Hunting with your kid

How old was your child when they were first licensed to hunt? I remember being pretty young sitting alone (maybe as young as 7). How old were they when they began to sit alone? My little girl is still too young to even go sit with me but I'm sure it won't be too many years down the road before she begins to ask to go.

Six years old. They were accompanying me before that. Their first kill was 7 and 8.

First kills were a WT and a hog.

My son was 6 when he sat in the blind with my and took his first deer right after he turned 7. I bought the $7 youth licenses for he and his sister at the beginning of the season as part of the entire experience for them. He will turn 10 this season and his sister will turn 12. For me, I think they will probably be at least 16 before I would let them sit alone. For now, the past 3 seasons have been daddy and kid time for us at the lease.

They both have been going since they were 5. The game we play is until you can take the hunter safety course you are watching. At age 9 they both took the course and are the shooter that season. Each son, we have 2, get a rifle of there own for Xmas the year they turn 9.

My son came in the blind with me at 8 for the first time. Shot his first deer at 10. We do guided hunts so he sits in the blind with me. I like spending the time with him.

I have two daughters. They were 11 and 9 when they got their first deer.
It took them a while to realized that what dad was doing was much more fun.

I shot my first deer at 10 and probably started sitting on my own at about 14

shot my first deer at 7 hunted a stand near my father when I was 10 or 11.

My daughter shot her first deer when she was 8. My son shot his first deer when he was 6. The both started sitting in the blind and hunting alone when they were 13. Both had been going hunting with me and other family members since they were big enough to walk to the stand. There are still times when we sit together.

Daughter started going with me about 5 and pulling the trigger around 8.

Got the license this year when he turned 10 but he only shoots a shotgun. Rifle is a bit much now plus he doesn't eat deer so I ain't going to let him shoot one until he does.

Mine start going at 6 and start shooting when they are ready. My oldest son is a really big guy and is mature and strong. He started deer hunting at 6, dove/duck hunting at 7, and is ready to sit alone this year at 12. My daughter starting going at 6 and deer hunting at 8. She's 11 now and although she can handle a shotgun, she's not ready to hunt with one. She doesn't have the upper body strength to control the gun as well as I would like yet, so maybe she can bird hunt next year. That youngest boy of mine has a lot of his momma in him and is wild. I'll start taking him this year since he's 6, but we will see how it goes. If I get him to sit still and quite for an hour it'll be an achievement. He would probably try to tackle a deer if I let him, so that guy will be a work in progress.

I started hunting with my dad when I was 6 or 7. Shot my first deer when I was 9 I think. Started hunting in a stand alone at 11. Granted dad only gave me a 20 gauge and 1 slug, and all my shots were about 100-125 yards so slug was rendered useless. I was closer to 13 when I started legitimately hunting with a rifle on my own. I think it all depends on each individual. Dad and uncle trusted me and my judgement on what deer I would and wouldn't shoot. I actually passed on a few deer that ended up being shot just to make sure I would make the right decision(I felt they were a little too young to shoot). When I was 16 I started going to the lease, then our ranch on my own and spending 3-4 days hunting alone. If they can make the right choice on a deer, harvest it, and be able to clean it correctly on their own, I feel like they are ready for it.

I started bird "hunting" when I was about 3. Mostly sat in the bed of the truck with my unloaded Red Rider BB gun and tried to shoot dove and pheasant. Shot my first shotgun when I was 5......my dads old 12 gauge. Came home from that one with a black eye because I put the gun under my arm because I couldn't hold it up any other way. Can't remember when I shot my first dove but I killed my first pheasant when I was 9. Dad told me that he would buy me my own shotgun as soon as I killed a pheasant.....Shot it while walking in a line with grown hunters. Shot my first deer when I was 10 and had a bad experience on that hunt......Still have trouble shooting deer to this day.

I started taking my son hunting when he was 3. Mostly just watching and covering his ears. "Bird Dogged" when he was 4 and I bought him a single shot 410 when he was 5. He only shot it once but I made him carry it around and point at the doves. He shot his first dove, in flight, at age 6. Let him go on his own at age 10. He shot his first deer at age 10 and first pig at 12. I let him hunt alone in a blind when he was 14 and shot his first buck that year......nice young 9pt with a drop tine. He has hunted every year since and has killed a bunch of pigs but has not shot another deer. Passed on an 15"-17" wide 8pt last year cause he wanted something bigger and thought he was too young. I guessed him at about 3.5yrs. He is now 18 and we quail hunted this weekend together. Mentioned that he wanted to kill a deer this year for some meat......I guess we will find out in a few weeks if he decides to pull the trigger.

Is 3 too young for my daughter to tag along deer hunting?

My youngest turned 4 on 10/6 and he went with us Saturday afternoon. He did pretty well. My oldest killed his first deer last year at age 6.

Absolutely not!!! My daughter has been going with my since she was 3 and was involved when she was still 2. You have to remember at that age their attention span is shorter and the hunt (experience) is not about you, it is all about them. My daughter just turned 7 and can't wait to go back. The day after we get home, she will start asking when we are leaving again.

As far as "how old to shoot", that is up to the parent and kid IMO. It is important for me that my kids understand the how and why of hunting instead of going through the motions. There are a lot of lessons that can be taught in the field. We both will know when they are ready.

I have seen young kids that go hunting and shoot deer at our place each year. They don't have the respect or desire that I want to see in my kids before they pull the trigger. For some, it seems that the finality has no meaning, it is simply what you do when you go hunting.

