TPWD~9, 10 & 11 Year Olds Will Be Able to Hunt Alone

[trophy8]

while all of you so it depends on the kid and sometimes on how they are brought up. are you willing to take the risk of the bad cases? face it, these kids have plenty of time to grow up and hunt by themselves eventually. some of us here are a big exception as far as maturity and hunting skills go...then some of us have some growing up to do when it comes to hunting and safety. for me as a kid i wanted to go hunting young but only with my dad by my side. i just liked huntin with him. i dont see how any parent could let there kid go hunt alone(out of sight and safety) that young. it blows my mind.

[Hot4huntin]

Most of us on the websites are the minority of hunters. We are passionate and serious about it and we spend hours online talking and reading about it, in addition to the hours we spend in the field. We take the time to sit in the blind with our children, teach them the ethics and safety of hunting, and go beyond the call of duty. There is another world out there and they are the ones that concern me.

I guess I see or hear too much of the other side, kids hunting WITH their parent with illegal or unsafe equipment, poaching, hunting without a license, over the limit, and being encouraged to lie to law enforcement to cover their parents' butt. Some of it is unbelievable! I really had no idea how much of this went on. These are the people that concern me.

I am all for getting more children in the field as long as it is done in an ethical and safe manner. The folks whose 9, 10 and 11 year olds that are ready to hunt by themselves or the same folks that will remain in the blind with their children, ensure their safety and give of themselves so that their children will be able to continue to hunt.

There also many children that have a hard time focusing on the task at hand and it has to be explained, re-explained, etc. to them and I don't think that one class would be enough.

We need to consider the general population and the masses. One child lost would be too many.

Also, animal ID is another something else that needs to be considered when youngsters are hunting alone.

[WCB]

I grew up with out a father. No one to teach me hunting or gun safety. I was lucky I guess as my Mother waited until I was 14/15 when she bought me a 30-30 and got my BIL to take me hunting. She couldn't take me as she was stricken with polio before I was born and walked with braces on both legs.
I had been asking for a gun for several years to go hunting but my Mom resisted knowing what a gun could do. In some single family homes, this may put a youngster in a scenario they would not know how to handle. Not every kid out there comes from an all knowing, gun safe parent. So we must mandate by law some sort of minimum age. 9 is just too young for many youths. Maybe not you or yours, but many.
Several of you have stated that you have taught you child well. I commend you for that. But, just like driving on our streets, a minimum age is required to bring forth some maturity to the task at hand.

[Injun]

If they're old enough 2 hunt alone then that would be a good reason to list them and charge for them as a paid gun too! It's all about money boys. Same as this idiot that did research and "CLAIMED" he had a pass- through on a 200 lb hog with a genesis bow & that's a good enough reason to drop draw weight!!!!! Give the land owners every reason to price us right out of the woods & not be able to teach our kids anything!! Makes my Blood pressure get up a little bit. "OH LOOKIE DADDY THERE GOES THAT $9K BUCK WITH MY ARROW STUCK IN HIS RUMP"

[Hillwhacker]

So if the law were changed to say these children who have passed hunters education still can't hunt alone until they are 12, who would it be protecting? The dumb*** irresponsible parent who would let their child hunt alone when he wasn't ready, or the child?

Hmmm...

I did not let my children drive alone when they first started driving even though by state law, they could.

Ed

[Roscoe]

What I'm reading here is that most think the only effect this law would have is a negative impact on those parents who have a done a great job educating their kids about hunting and firearm safety AND the very small percentage of kids that are truely ready to hunt alone at a young age...and that is a VERY VERY small percentage. The thought also seems to be that it would have no effect on the "bad" parents that have not done a great job in the same areas, are not as careful with their kids as they should be, OR have kids that are not as ready as they think they are. I think that's bull! Look at the seatbelt/carseat laws as they pertain to minors. While we all still certainly see the knuckleheads driving down the highway with their 3yr old standing in the backseat, there's no way you can argue those incidences are not cut significantly by their actually being a law.

No matter how sure you are, why would you risk being wrong in turning a 9 or 10yr old loose alone with a high powered rifle? I mean, we're not talkin about taking the training wheels off the bike too soon and your kiddo ending up with skinned knees and elbows here....

I still get back to my question of if you have a 9 or 10yr old crazy about huntin, why would you not be at their side?

While this is not the answer for all, I'm gonna answer the question in what might not be a very popular way...and if this theory pi$$es anyone off, it might just be hit'n a little too close to home. I believe in some cases, Jr. hunting alone is less about Jr's proficiency/maturity and more about daddy's personal hunting time being cut into....or some macho trip about about what a great little hunter you have raised. Like I said, I know it ain't all and if it doesn't possibly apply to you in particular, then ya shouldn't be chapped by the theory/opinion.

Ok...fire away!

