Listening to a morning radio program this morning,the discussion was about a hunting contest down in South Texas with a catagory for the youngest hunter to kill a buck.So for the leader is a young man 4 1/2 years old.Most of the listeners plus the host of the program thought this was not a good idea for a catagory.Most of those that called in did say that they had been around hunting since they were very young.For myself,i got first BB gun when I was 5.My dad also took it away from me when I was for 5 for shooting my older brother[8].I deer hunted with my dad until I was 14.I finally got to sit on a stand by myself with a 30.06 that I had bought for $65.I spent many hours down by the river shooting my rifle until my dad was satisfied I knew how to handle the rifle.Now 50 years later I have many other rifles,but I still hunt with the ''old'' Springfield.I am curious if that 4 1/2 year old actually pulled the trigger?Quess one would have to pass a poloygraph?

What kind of contest is that? lol That is not sending the right message to kids.

4 1/2 i dont belive that, at that age my dad would just let me sit with him in the stand learning. a 4 yo kid has no idea about gun safty and much less the body size to handle a rifle. i am for taking kids out so dont get me wrong. i have a 4 yo that is 45# and 48" tall big for her age and by no mean can she handle a gun of any type, she goes with me and helps clean birds and such i have even let her help call ducks for fun just so she doest get to bored i want her to have fun and learn what hunting is about. i dont want her to think that hunting is seeing how much or how big a animal is the way things are measured. i am still are teaching and taking people that are 30 yo and just getting into hunting i would never want them to get the idea bigger is better. i have been hunting for many years and i have yet to find a good way to cook them horns, does are just as tasty.

I caught the end of the program but got the idea that it was one of the ''major'' contest down South.Another catagory means more money in the sponsers pockets.

I know that I was going with me dad at that age, I was entered in the largest buck competition out of freer texas at the age of 7, The muye Grande( not sure if that is how you spell it) I dont think that it is still in existance any more, Im not real sure how you make standards by the use of age of a child. It all depends on maturity. There are kids that are my age that I dont think should be abel to hunt with a rifle at the age of 20. Just my 02 on the subject but i dont have kids and I guess I dont really know how they act at that age.

My friend in S. Texas takes his 6 year old boy to the stand with him, the boy sleeps on a blanket and wakes up to look at deer and they have some precious video of the two of them talking...they boy has a plastic rifle that is his and he thinks he is hunting..he sure has fun.....

I started when I was 7.....and did not carry a gun until I was 9, I just sat with my dad.

My fiancee' and I are having a boy in January and I have actually been thinking about this very thing a lot lately. When do I want to introduce him to the woods? I plan on taking him scouting every chance I get....as soon as he is old enough to identify a deer! But sitting in the tree.....I'm not sure...I'd like him to be at least 7 or 8 before I he's allowed to sit in the tree. What I am going to do...is start video taping my hunts...so when he's old enough...he'll have something to learn from.

Sometimes the early learning for a child is not the hunt...its just being outside in the outdoors with parents and friends...Did not really realize this until my granddaughter hates being inside...she turned a year old Nov 6 of this year ...and it was like she could feel excitement in the air...deer season was opening up and she coulkd sit all day OUTSIDE...but take her back in and it seemed she stayed irratible...we are a hunting family and I think just being outdoors is a big first step

Yep ...she has more camo clothes from me than anything else

As far as carring a gun and harvesting something...it depends on lats of circumstances ...but the younger they are taught the big picture of hunting ...the better

As far as having a catorgory for the youngest kid to kill a deer...We all know that its the kid 10% and the parents 90%..until we as parents mold them to make the right decsions on their own....is this a bad thing...depends on what the kids learn from their parents about that situation...

I started when I was 8 and was carring a gun when I was 9...but that was what I was being taught...thats just what was done ...contributing to the family feast and yea a little braggin going on...but it was not always the kill...it was the whole expeirence and the stories to rembember and keep the tradtion alive...

There is nothing like the feeling of watching the sun come up or go down ...with a youngster...and explain the way God works...in nature... and our responsibility of keeping it the way God intented

Just my thoughts for the day

None of the callers to the program had a problem with small children sitting with their Dads,Moms,Grandparents etc. sharing the great outdoors.The problem they had was a catagory that did not have a age limit[say 10 years old]and a 4 1/2 year old winning the catagory.I can still rememeber a few things when i was 5 but not any at 4.I quess it could be done,but picture a 4 1/2 year old taking a poloygraph?

I would guess he would pass.

A polygraph test wouldnt have to be done on the child but the dad, that would settle it right there.

I'm with yall...have the test done on the father. My dad started taking me duck hunting when I was 5 and I used his single shot, bolt action 20ga. and was only allowed to shoot the ducks on the water (safety sake). Didn't take me deer hunting until I was 10 and with a shotgun with buckshot.

My father and I have taken my nephews starting a 4 or 5 years of age goose hunting, but only to watch and learn.

Once again, this is crazyhorse, not Lora. My only thoughts on this issue, and most of them are in line with everything all of you have posted, have we, as a species, become so bankrupt of self respect and dignity, that all that matters to some folks, or makes them feel like they are somebody, is to win a contest. I am not a parent, but I am sure that I would want a child to be able to be a winner in life, but at what price. I know that people are going to take excewption to this, and that is their priveledge, but TP&W had to finally put a limit on the age of youth hunters in the drawing hunts. A kid has to be 8 years old to participate. I just can't help but feel that the group putting on the contest, didn't really think out what kind of message they were sending out. Not wanting to send like a broken record, but this is just one more of those things that anti-hunters and the anti-gun crowd can jump on.