At What Age To Shoot

I read posts of what rifle for a youngster, what caliber, what rifle for a recoil shy youngster, etc.

At what age is just too young to shoot deer.

Some of the pictures in the Tyler paper, the kids look to be in the first or second grade. That is just to young to me.

My father's requirement was kids were allowed to go and sit with him at age 7. Even then the attention span was not very long. During those years, you helped gut, skin and quarter a deer. After receiving your rifle at age 11, you were required to shoot it until he was satisfied that you were ready to shoot at a deer.

I did the same with mine.

Was wondering, it seems kids are shooting to young to me?

My plan was similar to yours except I have girls so the gutting part they are still learning...lol.

I wouldn’t go by age but maturity, coordination and learning ability.

That’s just me, I say do what you decide it’s your kid.

Danger Will Robinson! Some touchy, and understandably proud, young daddies on here.

I shot my first buck at 11. In my dad's generation (born 1918), I don't think boys even went much with their dads. It was a rite of passage to manhood. 'Not saying they didn't have .22s and plinked, but a hunt was more of a once a season, two week affair. Men didn't go every weekend, they were too busy working 6 or 7 days a week.

Plenty of pictures of 6 year olds that pulled the trigger on a rifle in a firm, full rest and shot something bigger than I'll ever see, at 200 yards no less. I don't think that teaches them much.

I like a lot of what Creekrunner said.

I started hunting when I was 10. I think individual maturity has a lot to do with it, ive been around tiny kids that seemed calm and well behaved and listened well enough to do it and ive seen teenagers I wouldn't trust to.

If they cant support and handle the gun themselves I think they are too young. I don't believe in shooting out of a sled or fixed type rest.

i think a lot of folks need to read these ^ ^ ^ replies ^ ^

maturity is everything when you have a loaded firearm in your hands.
i've seen a lot of "grownups" that are too immature to be out hunting,

I agree with redchevy. If you have to set-up the rifle for them to just pull the trigger that is not hunting and they're too young.

Every kid is different and you'll know when they're ready

Boom

I don't know for sure. I started shooting at age 6. I didn't kill a deer until I was in my thirties :x

I have been after small game almost as long as I have been shooting and I rarely had any supervision. Not saying it should be that way, but that is the way it was. They also tried to teach me to clean fish earlier than that, but it took me a couple years to do it on my own and do it right.

So 99% of what i know of hunting and fishing came from personal experience, Field and Stream, and Outdoor Life My grandma always made sure I had a subscription to field and stream. Believe it or not that kept fish in the freezer and kept me out of trouble. So very smart of her to do that. Grown ups worked all the time, Grandma worked until well into her 60's.

I think it's up to you and you gotta use your best judgement on your kids and their maturity level. My girls wants to go hunting with me, I think that itself is a blessing and not something you should piddle around about. As soon as they can place the shot with an adequate caliber for deer, if they have been exposed to dead game and understand you have to take a animal's life and still show desire to hunt then they are ready. That doesn't mean you gotta scare them with talk about death and killing. You will know they are ready by the eay they talk about it.

You have to feed their desire to hunt and fish or they will lose it in their adolescence and may never get it back. So if you want them to be your hunting partners and your grandkids to do it too, you gotta feed that desire and make those good memories.

My dilemma with them isn't a lack of maturity, but they are very small. My ten year old is ready mentally, and her marksmanship skills are good enough, but not quite ready to shoot a powerful rifle because of her physical stature.

My boys are actually my stepsons. Their dad had them in the deer woods very young and they could not shoot any centerfire caliber comfortably, but the desire to get a deer was strong enough that they could handle it just fine. A lot of grown men hunt with rifles they can't shoot comfortably so there is that.. So my boys have a whole lot more experience deer hunting than me. But we're still working on their ability to hunt in general. Their dad put them on deer and made it happen for them before the skills were learned, but I think that is OK. Might be a little bit backwards to some of ya'll but what is important is they have fun times and good memories and they want to spend time with you and learn. That is what you want.

