Raise the hunting age?
 

Why is it that in Wisconsin you can't legally drive until 16, vote when 18, legally drink until 21, but can load and fire at worst a semi-automatic weapon at the tender age of 12.

Of course, that hunter's safety training course is important, but we are still talking about 12 year olds.

With the recent events in Wisconsin, and hearing about some of the other accidents around the states, wouldn't it be in everyones best interest if only more "mature" adults were allowed to hunt? I know there are some immature adults out there, but normally with age comes a better sense of responsibility and a better understanding of the seriousness of certain situations. I know accidents can and always will happen even to the best and most safety minded people, at all ages. But I would hope that learning the skills at an older age would be most beneficial.

All this comming from a 32 year old that has been hunting since the tender age of 12, who now is looking forward to his own son hunting with the old man.

Try not to rip me too bad, safety is what I think mostly think about now.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

Having grown up in SC where there is no legal age to hunt, I don't see where that should be a problem. I've been hunting it seems like since I could walk and have taken my 2 sons (age 4 & 10) since they were old enough to behave as well. They both got bb guns at age 4 and the oldest got a .410 at 7, which will be the starter gun for the younger. At 10 he shoots skeet and dog hunts with a 20 gauge and hunts with a 243 in his own stand and knows and understands exactly what to do. It is not the age of the person in my opinion it is the maturity and being taught from an early age how to treat guns and animals. That is the problem with many hunters out there, they just decide one day to go buy a gun and start hunting without proper education or even understanding of the sport.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

I was a hunter safety instructor for years where everyone regardless of age had to go through the hunter safety course . I found that the younger they were the easier they were to teach . The older people had a tendancy to think they already knew everything and more of them failed than the younger ones . I have also found that common sense doesn't come with age .
I wasn't aware of any state having a law covering he age you can load and fire a weapon ,only how old you ,must be to hunt .

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

I began hunting with my dad at 5. By 8 or 9 I was hunting alone. By 12 I had harvested a few deer. Then at 16 I took a hunter safety course.
I do understand your concern though. A firearm in the hands of someone inexperienced can be dangerous. But the ultimate responsibility is ours. Teaching our children safe and ethical hunting should began as soon as a child can communicate. I point out safe handling of firearms to my nephews at 4 yrs when they play with capguns etc. Rather than playing Cops and Robbers, they shoot at imaginary creatures and correct each other for unsafe handling. Preschool is a great time to ingrain ideas in a child...I had to quit smoking when they came home from kindergarden and said it was wrong to smoke...it was easier to quit than to sell that hipocracy to them!!

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

The name Vang comes to mind !! [:@][:@][:@]

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

"the other accidents" I hope your not saying what Vang did was an accident.

How many of these accidents were comiited young hunters proably none.

If we raise the age we will loose the future of hunting. In NY you have to be 16 (biggame)to hunt with a gun and 14 with a bow. My son was ready alot younger hen that.

Sorry I don' agree that raiseing the age would do anything but hurt hunting.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

Thanks for the comments.

It was an thought that came to me late at night. When I mentioned accidents, I most definately do not consider VANG actions to be an accident.

I understand, I did everything everyone mentioned; BB gun at a young age, gun, bow, and bird hunting at 12. My father was extremely strict when it came to firearm safety. If I even touched "my" guns without him present, he threatned to never take me hunting again.

Anyway, it will probably never happen.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

I understand where you are coming from, but to me taking a kid hunting is a very good way to teach responsibility with guns. By showing kids guns and the dangers of them, but also how to use them properly, I would think that they will be more prone to be responsible with them in the future. I think the kids who have no real knowledge of guns are those who are most dangerous, just from my experience.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

In my opinion, 12-16 isn't too young to be in the field under the right circumstances. 100% of how they will perform in the woods depends on their teacher with firearms, ethics, safety, ect. As a parent, I would go out with my children at that age, but would already have these lessons already drilled into their heads. They will learn something everytime they go into the woods for either hunting or scouting ( just like the rest of us ). I had the pleasure of taking a friends son out during the firearm season (father was deployed) and watched him bang down his first doe. I think I was happier than the little lad was, and his father had spent quality time teaching him the right way. Never had to make a correction or worry about what he was doing. The only complaint I have was it showed me that I'm not as young as I used to be and that kid can hike day and night non-stop, and I well....am slowing down.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

JMO. . . .I don't think age is the problem.

I see lots of adults that use this forum that don't seem to have adults mentality.

Recent examples include but not limited to, Bad shots OK better luck next time, if you can't find a animal shot poorly no problem let it go, poaching is bad but don't report it if it could effect your hunt, etc.