I say get them out there as early as possible and just have fun.

The way the law reads, it appears you must be 9 years old to sit alone, provided you have completed the hunters ed or deferred.

I sat with my dad a few times growing up but really started hunting with him at 12. I shot my first dove and went deer hunting but with no gun, him using that year to teach me all about the art of hunting. We didn't have blinds or feeders so I learned very important skills and lessons about how to really hunt. All of which I still use to this day. He taught me how to track, to read sign, to read weather, to read terrain, to pay attention to the smallest details in the thickest brush and the smallest sounds. I got to carry a rifle when I was 13 and was usually within eyeshot of my dad. Got my first deer that year, a 135 inch 9 point while leaning over my dads back as he was my shooting bench. I'll never forget how proud he was of me and how proud he made me feel when we walked up on that buck. That was 21 years ago and now I'll have a chance to take my 8 yr old and my 3 yr old out very soon and hope that they have as fond of memories hunting with me as I do with my dad.

I have twins boy and girl that are now 4yrs old and have taken them since they were 6 months old. Sometimes we leave the stand early, but we always make it fun. As far as when to start them shooting that is up to the parent each kid is different. Mine have only shot bb guns and long bows, but always want to see you shoot whatever we see. They understand we don't shoot everything, but they sure like it when you do. Here are a few pictures over the last few years and the mule deer hunt was from this last weekend.











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I believe in starting them shooting/hunting early, but I can't imagine letting a kid less than 9 hunt by themselves with a high powered rifle.

I was 8 when I got my first liscence I was sitting alone by about 9. My dad or grandpa would hunt with me until about 9:30 in the morning and then my dad would put me up in a little single man ladder stand about 10 yards from his big buck stand and I would stay up there until about 12:00-1:00.

Mine turns 4 in January. He went one afternoon with me when he was almost 3 last season. I've taken him for two afternoon sits already this year:




Mom and I have discussed to not start him on a Red Ryder for AT LEAST a full year and I might even wait until dove season 2017. RIGHT NOW I can't imagine him being ready to sit solo with a deer rifle at 9.

I hunted solo last night and apparently I didn't bother to unpack my backpack from my last hunting trip. I laughed out loud when I looked in my backpack and it was full with Dusty Crophopper and RipSlinger, Iron Man and Captain America, apple sauce, water, and of course animal crackers.

I was 6 years old when I went on my first hunt with my Pop. I froze my butt off!! Shot my first deer when I was 8. I started hunting by myself around the age of 10. I had more fun hunting with Pop, so we hunted together for years.

agree with: when starting kids shooting, its up ta parents, each child is different ... Ours we started, camping in tent, while in diapers... When i got on lease wife found camper ta make it family thing... They mostly stayed at camp, until they showed intrest... They have children of their own... They getting inta camping in tent, fishing with just cork, did put small hook, & catch small brim & let oldest real in, just ta catch one, then released it...
Edit: both started with BBguns... Oldest got his taken away... Too, many stories, of my wild days... As parent that was my bad... As he got older, very safe hunter...

i started with my dad at age 5 and shot my first deer at 6. We hunted together till i was 18 or so and those are some of the best memories I have of him and hunting. We would continue to hunt toegether off and on until he passed in 2010. Never to early to get them started and start making memories of a lifetime

My son has been hunting with me since he was 4 years old and now he is 10 and a very good shot and has killed 8 deer over the years. I will let him hunt alone when I think in my mind he is responsible enough to handle hunting alone. No way in hell am I letting a 10 year old run around the wood with a high powered rifle. I don't care if he was born with a gun in his hand and has shot a ton of animals they are still kids and don't think clearly at times. If a gun miss fires what goes through their head and how would they handle that situation? Do the check the gun by looking down the barrel or open it up to look? We would not know b/c we are not there and got lucky nothing happened who knows. I teach my son these situations and would like to think I covered them all on what to do how to point your gun and when to load and unload but to a 10 year old on his own who knows just not going to take that chance just yet. To each his own on this b/c every kid is different, but he is my only child and I would not want anything to happen to him by rushing him to be on his own hunting he has plenty of time to grow up and prove himself until then I will enjoy the time in the blind with him. Plus we have greAt time together.

I started taking my oldest when he turned 3 and can't leave him behind ever since.. Bought his first license this year at the age of 6. hes not ready to shoot, but he loves having the $7 license in his pocket to complete his hunting attire.
My youngest is now 3 and in no way is he ready to go.. We wouldn't make it 10 min.

I don't think I started sitting by myself until I was 12-13 years old. Every kid is different.

very impressive... That been many years ago, different state, different type hunting... Parents, aunts & uncles... Did the hunting... Do remember going ta Grandparents going out on lakes on a pontoon fishing for sunfish, & the icefishing in the winter at that age, just being a kid to busy playing...
Edit: do remember at bout that age, bro's & i getten on them thar HF wild hogs getten thrown & haven ta up & get back on... Ma & pa wouldn't let me carry my pistal... So when they called me caveman & the hogs gonna getcha, when got on first lease, cause of the 24-7-365 hunting... Did my own thing, huntsolo wondering about the woods with pistal on me hip flashlight off... High-tech has made it much safer...

This is exactly how I started. Barely old enough to remember but my first year i took my toy (Fake) Red Ryder. I was 4. My dad would let me 'shoot' the 'deer' which was really just me shooting blanks out the window. I loved it and I think that's really what made me love hunting so much.