Kids typically won't learn to hunt before they make their first kill I think, because they are not doing it necessarily to put meat on the table. The meat is a bonus of the whole experience. You're not teaching them to hunt to survive, you're sharing it with them and teaching them a way of life, self sufficiency, and responsibility.

Just expect to cut your time in a stand short, they don't have the perseverance or attention span to sit in a stand all day or the perseverance and endurance to spot and stalk all day. You gotta make it fun for them and that means sucking it up and cutting it short sometimes. That has been my experience fishing with them, unless they are really biting good you have an hour or two hours tops before they lose interest. Learning patience comes when the desire to get a big fish outweighs the desire to go home on a slow day. Hunting I think will be a similar experience- maybe I ought to get them on doves or squirrels first on that note.

If your kid has the patience and desire already, good for you.

Me personally, if my daughter could put three consecutive shots on a paper plate with any rifle I already had, we'd have been in a deer stand somewhere this year. I just got her on a rimfire this year and I have no doubt she will bag some squirrels. So whatever opportunity comes up next to hunt I am getting her in the woods, probably with a .410 and a red dot instead of a .22 to go after squirrels so she can learn to manage the recoil a little. She's ten.

Starting them young is smarter in my opinion. They just need constant supervision. You're not turning them loose on their own with a rifle to put meat on the table, hopefully at least. In NC they have to be 17 to hunt alone anyway. By then they should be damn good and ready.

I definitely support taking kids hunting before they are ready to be the one pulling the trigger. My 4 year old has been sitting with me for the past two years off and on. Been doing a lot better this past season than the one before. He is definitely interested in it, but no where near ready.

I have been trying to get him to start shooting but haven't had much luck with that, he is very sensitive around loud noises and even with ear plugs I have only gotten him to shoot a 22 a few times.

Mine are shy of the noise also. I put earplugs in her ears, put peltors on top of that, and used CCI Quiet. She can have fun with that and no problems, although she still thought it was loud at first. Im like... CCI Quiet... the pellet gun is louder than this. There is a psychological aspect to it as well I think.

I am looking for better earplugs to go with the peltors so she can use a louder gun. If I gotta get a suppressor I will, but it's so expensive and you gotta wait a long time. Plus the suppressor doesn't help with the noise other shooters are making at the range.

I agree maturity is a key.

My youngest son made a decision not to follow ranch rules which were created by his Grandfather. They were posted on the wall for all to read and follow. His rifle bolt managed to disappear.

He asked where it was, I told him his Grandfather had it. it was put away until he matured. It was a long time in coming.

Ranch rules and safety are paramount.

Thanks for folks insight.

I agree with many posts above. Some people it may be 4 and some probably shouldn't be shooting at all. My dad told me that when I could consistently hit a quarter by myself at 25 yards (I think it was 25) with a .22, then I could shoot. Shot my first doe at 5 years old. At that age, I had probably shot more BBs than the average 20 year old though, so it really depends on the person imo.

Agree with all that say Maturity is the key. In the Texas Youth Hunting Program kids have to be at least 9 years old to participate. I have started some younger ad some older. I was shooting a bb gun at 6 and 22 at 8 but was not released to hunt until I turned 9.

I fall more in this line of thinking and don't believe that there is any specific age that would determine if they were too young or ready. I also agree that I see many kids that are shooting way too young, but it isn't because of a picture that is posted of them with their trophy, it refers to some of the kids that I have been around that are shooting deer.

Both my kids have been shooting guns since they were 3-4 years old. My daughter shot her first deer at 8 and at the rate my son is going, he won't shoot his until he is 14

My daughter was a quick learner behind the trigger. She always pays attention to the instructions and retains them. She has made every effort to become proficient with a gun and showed interest in shooting beyond "doing it because the other kids are." I knew she was ready because she had shown me both in the stand and out of the stand.

