When is the right age to start hunting...

[88 Bound]

When your child can walk!

My dad started me when I was 4. Shot my first deer at 7. Haven’t missed a season since. Growing up, it was my way of life and it still is. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

[Traildust]

2

[kingranch1886]

Depends on the kid. I started killing deer at 6 but knew what it meant to take a life for food and had the ability. My best friend’s son got his first doe at six and now at 7 has killed 2 does and a buck, he has the maturity level and dang sure the ability, that kid can shoot. My daughter turned 7 this month, she has not killed anything yet, has the ability, hits everything she points a gun at, but isn’t ready to take a life. She’s been asking and I don’t want to discourage her but I also want to make sure that she knows what it means to take a life.

[JB_Archery]

My daughter and son started sitting in the blind with me at 4... that all started great discussion on hunting and why we do it. As we had more discussion I realized my son was ready at the age of 5 a week before he turned 6 as long as he could pass my gun safety test and shoot well enough to make a lethal shot. He shot his buck and the after the shot was almost as important as the shot to me. We thanked the good Lord for the animal and paid are respects. My daughter didn’t want to shoot one until she was 8... I tell both my kids there is no pressure for them to shoot one as it’s up to them. They both shot their second buck this year, it’s a blast watching them get so excited... definitely your call and I think mental maturity is huge and plays a part. I’m just blessed they both love to hunt and I can tell the shooting is only a small part of it

[Stuck]

My 11yr old is hunting with me now, shot his first deer last year. He’s asked me several times this year if he can hunt by himself next year. It’s a strong possibility. I have a 19yr old that never really took to it but will bring up going occasionally, would have a hard time letting him hunt by himself, I’m afraid the 1st deer that walked out would not be legal. The younger one actually understands it much better.

[gscout01]

My dad started taking me when I was 3 or 4. Shot my first when I was 5. I'd have to say it's up to the kid and when you think it's time

[Texas89]

I was in the stand at 4 and killed my first at 7. But like others have said every kid is different. I’d give em as much as they could handle. Heck there’s grown men that I’m not sure are ready to hunt.


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[Bassdeer]

Had to be 12 in PA

[slayr]

I believe it’s when the child is mature enough. It could be 4, it could be 8. Even with the best explanation, I still don’t think anyone fully understands the value of life until they’re older. It’s our jobs as parents to continually reinforce that value and the ethics of hunting and shot placement for a quick, clean kill.

[sierracharlie338]

I seem to be out of the majority but I started sitting in the stand with my dad around 7 and killed my first deer around 10. Just kinda the way things played out. I was always around it as I grew up, hell we skinned and quartered animals in our garage.

Now with my daughter I think she will be in the later age range as well. She started asking to go with me this past year at the age of 6 and has done great on the outings she has been on. She has not been shooting a real gun until this year and will not be killing anything any time soon for that reason. I’m not in a hurry to get her to that point. I want it to be her decision but she has to understand what is taking place as well.

[pervis]

I had my first son in a high chair in the dove feild. Kid would laugh crazy when a bird fell out of the sky.
I had him racing 50s w training wheels too when he was 3.
Hes 8 and still cant get enough bmx, hunting, wakeboarding, and racing motorcross. He ll out fish you too.

Theres no right age. Spend as much time w your kids as you can. Its worth every minute.

[M.LUNA]

I am blessed with 8 children 2 daughters and 6 sons, ranging in age from 19 to 4. I will have to say that some have it and some don't. And to add it all comes to them at different ages. My oldest son who is 19 now and in the US Army has always tagged along and been an outdoorsman and my now 16 yr old son has also form toddlers. But there is a great difference in their passion and natural instincts when it comes to hunting. My oldest 2 killed their first deer the same day Jr was just shy of 11 and Alfred was just 8. But even that day Alfie had a more serious and spiritual manner to him than his older more experienced brother. Jr is now a young man in the Army and will engage and is very knowledgeable about hunting but Alfred, he has the sickness if that makes sense. Just last week he gave me a drawing for Christmas that he had done. It was a drawing of a big whitetail buck. My point is, he craves those things naturally. Now to clarify I have 5 biological sons Jr,19, Alfred,16, Ernie,10, Augie,7, and Ruben,4. They live with their mother and have been separated from me for nearly 5 yrs. I have remarried and have been blessed with a 16yr old step daughter Raeli, 11 yr old son River and a 7 yr old firecracker girl named Kyndel. These 3 kiddos have never had any type of father figure and certainly no knowledge of the outdoors or all the good stuff we love. I have been with these 3 kids for the last 4 years and I can say that my 16 yr old girl could cut the head off a baby lamb and drink its blood and spit it on the oldest 2 boys and then probably whoop them in a fist fight. She looooves to fish as she has only had her first experience from me taking her a mere 4 years ago and ever since. BUT she has no desire to hunt... NONE. River who is 11 and basically the same age as Ernie who is 10 has the want of tagging along and that comes from him wanting that father son bond but once we get to the farm and get in a stand he's ready to go home which Im good with I just like being outdoors with the kids but Ernie the 10 yr old has some irritability when River tags along because he knows that River is going to cut our adventure short and that he doesn't take it as serious. As far as sitting in a stand River is talkative, restless, and loses interest very quickly. And one thing that I noticed just last week as we had several encounters with deer up close River does not get excited about it at all. It would be no different than seeing a fly land on the wall for him, and Ernie on the other hand needs a mouthpiece to keep his teeth from shattering because he's got the fever so bad just from the encounter. Now the two 7 year olds Augie and Kyndel, they are all for it and not only do they crave the bonding with dad they take hunting seriously. They pay attention to signs they are alert they are vigilant on being quiet and aware. And whenever they are ready I think they will have that instinct to take it to the next level. The 4 year old ….HE'S FOR SALE IF ANYONE IS LOOKING... CHEAP! HA HA HA. I know this is a lot of unnecessary rambling but I had to paint the picture of what I have seen in my years with an array of different minds and personalities and how I honestly believe some have it and some don't and whenever they are ready they will let you know.

[hooligan]

I didn’t start hunting till I was in my 20s and had moved to Texas. Growing up in Hawaii there wasn’t much access and we couldn’t afford hunting private. But I remember fishing with my dad since I was about 4, I started going with him around 2 but don’t remember. At 5 I’d go with him diving and spear fishing. Got my first 3 prong at 7 to go after reef fish and octopus

My daughter will be 2 in April and will start coming to the lease this summer. It’ll be up to shooting ability and maturity and her choice when she wants to take something. I don’t want to push shooting something too early and turn her off hunting

[bowhntrmatt]

Every kid is different. I can’t remember how old I was when I shot my first deer. Probably 7 or so.
My 6 year old daughter is nowhere close to being ready, and heck might never really be a hunter.
On the other hand, my 2 year old acts like she wants to hunt now. I plan to have her shooting in the next couple years.

[lovemylegacy]

My dad gave me a BB gun when I was 7. I went squirrel hunting with him up until I was 12. He gave a 20ga, which I started hunting squirrels, went on my first deer hunt at 12, killed my first deer at 15.

During all of this, dad taught me about gun safety, how to use a gun, how to care for a gun.

To answer your question, when a child can understand the dangers of guns and understand gun safety and use that gun safely, that would be a good time. it really isn't about hunting, its about safe gun use. That's what I did with my sons and daughter also.