How old is old enough to hunt?

[SilentButDeadly]

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local...36-04dedd32af08

[mikep35]

I think 5 yrs old is a little too early. Depending on the maturity of the kid, and given the parent(s) teach them gun safety first and foremost, I would say 10-12 yrs old to start small game/bird hunting.

[elpepe25]

when i was a kid my old man had me runnin around in the wilds as early as i could walk. he taught me a lot tho, by the time i was 10 i was ready to go for the big stuff. I think it all depends on the kid/ upbringing. there are some 30 year olds i think are too immature to hunt big game and i was ready to hunt bird/small game when i was 6 or 7. n e ways a bear for a 5 year old is a bit much but better than not hunting at all

[Red Rabbit]

According to espn, the kids 10th great grandfather was Davey Crockett. Must be genetics.

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

I had just turned 6 when my dad let me start checkin' my own "mini" trap line..... Of course I did not know that he was checking those 6 sets for me every morning, to make sure that I did not have any trouble..... Kinda wondered why all my critters were stiff and dead when I got to them.. I was killing, skinning, and fleshing fur bearing critters from about age 7 on. That gave me a bunch of skills that I use to this day. You can't start 'em too early..... that would be like having too much money or killing a critter that was too big.

 

IMO.

 

CnS

[elkman]

I have had my boy out in the woods following me around glassing and even been in on a couple of kills since he was three. He is 6 this year and i am taking him to mexico to kill his first big game animal, coues of course. I think if your kid has a good maturity and understands safety its fine. My dad sarted me early on also.

My boy has been shooting and carring bb guns around camp since he was three. I feel comfortable in his ability to make a good shot on an animal. We will have a great time in mexico this year.

Good luck to all on the archery hunt.

Josh

[Non-Typical Solutions]

A couple of lessons that dad(me) and my boys learned quick and fast.

 

1. If you let a two year old shoot a Ruger Mark VI.....the action will probably smack him right in the forehead

2. If you let a 5 year old shoot the .270 with a scope, he is probably going to get dinged on the melon with a least a half moon scope scar. Four boys......four scars.......

3. If you take a 5 year old out quail hunting, he is going to regret it for the rest of his life......or, at least until he is big enough to walk, and walk, and walk......without getting pooped out.

4. When you take a 5 year old out coyote calling and he asks if he can shoot yet....and the coyote is 10 yards away from him, running full blast towards him.

5. When your 5 year old has been using a lawn chair for a rest.....target shooting, and you look up to see the last 5 rounds went through the arm of the lawn chair.

6. Not much we enjoy much more than getting together for a little family comptetion shooting targets, hunting small and big game.....no matter how old they are, lots of good lessons learned......my boys know what a gun will do to an animal or a human, and that is a good lesson learned.

[Huntn coues]

Just make sure if you take the little ones out quail hunting that they do not stand in one spot very long cause they

might be standing on a ant hill. Then the next thing you know I (I mean they) will be stripping down to there B-day suit and running around like a chicken with their head cut off.