[Justhunting]

Roscoe, you hit the nail straight on the head. Nuttin else to say about that. I spend many hours in the woods now days and pass on alot of oppurtunities to kill things. I have killed enough in my time and now just wait for the perfect critter to come by. There has been so many times that I have wished my child was with me to take some of the animals that I have let walk. When my child is ready to hunt, I will be with him as long as he allows. I don't want to miss seeing any of the critters he gets to kill. I am like most, have growned up huntin when younger than 12 yrs old, back in the back pasture. Times have change, we have kids killing themselves everyday, and the parent not having a clue that something was wrong or (Playing the choking game). I can see many landowners not allowing children on the place because for fear that their prize bull will get killed. There are many places already out there that does not allow kids, or family. Those of you that have had to look for leases in the last few years know. Like I said in a earlier post. Do you have land and will you allow these kids to come hunt on it, not just LostHawgs kid, but anyones.

[Hillwhacker]

I hear you but I think you all missing my point. The law if changed, will not "fix" anything that is or isn't already happening. It is up the parent to decide what is right or wrong for their children. It's about less government in our personal lives.

I for one, hunt with my kids 100% of the time they are in the field and if they are not with me, they are with my wife. This includes my 17 year old who is definitely old enough to go it alone. We do it this way becasue it's fun and it is our quality time together. However, I take objection to another unenforcable law that will tell me what is right or wrong in the manner in which I parent my children.
Sorry if I have offended but that's just the way I see it. It wouldn't be any different than a mandatory safety harness law. Of course I wear a belt or harness when in a tree stand. I don't need a law telling me I have to wear it.

Ed

[Roscoe]

Sorry if I have offended but that's just the way I see it. Ed

Not offended at all Ed...just a discussion and a difference of opinion...nuthin more.

Ross

[Africanbowhunter]

Seem that many parents feel as I do.

I doubt that Miss Dena got the response she anticipated.

More parent shoot their children that children shoot their parents in hunting accidents.

I fail to follow the logic of a HIGH POWER RIFLE.

At close range a .22 rimfire is a high power rifle if you get shot with it.
Shotguns are more dangerous that rifles it seems.

hunting is safer that golf tennis football tennis baseball& fishing


A lot more folks drown fishing & boating than are shot in hunting accidents.

Just my 2 cents.

Most of us were raising in hunting family and I trust our kids will raise their own kids in a true a hunting family.


Hope it passes and stays passed.

[Roscoe]

I fail to follow the logic of a HIGH POWER RIFLE.

The HIGH POWERED RIFLE is the most oftened used weapon in this converstation here because most of the talk on here is about deer hunting and most kids get their first deer kill with a HIGH POWERED RIFLE.

At this point, I'd feel the same regardless of the firearm.

I'm asking this question in all serious to any who would answer. Let's put the issue of safety of the child and others aside, do you think not allowing 9, 10, 11 yr old kids to hunt by themselves is really detrimental to the future of hunting and why?

[kfd82]

I'm asking this question in all serious to any who would answer. Let's put the issue of safety of the child and others aside, do you think not allowing 9, 10, 11 yr old kids to hunt by themselves is really detrimental to the future of hunting and why?

Maybe not detrimental to hunting, but maybe to that child. Follow along with me here.

A child that has learned the rules, has required paperwork... ok all is good to go, and you trust this child because he is YOUR child and you know him. Ok, so we are talking about a child that IS ready to hunt on his own stand..OK.

Now that child is put in his own stand, and you in your own. That child now has the responsibility to make good judgements. And has to accept responsibility for poor judgements.
I believe this makes that child a more selfreliant, selfconfident, more concientious person as an adult.

That same kid, who is ready by all above standards, is forced to sit in the stand with dad telling him what he can and cant shoot all the time. Well that kid just might grow up unable to make his own desions. He may have to have people tell him how to run his life and what choices to make.

This is just my view.

[Hot4huntin]

I doubt that Miss Dena got the response she anticipated.

Interesting and quite presumptuous! Just because I do not support something, does not mean that I expect everyone to agree with me.
Hence,

Please let your voice be heard whether it is in favor of or opposed to this proposed regulation.

However, I do expect to have the accurate information when I make my decision and would think others people would as well. It was reported earlier that 9, 10 and 11 year olds would not be allowed to hunt by themselves under the new regulation, which is not the case. I felt that it was important to to convey this information so others could make an informed decision, not one based on speculation and inaccuracy.

[LostHawg]

Roscoe, have you stopped to think that it just might be about the kid and not the supervisor? And, also, why does it have to be about a high powered rifle? They can't even hunt alone for rabbits with a 25 pound recurve the way the law is written now. Its about the kids.

A 10 year old is perfectly capable of taking his .410, 20ga or bow out rabbit and/or squirrel hunting without having to have his supervisor along. Its just illegal.

Dadblamed a week a year deer hunters anyhow!

You did say "fire away".

[Humper]

From a pure safety standpoint Id have to say no. Why? my experince with this same age group as an NRA rifle/shotgun instuctor is that these kids don't stay focused and easliy get distracted. When that happens they are prone to bad decision. A mistake with a firearm can not be undone..period. We have very close supervision at the range (one on one) and still have to be vigilant. I have no issues with a child of this age group hunting with a "responsible" adult. But I can say that I have chosen not to hunt with at least one dad/child because the dad failed to address or control the son's unsafe actions.