So not age but rather education and ethics.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

You've got to think, though, that we want kids to start hunting. And I know from expierence its pretty hard to focus on the hunt when you know you won't make a kill. It wasn't 12-year-olds killing each other in Wisconsin, it was a bunch of idiots killing each other over a deer stand!!! In my opinion teach your kid gun safety as early an age as possible. I too started out BB, then 410, then when I hit 10 got my first 20 gauge and so on and so forth. Because I was taught to be safe and how dangerous a gun is at a young age, it is now second nature for me to be safe in the woods or field. You have to isolate the problem. I don't hear very often of a 12 year old accidentally shooting somebody. ITS THE HUNTERS WHO HAVENT BEEN TAUGHT EARLY ON!!!

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

Absolutely NOT, I hope they don't raise the age on that.

My children are now 5 and 3, and both very much interested in the outdoors. My 5 yo daughter goes fishing, has an interest in fly fishing, has MAJOR interest in hunting, in fact, she asked Santa for hunting clothes and a bow for Christmas. She has even sat down with us and helped to tie flies! In the last two weeks, she has worked diligently to read, and can read most words with 5 letters or less... the rules in Indiana are if you can pass the hunter safety course, you can hunt. Of course I would NEVER let her go by herself, and I am assuming she will be unable to pass the course until she is 7. Quite honestly, she does not follow directions very well right now and even if she was 8 and passed the course, I would NOT allow her in the woods until she learns I know more and she is not queen bee.

I think much of it has to be up to the parents. It is MY call, not the state's. Some kids are very booksmart and can pass a course no problem, but when it comes to common sense, some are lacking, and as much as I love my kid, right now she lacks the common sense to understand the ins and outs of hunting.

I would have no problems with the regulations stating there must be adult supervision under the age of 16 or so.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

The age is 16 here in Ohio, and I agree with it. ;)

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

education is the key, respect for the gun,and all involved. safety first no matter what age


ignorance once disspelled is impossible to reestablish
--thomas paine:eek:

you got it right standsnblind

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

Education is the key not the age. Raise the standards of the hunter safety course and continue to upgrade the education and safety.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

I like how NH does it, kids can hunt at any age, and carry thier own gun, as long as they are with a licensed adult. At 16 they need their own license, have to pass the hunter ed/bowhunter ed course and they are ok to hunt on their own.

My kids have been hunting with me for a couple years now. Oldest is 14.

We also have "youth weekends" one each for turkey, waterfowl, deer. My kids teamed up for a sweep of them this year, 12 year old got an 18 lb turkey and a wood duck, 14 year old got a deer.

--Bob

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

There is one downside though, to having a age restriction. I was hardly ever able to hunt, because no one I knew would have time to take me, or no one else hunted. I had to pay my dues, and now I have gotten my 3rd deer (2 last year and 1 this year) all by myself.

I feel sorry for those unfortunate kids who LOVE hunting, but no one can take em or their family isn't interested in it so they don't help out in the situation.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

in minnesota we have a take a kid fishing day it would be nice to have the same for hunting, or do we and i just dont know about it, help me out somebody:eek:

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

all us young hunters are prolly safer then u old guys yas are all blind and everything

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

pretty cocky there since ya got yer deer, check it out- my dads 78 years old still huntin, and every year for the last five has been "the last year"he brings em home every year and YO wisdom and knowledge will beat youth and enthusiasum every time----

i am 43 and got lots a hunts left in me

and besides electronic ears and eyes are available everywhere

shoot safe kiddo----PEACE
by the way nice lookin deer

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

not a good idea about setting age limits on hunters especially because of acciddents. I've been hunting for 40 years and seen alot of good young hunters somebad middle aged and older hunters. I hunt with my 18 year old daughter all the way to my 66 year old uncle so I'm not leaning one way or the other, but restricting the age, what about the mid 60 year old I heard about on the news who shot his son at about 70 steps because he thout he was a deer. Killed him. I think it was in Penn. So if you limit the begining age they'll want to limit the ending age. Like they are saying its the teaching that matters. As for maturity I can be acused of not being very mature about somethings sometimes myself

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

I know you're just posing a thought but this is exactly the sort of attitude that is so wrong headed - when society looks at an incident and then makes rules to improve safety that are totally unrelated to the incident. Neither the Vang incident nor any accidents I've heard of recently have anything to do with the age of the hunter. If you could show me that young hunters actually cause problems, I'd say lets look at it - either better training, supervision or change the age.

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

I believe that hunting and growing up with firearms instills in a young person character that goes deep into his soul.

Show me a 19 year old who was raised at an early age to hunt, shoot, and respect his sport, and I'll show you a responsible citizen.

Show me a 19 year old hip-hopper kid in the hood who is first introduced to firearms when his gang leader hands him a glock, and I'll show you someone who respects nothing including himself.

C. Davis

RE: Raise the hunting age?
 

When you have a son of your own I'll bet you'll change your tune. I wish they would lower it like alot of other states. I think it would be beneficial to hunting and would bring more hunters to the woods if we could make an impact in a childs life and turn them on to hunting before they hit puberty.