At what age?

[undecided]

For u guys that have kids hunting what age did you let them start hunting? I take my six year old squirrel hunting and let him shoot as long as he's on my lap and I have some control of the gun, he also walks with us pheasant hunting and always has to go with me to get a deer when I shoot one. Just wondering at what age most of you felt comfortable taking them, mainly for youth season hunts.

 

[gundog870]

I shot my firt pheasat at 10 I think and my deer at 12. I was in my own stand and everything. I was with my younger brother when he shot his first deer at 11. But he shot his first Tom at like 8??

 

[okla hawkeye]

I'm starting my youngest son ( 10)this year. I didn't go hunting until I was 12 so I'm not going to rush anything.If he gets bored we'll hit the pond and do a little fishing.

 

[Ghost]

From what I have witnessed, some kids are able to safely handle a gun sooner than others.

There will also be individual differences in how much exposure to hunting kids have.

That makes it hard to put your finger on an exact age. You have to make a judgement based on your gut feel and the kids individual abilities.

I know 10 year olds that can handle a gun better and have more knowledge of hunting than 16 year olds.

 

[Liv4Rut]

I agree with ghost. Like me for an example, I was allowed to roam around our farm with my buddies shooting birds everyday with our pellet guns, by the time I was 9, I was able to handle a big boy gun and go deer hunting. Other kids that dont have the opportunity to even practice with a gun aren't usually ready at that age. I would say buy your kids a good pellet gun and let them go hunting. I think that is the basis on why I can even shoot good these days. I used to walk around with my benjamin 22 cal pellet gun with a 3x9 on it shooting everything from popcans to bumblebees on flowers all day long. I bet our old farm has so much lead contamination on it, it isnt even funny from all those 1000s of rounds of pellets

I used to walk around with my old man when I was probably 6-7 years old with a Red Ryder bb gun pheasant hunting. Everytime he shot one and I shot at it too, he alway said I got it, which I believed I did for quite awhile

but that is what made it fun for me, and I still take my pellet gun out walking around all the time plinking away at stuff for great off season practice

 

[SaskGuy]

I too was plunking with the red rider at an early age, 6 or 7. Moved up to the crossman pump and the pigeons on the farm paid dearly. Don't remeber when the 22 or the 12 guage came out, likely around 12 or 13, I tagged along with my older brother while he hunted grouse and rabbits. My grandpa taught me how to shoot and handle things as did my brother. It's truly a matter of the kid and the mentorship they have. I'll let my guys start whacking and stacking the squirrels whenever I feel they're ready. they've already each got a new red rider.

 

[wisco kid]

I think I was out and about with my bb gun when I was 8 or 9 as well. Me and my buddies would go "hunting". The gun was lousy, and I couldn't hit squat, but it was good experience.

I deer hunted at 12, practically unsupervised. Looking back, I wasn't ready. My dad never spent as much time teaching me. I think it would have been different had he helped out. Just read your kids. My brother has been taking his 5 year old with him for three years now. Granted, his hunts when he was 2-3 years old were 10 minutes long- thats all the kid could handle in the blind. This summer, before he turned 5, he was shooting a bb gun. I'm sure he'll be ready faster than most kids.

My 2 year old is already walking around the house, stretching out rubber bands and "shooting" my mounts.

 

[M350]

Undecided-MAN you live in IOWA, get the kids out from day 1-go for a deer scouting ride or go roost some turkeys. Worst case ya still get out of the house.
We are fortunate here to have the youth season alotted to age 16 and under hunters in this state. If they learn the basics at a young age and are not FORCED to go along, garuntee you they are POSITIVELY effected for their whole life.Note that all kids are not created equally-some will never be hunters-but the least you can do is to expose them NOW B4 the other sides views become more promonent.
Lets take our neighboring state to the east for example--they have all kinds of hunters and no place to hunt. They will not allow you to hunt till age 12--the almighty video game rules the life of a pre-teen by age 12.
My personal hunting with a gun began at age 8 with a parent or grandparent right at my side. I defy anyone to tell me how that time spent in the company of knowledgable hunters is BAD.
Now I too ,along with my father and uncles, teach my son the finer points of the outdoors tradition with a 1 on 1 approach. My son, now age 11 has been legally hunting turkeys since age 7 and deer since age 9.
I think you will find from all the fathers on this site thaT they too spend as much time mentoring they're children in the outdoors as possible. Also, they are more proud of they're childs first squirrel,rabbit or wood duck, than they are of a B&C BUCK.
So, to answer your question. Its never to soon -YOU ALONE have to make the call for each individual child.
See ya outdoors!

 

[Ghost]

AMEN MIKE!

Better than a B&C buck anyday!

 

[undecided]

Thanks for the responses. I take him and my 5 yr old daughter with me all the time driving around looking for deer. For the last two years he's gone out with me to retrieve any deer that I've shot and we even let him go sit with us during the spring turkey season this year and last year walked with us during bird season. He goes with when we put up stands. I know age really varies on how mature they are for there age and was just kinda trying to get a concensious (spelled wrong probably) on what ages others started their children out at. Thanks again for the responses.