration might be allowed on your own private land but for the sake of argument I will clarify my answer to public land hunting.

All kids are different. You should all start by following your state laws. I know in NY there is an age, I think it is 16 where a kid can hunt alone.

I started out "solo" hunting at 13. My little brother was 12. The difference in when we started had to do more with my brother being able to go to his older brother or our father if any problems came up.

It also did not help that my birthday is in the fall. I was not ready for the deer hunt at age 12.

IME age is an arbitrary marker. It all depends on the hunter themselves. It also depends on the support for the new hunters as well. I'm slmost five years older than my brother. That meant I was a relatively experienced hunter by the time he started. I was there to help my little brother as much as I was to get my own deer. Hunting in my family is not about the kill, it's about the camp experience and being there for everyone.

Becoming a good hunter requires patience, time in the field, and positive people there to make the tough times seem unimportant. You should be having fun even when things are not going the best.

Here in NC you also have to wait until 16 to hunt alone, after taking the hunter safety course.

I'm 36 years old now and I "STILL" don't like hunting totally by my self. Especially in an area that I am unfamiliar with. I have hunted about 15-20 times being totally alone on property that I was very familiar with.

In New York, with a firearm you have to be 16 years old to hunt by yourself. Thats how old me and my brother where when we hunted "alone". We were not totally alone though. I was about 175 yards away from my father and my brother was about 150 yards away from my dad.

I remember my first opening day, when I had my very own stand to myself. I felt very "independent". I felt as if I was a boy who was turning into a man in a primitive way and was sharing the experience of our ancestors since the pioneers of this country.

I also remember the first time that I hunted by myself on land that I was totally unfamiliar with. It was a large track of land consisting of 3700 acres. As soon as I got about 100 yards in, I was overwhelmed and didn't like the feeling at all. I thought to myself, " What if something happened to me out here? "

Even to this day I don't like going into "unknown" territory totally alone.

Anyways, CONGRATS to your son on a very fine buck!!!! Good huntin'

I'm 14 and my dad hardly has the time to take me out. I started hunting when I was 11. I started hunting by myself at 12. Last year i took a little buck all by myself. This year i took two does. I gut my own deer and carry/drag them back by myself. All my friends think I'm crazy that i hunt by myself. IMO I think I'm a whole lot more mature than the average 14 year old, mentally and physically. I am 6'1" and am physically able to hunt by myself. My parents are the most strict parents ever. But they don't have one problem with me hunting with friends that are older and responsible or me hunting by myself.

This is Colorado and out of site can be 25 feet. By the time my son was 8 he had handled a centerfire rifle more than 95% of the forum regulars.
Singleshot rifle coyote hunting one shot one kill.....thats the way we roll.

In Tennessee you are suppose to be 17. I hunt alone in my back yard(Im 16). My dad is only about 30 yards from me in his room.

On public land I hunt with my dad or his buddy. I climb the tree and one of them sits on the ground under me. I don't really agree with it considering I can legally drive by myself but it's the law. Of course the bonus hunts don't bother me :)

It sounds like he's ready. Especially since you've stressed that safety is very important. I'm sure there would be a fear of not wanting to let you down so he would have to be careful but in the end, it's all about maturity. If your boy is starting to turn into a young man, he's ready but if he still acts out at the drop of a hat then not letting him go alone might straighten him up.

I'm not going to tell another parent what he should or shouldn't do with his son/daughter on their own land. But I will tell you what happened to me if you don't mind a quick story:

My oldest son was 11 when I started letting him hunt by himself with a bow, which felt much safer for both him and anyone else who might walk up. Keep in mind he started shooting when he was 5 and regularly out-shot most of the men in our club (not just another dad bragging, I swear..lol)... The next season I let him sit on stand by himself with his 243. All was well until the last day of the season. He was hunting in an area where several people had sworn they saw a mountain lion, here in Alabama in all places. I can attest to seeing some very large cat tracks but was not convinced that we had a mountain lion on this piece of property. But anyway, 30 minutes before dark I heard him shoot. My heart sank into my stomach. It was the first time he had shot a gun while hunting by himself and I only thought I was prepared for that moment. I waited nervously until he called me on the phone. He was crying and asked me to come to his stand right away. I have never ran that fast in my life. Come to find out he had seen what he thought was that cat and got scared and shot at it. My heart sank even lower. I yelled at him and threatened to beat the living crap out of him - how dare he shoot at something that he could not positively identify! We looked and looked around there area he fired. I was praying the whole time that we did not find blood because I would not bear the thought of what he might have shot. Well after carefully searching for over an hour, we didn't find anything and left. He cried all the way home and honestly so did I. My son was scared, not only at the perceived threat but because he realized what could have possibly gone wrong. I felt like crap because it was then that I realized that I had rushed him into a situation he was not ready for. It is our responsibilty as parents to make the right decisions and if there would have been an accident it would have been totally my fault. My son is very mature for his age and a very confident kid, but he was still just a kid... Needless to say the next season he was back in the stand with me and another year before he was back on his own. We both learned a valuable lesson that day. I just ask that parents please consider not just your child's physical abilities but his mental abilities as well. Sometimes it is hard as a Dad to honestly judge your child without prejudice. If you love him or her like I know you do, you owe it to them to seriously consider whether or not they are ready to hunt alone.

