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What does it take for a child to show that they are responsible enough to hunt? I am seeing way to much of people jamming a gun in a 5 or 6 year olds hand and taking them hunting. In no way form or fashion can you tell me that a child that age has the mental capacity to understand what he is taking part in. Yes I know , that is where the parent comes in. Just curious what yall think on the matter. I know they gotta learn. But dang!
This got sparked in my mind to a new level when I talked to an old pal yesterday and he was talking about his boy hunting and he is only 4. And he aint a very bright 4 yr old!
This post aint bout your boy TDOG! Dont get yo drawers in a wad. This kid is hunting and does not even know how to recite the alphabet.

my son is 12 and is just now starting to hunt- he was not ready - it my responsibility to teach him right and he was not ready before. but my 7 year old girl is working on her 4th deer, you just don't know when the time is wright

id say 10 years old is about right. if they kill a deer and wanna go play when daddy has to clean it, i think its a little early for a kid to understand what just happend.

if you can get a kid to kill a deer, and then he looks up at his daddy and says hey can we cut him open inside so i can see if i hit him in the heart?

then..... you got him right where you want him!!!


JD

I think an adult has a huge responsibility in this matter. I have an 8 year old nephew that killed his first couple of deer this year, he is a little young but his dad and the adults around him are making every effort to be responsible and teach him right and make sure he has an understanding of what is going on.

I was walking around our place by myself with a gun in my hand at the age of about 7. But my Dad and Uncle spent a lot of time with my before that teaching me to be safe. I have a 3 year old and he has gone out to shoot the 22 with me before. But everytime I open up the safe he wants to get a gun out. We get it out and hold it and talk about how we don't aim it at anyone, don't put our finger on the trigger inside until we are ready to shoot and so on..

I guess I'm turning more and more into my dad, but I think he did it the right way. I don't remember my exact age, but I guess it was around 7, 8 or 9 YO that I got my first gun. A .410 shotgun. I never hunted with a rifle till I was a teenager, and I never hunted with a gun until after I passed the hunters safety course. I know there are a lot of guns out there these days that folks buy for kids, but I think you are correct in your post that children have to have a very clear understanding of the damage that can be done by a rifle that will shoot a mile. I say if a kid shows interest in hunting, take them hunting with you at what ever age you want. But teaching them proper gun safety, passing a hunters safety course and some good target practice are the first things that need to happen before you give a kid a weapon to hunt with. Whether you are in the stand/blind with them or not. They should know proper shot placement and basic hunting ethics before they are allowed to hold a gun in the stand. Just my $0.02. Just how I will do when my little ones get old enough.

I know because my 4 year old is smarter than both of us!

I think it has to do with the child.......age does not play a factor here.

I have a 6 year old son and an 9 year old daughter. Both of these kids have been in deer stands since they were potty trained. They started going when they asked to go not when dad wanted to take them. You have seen their ability to harvest game from the pics on here....lets take it further.


My 6 year old son (will be 7 in April) knows how to scout for deer and can tell you where would be a good place to hang a stand......dont belive it hollar at me lets go on a scouting trip. Both of my children know how to skin deer and if were strong enough could probably do it alone. Both my kids are so intense in a stand that they will not ask to leave they will sit from sun up till sun down.
They can get in an indepth conversation with you about scrapes, rubs, the rut etc etc. We even started talking about thermals (wind) last week.
Both of my children can shoot a rifle probably better than some on this board. I am truly convinced that my son has a gift for shooting a rifle.....what he is doing at his age with a gun is really blowing me away.

Dont think they have the mental capacity I have watched as both of my children have stopped after shooting and thanked God for allowing them to the ability to harvest an animal.

Dont put all kids in the same boat......I have seen what you are saying and it makes me sick to my stomach.....but to say that they are all the same is not correct.

Next year they will both get one with a bow......I talked to Santa and the bows are on their way.

jdbuckshot wrote:id say 10 years old is about right. if they kill a deer and wanna go play when daddy has to clean it, i think its a little early for a kid to understand what just happend.

if you can get a kid to kill a deer, and then he looks up at his daddy and says hey can we cut him open inside so i can see if i hit him in the heart?

then..... you got him right where you want him!!!


JD

I agree 95% I would not put a set age on it but when you get them asking the right questions like JD said thats when its time to start moving. However I have always believed they need to learn how everything is done and not just go out and sit in the stand with daddy and shoot a deer. This means slowly introducing them (depending on age) to work days, even if they are the one driving the fourwheeler with the seeder on the back or ar just tossing it by hand. Show them how deer season starts earlier than oct.

I'm glad you chimed in Johnny. It depends on the kid. I was duck hunting with a red ryder BB gun at age 4 with my dad. I know some 18 year olds that shouldn't be hunting.

I think it depends on the child and the parent......

My son killed is first deer at 6.. He understands the safety of the gun,, where to shoot the deer, and how to respect the gun.....He had been shooting bb guns and 22's at possums and turtles...

Now are all 6 yr olds ready NO>>> Hell some aldults don't need to be hunting......

LawDawg wrote: I know some 18 year olds that shouldn't be hunting.

I agree 100%.

if you wait too long all they want to do is borrow the farm truck so they can "ride around" with his girlfriend. maybe it'll shut her jaberin booty up

I carried my 5 yo on his first deer hunt a few weeks ago. But he will not be shooting anytime soon. It is strictly about exposure to the outdoors. Hering the owl hoot at dark, watching the squirrles run around and bark, whispering about the things we see. He simply doesn't have the capacity to understand dead is dead yet

LawDawg wrote:I'm glad you chimed in Johnny. It depends on the kid. I was duck hunting with a red ryder BB gun at age 4 with my dad. I know some 18 year olds that shouldn't be hunting.

Lawdawg I can too remember deer hunting with my dad at 4 years old and taking my bb gun. A many of birds , fish etc etc got shot at. Deer hunting wasn't so serious back then and I wish my dad was around now to see me taking my 4 year old lil girl. It will be a several more years before she holds a gun and pulls the trigger but she ask me to take her every time I come home from the camp. So warmer days I am going to try to do that. I took her once last year and once so far this year.