As many of you know, TPWD has proposed lowering the minimum age for Hunter's Ed certification to 9 years of age. Earlier it was reported that this change would not allow 9, 10 or 11 year olds to hunt unsupervised by an adult. However, that is NOT the case. At this time, by lowering the age for certification, the new regulation would allow 9, 10 and 11 year old children that have successfully passed the Hunter's Ed program to hunt by themselves without an adult, pursuant to the current statutory language that addresses this regulation. This information has been verified by David Sinclair, TPWD Law Enforcement, Austin HQ, and Steve Hall of TPWD. I have visted with Steve Hall, head of the Hunters Ed Department at TPWD, and he has indicated that there would currently be a Loophole in the system should this regulation pass, but that it would be addressed in the next Legislative Session. Are we willing to take that chance? My children have been involved in the hunting environment, gun safety, etc., since they were born. However, I do not think that I am willing to leave my child in a hunting blind with a gun at the age of 9, 10 or 11. I know that there are children out there that many parents would say are ready and maybe they are. I am not worried about my child shooting the wrong animal or another person, but what about their own safety in the blind. Personally, my children at this age have sat by themselves in a blind with a video camera, but a firearm or archery equipment is another matter. I am not willing to take that chance. Please let your voice be heard whether it is in favor of or opposed to this proposed regulation. Please contact Steve Hall at (512) 389-4568 for more information.
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That is scarey!!!!!!!!!!! -
Yeah, I'm all for the lowering of the HE eligibility age, but I'm not so sure about letting them hunt alone that young.Comment
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yes it isComment
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I grew up in a different time. We grew up when guns were in gun racks and gun cabinets and none were locked. We had a gun culture that bred safety and common sense. I had my own guns by 10 and regularly roamed the Big Thicket before clear cuts and hunting leases and where blocks of timber went for miles. My grandfather died when I was 12 and my little brother, who was 9, and I roamed the woods around Segno, Votaw, Holley Grove, etc. Many, many coons and squirrels paid the price. My dad didn't hunt and if he went out with us, he would get us lost. My brother and I were at home in the woods and with .22's and shotguns.
I can't comment on today's kids. I know a lot of things that I did when I grew up that were accepted would make me nervous now days. My nephews were raised the same way and they were at home in the woods from an early age, could outshoot most adults by 10, but had to wait until they could get their hunter ed before we could legally let them hunt alone. I secure with the right kids alone, but who decides who's the right kid.Comment
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many Children are mature enough at nine to hunt solo IMHO
If you can trust your kids to run to the store with a $20.00 bill and bring you the right change without asking for the change.......that kid may be mature enough to Hunt alone.
Whan I was six I was hunting alone with my .22 & air rifle.
When my son was 6 he would hunt in his own stand and me in mine I would put him up and take him down. He was about 60 yards away.
Its really up to the parents to decide, not the government folks....
There are some kids ready sooner than others.
A six year old cant shoot turtles at a tank with a .22 alone?
You mean a kid 7 or so cannot hunt doves alone at a tank?
A eight year old can't hunt rabbits behind his house with a .22?
They do in other state and countries
The real problem address is two kids same age hunting together
That means trouble.!!!
I would never let my kids hunt with other kids too much chance for horse play or a fight etc
Two kids with one gun can mean trouble
One kid is OK hunting alone
But I raised my 2 kids right between the 2 of them they have 5 college degrees
Neither has ever been in trouble with the law,
Both are married and own an average of 2 homes each.
Combined family income for each family is over $250K
Each had their own guns in their own gun cases (racks with keys) since they were in 3-4th grade too.
There are some adults on TBH is would not hunt with due to immaturity.
there are some adult i would never gun Hunt with based on their behaviors or other factors, drinking, drugs etc.
I know of more cases where the dad has shot the child then the child shooting the father, I did hunter Accident research for the NRA when I worked there.
At the rate we are loosing youth hunters into youth hunter recruitment, I don't see that its the end of the world. i see loosing children to hunter as the greater evil myself, thanks.
Enclosed are some pix of my kids hunting with bow & rifle over the years
I wish I still had all the pix I gave usually gave the pix to them and never saw them again sadly.
TinkAttached FilesComment
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I was 9 when I was let loose in the woods by myself for the first time and a neighbors cow paid with its life because of it. That is way to young to be by yourself with a firearm. I don't care how much experience you have with them.Comment
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LOL. Only you, Jason. I just wasted a perfectly good mouth full of Pepsi by spurting it out my nose.Comment
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My parents turned me loose with a .22 when I was younger than that. I was killing deer on my own by the time I was 9. Of course that was staying fairly close to the house on 1100 acres where there was little chance of shooting anyone. They were much more strict when it came to hunting with my buddies, though.Comment
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I was probably 6 or 7 when I started hunting alone with a .22. I knew what to shoot and what not to shoot. Heck, I never even shot a cow... until I was in college.
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Knowing Jason as I do I bet he ate the danged cow too!
My children started learnign firearm safety when they were toddlers they knew what firearm were and they fired them and respected them.
my Son helped me teach virginia NRA Hunter education classes.
Jeff's 7 year old daughter has her very own Cricket .22LR single shot and they both took a shooting course at a APEX NC gun Club designed for kids & parents at the first grade level. Both passed. Live firign was part of the course. Now she wants a Glock.Comment
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So does this mean if it passes, I can start hunting by myself? Really, if You own your own property and have cattle, sheep, goats or horses, would you allow someone else's child to hunt alone on your property. Really, most of us back in those days hunted when we were 7++ years old back in the back pasture or on our on place, but is that the norm now? Most landowners did not care that you were on their property then either. I think this will hurt more than it will help. I see more and more landowners taking away the family hunting rights because he/she will be afaird that a child will shoot one of his/her price goats, sheep, or cattle. Lets face it, this is not the problem that we have introducing people into hunting. It is the high cost of hunting leases. Texas does not have the public hunting for residents that our neigboring states have. JHComment
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At this point I don't see my son hunting by hisself at 9 10 11 or even 12. But time will tell what happens for me. I always was in the woods as a kid from 5 on up but that was after I learned the rules of nature and gun saftey. I could be gone for hours in the marsh at 7 or 8 alone and my parents never worried.Comment
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This issue has many different faces. I was turned loose with a 20Ga when I was 7, but I lived in the woods at that time. I had grown up around guns adn learning gun safety. I would love for my child to have had those experiences, but that isn't the case. Living in the city she doesn't have the opportunites that I had when I was young. Even if she grew up in the same house as I did, she most likely wouldn't be able to roam as I did when I was young. Landowners back then didn't have a problem with some punk kid roaming around their land as long as they weren't responsible and nothing was damaged. I dove hunted alone since 8 and the first time I sat in a deer stand alone was at 8 as well. I couldn't see me letting Skyler do the same now... However I'm sure there are kids who could be capable of doing such. I think the law should be in favor of allowing children to hunt alone at an earlier age. It's kinda scary thinking about parents who would use leaving a kid alone in a stand as a babysitting technique but I would hope those would be few and far between...
Besides kids would be much more useful as a camera person than an unsupervised hunter at that age
j/k
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youth can be quite responsible when given the proper education
lets upgrade our programs to give them the opportunity
it takes dedication to set any situation in a positive direction
raise the standards and those who meet them get to enjoy the benifits
todays education criteria even needs to be increased
lets take a serious look at the challenge before us
Bob GComment
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