I apologize for the long post but I hope just one person will learn something from my story. Again I'm not going to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't do... Also if you know my child or ever meet him, please never bring this up to him. He is still embarrased about that incedent and would die if he knew I posted it on the internet... By the way my youngest son is about to turn 11 and is ever bit as responsible and safe as my oldest was, but the poor kid has to hunt with good ole Dad a lot longer than he would like. I refuse to make the same mistake twice!

Good luck and be safe!

CJ

I began hunting before I could even walk...Started shooting when I was 10. Started hunting by myslef at 14. Now I'm 17 and hunt by myself all the time or go with long time hunting buddies. I like the feeling of being in the timber by myself. It's peaceful

This post really says it all. I am really glad you posted it and hope it stays around for a while. The physical and mental requirements for hunting need maturity due to the potential consequences. Many parents might not be in a position to make the right call that is why most states have a minimum age similar to driving. I commend you wareagle not only for your post but your honesty.

If you have your own property, or use of some friends private property, that is a good place to start your son or daughter out with a firearm. I put my 14 yr-old out in a ground blind on our own property with NO other hunters within 1/4 mile, took him out there and made sure the gun was properly handled and safety on before I left him. My son already had hunter's safety as well. I would not put my son, even at age 17, on public property with a gun. Alone or not, once a fatal shot occurs, often all is lost. Frankly, I get a bit nervous being close to another person with a loaded gun, any person. For that reason, I much prefer hunting alone and well away from others when gun hunting.

Thanks for sharing the account wareaglecj. Yes, that would be scary. In the dim light, the eyes play tricks on you. How often, as I am ready to pack it in, stumps and brush suddenly look like deer.

As most have stated....a lot depends on the maturity of the Youth Hunter,how well they have been trained and how they handle a Firearm as far as Safety and using common sense.I've seen some really good sensible Young Hunters...and I've seen a lot of Older Mature Hunters that I do not want to be around or hunt with! Yikes!!!


I started out at an early age in Hunting,we went out on excursions at an early age,shooting BB-Guns and then 22lr Rifles and then a few times using a shotgun for rabbit and doves.I was sitting on my Dad's lap at 10-11 years old learning to shoot a 30-06 and a .308 Browning for Deer Hunting,at around 13 years old I was going Deer Hunting....only thing I wish was that they had the Hunters Safety Course when we were younger because I learned a lot after growing up and taking my 2 Daughters on the Youth Hunts and taking the Hunter Safety Course with them....we're never too old to learn more about Safety and Respecting the Property and Land Owners wishes where we hunt.

My father let me sit by myself when I was 13. I shot a 6 pt, field dressed it, and drug it to the truck. He walked up in disbelief. He never had a problem letting me sit myself again. He wouldn't let me hunt by myself, but would let me sit myself.

Children are all different. Sme are very mature at 13 some act like there 2. Only you can decide whether they are ready. Maybe once in awhile is a good start.

THX FER SHARIN WAR

I just wanna say...times were different back in the day...lots started young...lots had accidents...no way you should let your 12-13-14-15 year olds hunt by themselves. And two 14 year olds in the same stand alone is not ok either. Adult supervision. Adults have accidents all the time..i read 3 or 4 on this forum alone where people died this year. Imo if you have life insurance on yer kids(minors), and you put them with a gun alone, and they die...it should be pre-meditated murder!!!!

Thank you for posting wareagle. As champlain posted "This post really says it all". This should be a manditory read for all parents. Kids may seem mature for there age, but they may make the wrong decision. Just think if he had shot another hunter! That would have messed up alot of lives. It's not worth letting them hunt alone too early. I also think laws are in place for a good reason.

Lots of kids have experience and knowledge and even maturity at 8, 9, 10...still doesn't mean they are ready (or should be) hunting solo. Like I said, count your blessings.

Good post CJ.....spot on.

My son was about 13 when he began hunting

You know, I was 13 when I began solo deer hunting. When I was 12, I had a tree stand on my parents property that I put out corn to bait squirrels in. I would spend many morning and afternoons on the weekends going out to that stand by myself and bringing back my prey.

Granted, there is a difference between short periods of small game hunting, and the way my family goes deer hunting. We walk into the woods and sit all day. I was a fidgety little kid who needed more time to calm down to handle the patient sitting of stand hunting.

Every individual child needs to have their parents assess their skills to make the final decision. Personally I think laws that state 16, or 17, are overreaching. In the end, we don't want to see people get hurt, but we need to let people make their own choices as a society and to have them deal with any consequences.

I know so many people like my brother and myself who began solo deer hunting at 12 or 13 and have never had any issues. Then again, most of the people around here hunt in groups where they provide a support network for the other members of their party. To say that someone has to sit right next to them seems silly to me.

Let parents parent, and if the Wisconsin tradition holds true, then no issues should occur.

im 16 now, but i was 13 when i started sitting by myself..the first 2 times, i sat by myself, we chose a spot where we had stands set up on oppisite sides of ridges, i sat on one side my uncle set of the other, so really we were only like 100 yards away, but couldnt see each other or risk shootin each other...now im 16, i drive to were ever i wanna hunt whether is a friends land, or my own land, i pick where im gonna sit. im just like all the rest of the adults