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Post by indianahick on Oct 13, 2006 16:15:42 GMT -5
My granddaughter brought up today about how long it had been since on of the kids she knew of from Middle School was killed by another in a hunting accident. Which got me to thinking about another that was killed by his best friend in a hunting accident also. The second was 12 or 13 the first one was around 10 to 12 I think. It has been a couple of years since the second. Any way that made me think about age restriction. My opinion is no unsupervised hunts with or without firearms until age 15.
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Post by Woody Williams on Oct 13, 2006 16:19:45 GMT -5
Boy that is a tough one.
Kids mature at different rates.
Some would be OK at 13 or 14 and some never will be OK to hunt unsupervised.
Heck, I've seen some adults I didn't want to be in the woods or field with.
Good question.....
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Post by hunter480 on Oct 13, 2006 17:33:41 GMT -5
It is a valid question, and the valid answers you`ll get may run the gamut, like Woody said, from young `un`s to never. It would depend a lot on who was mentoring the child, plus the maturity of the child.
For example, my nephew has his 7 year old son deer hunting with a 20 ga., and Nolan is ahead of all the other kids in his age group, both in size, and aptitude. He`s 5’6” and 130 lbs, and he`s three grades advanced from where he should be based only on chronological age. So Nolan may be a bit of an aberration, but again, it depends on the entire situation.
BTW-Nolan is putting 3 deer slugs in a softball size area at 50 yards.
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Post by cambygsp on Oct 13, 2006 18:11:07 GMT -5
My son turned 13 this past August. He has been going hunting with me since he was 6, he got his hunters ed when he was 10, right before his 11th birthday.
He has been an armed hunter for the past two years (this is his third year)
This year he is sitting alone in the stand....I don't get too far, but he is by himself and he is ready.....but it sure worries me!
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Post by hunter480 on Oct 13, 2006 18:16:23 GMT -5
My son turned 13 this past August. He has been going hunting with me since he was 6, he got his hunters ed when he was 10, right before his 11th birthday. He has been an armed hunter for the past two years (this is his third year) This year he is sitting alone in the stand....I don't get too far, but he is by himself and he is ready.....but it sure worries me! I sure can understand the concern-but think about the excitement you`re building in that son of yours. Think about the memories you`re building for you two-think about the discipline and self-control you`re instilling in him. And you`d never let anything happen to him. |
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Post by dbd870 on Oct 14, 2006 5:22:38 GMT -5
That's difficult to answer, it depends so much on the individual like Woody stated. I'm undecided on voting between the 2 older options.
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Post by indianahick on Oct 14, 2006 12:59:30 GMT -5
Okay let me clarify a little. Hunting with Dad, Unckle, Grandpa in close proximity is not what I call unsuppervised. The young people I refer to were out on thier own with friends from school.
480 sounds like your nephew takes after you size wise. I would also bet that you are his mothers brother. Which means that he should get his final size from you. He may outgrow you. But according to a couple of high school coaches I talked with years ago a son gets his height from his mothers side of the family.
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Oct 16, 2006 7:10:17 GMT -5
11-12 if properly trained & supervised. But maturity & responsibility are the keys.
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Post by chicobrownbear on Oct 16, 2006 7:13:52 GMT -5
I know some 11 & 12 year olds that are welcome to hunt with me any time they wish. I know some adults that are not. It just depends on the individual.
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Post by steiny on Oct 16, 2006 19:24:20 GMT -5
Depends on the kid.
My brothers and I started out at about 8-10 years old, going along on rabbit hunts. Dad would let the youngest tote the .22 with one bullet in the gun, and was very strict on safety. We never did get anything with the .22, but by golly we were hunting with a real gun.
By 12-13 we were hunting with shotguns and free to go hunting on our own.
There were only a couple neighbor kids we were allowed to hunt with after school, and that was because my dad knew their dad and knew that they understood gun safety.
To be honest with you. Seems like I've seen more dangerous adults with guns, than kids.
A kid that handles guns regularlly is usually much safer than an adult that dusts off the old shootin iron once a year.
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