My son likes to shoot, actually loves to shoot. But his idea is using a semi-automatic and watching the water spouts as he shoots the pond. I don't push him to do it any different but he is well aware that he won't be shooting at an animal until he can hone in his skills. He want's to shoot a deer worse than his sister ever did. He loves hunting but he isn't anywhere near ready and I have no issue telling him he isn't ready. We will see what the next few years bring or change for him, but it doesn't change the amount of time that we spend in the stand together.

I have a buddy that has a son that is 7 and has been shooting a gun from around the same time frame as both of my kids. His son has shot 6 deer to date and killed 1 of those stalking and resting against a tree for support while stalking. He is as good of a hunter as many grown men that I know.

Agree. I started young, and started all 4 of my kids young. In the stand & bird hunting with me at 3-4 yrs old. All started on bb guns and basic gun safety at 3-4. Lots of bb gun practice then up to 22’s. Practice & more practice, then up to centerfires. When they’re ready they’re ready, age doesn’t matter. My youngest Son killed his first deer the end of last season at 7, made a perfect 100 yrd heart shot on a doe at 100 yrds with my old 243. My kid rules are simple, safety first, proficiency 2’nd. You have to be able to regularly do both by yourself or you’re not ready. Youngest daughter is 4 and on her bb gun now, looking forward to when she’s ready. I’m a firm believer in starting them young and starting them right, but again regardless of age if a kid is not ready the kid’s not ready.

My son proved to me he was ready to shoot a hog this past season at age 6. He is a pretty dang good shot and I made sure of that before I let him shoot a hog. With that said after shooting a hog and doing great i let him shoot a doe and later in the season his first buck. It’s not exactly how I planned it but he proved he was ready and he earned it. If I hadn’t been 100% confident in his ability to shoot I wouldn’t have allowed him to do so. Age is just a number and each kid is different.

My dad started me at 10. I learned the hard way about focus and emotional control when I swung on a pheasant and I wanted it so bad I swung out of my safe zone toward my dad. My guardian angle was with me and I didnt hit him but scared the Heck out of both of us. Needless to say I felt and thought that was my last day afield but I had the greatest dad ever and he sat me down and we talked it through. I realized that day there was no animal worth more than someone you love or another human being. That lesson is responsible for many many passes over 60 years on questionable shots.

The maturity issue is the case in point. Is the child able to comprehend the consequences of a mistake and how to avoid mistakes.. Not his accuracy or his patience.
I've been working with my 2 grandsons age 10 and 11. Watching them handle the firearm is my entire focus. Yes we sight in and shoot but any careless barrel handling is called out in the strongest terms. It's been about a year and I am now comfortable they got the message. They both got great mule deer this year.

Good stuff Sap, here’s a couple of my little boy from last season.











He carries a pocket knife & a skinning knife with him too, with me. He is also learning knife safety 101 and he knows what will happen if he breaks the rules. Gun cleaning and knife sharpening classes start soon.

Great pics Sapper and Skinner.

Maturity and knowledge of the hunting experience.

Each kid is different. It’s up to you to make that call. I killed my first deer on the run at 7 with a 30-30 and hunted birds over dogs at that age. My boys are 7 and 10. They can shoot deer out of a blind and dove hunt. I don’t shoot when they’re dove hunting and watch them take turns. They’re not ready to shoot over dogs yet. Too many things can go wrong. They’re not ate up with killing things like I was at 6. I killed at least 10 sparrows with a BB gun every day for the cats at the barn and we had 1,000’s of jackrabbits to practice on with a 22. Hopefully next year will be the year for some real hunting. The first few times they won’t be hunting with a group and just one dog will be on the ground. I’ll evaluate from there with one gun taking turns.

Shot my first doe at 9.

A lot of great posts and pictures in this thread. Good topic.

I'm always disheartened when I see those pictures of young kids with a monster buck as their first deer. I think that's doing them a disservice and gives them a false impression of what hunting is all about. A kid's first few hunts behind the trigger should be for small game with a .22 or 410, and their first deer should be a doe, or maybe a spike. But I'm an old fart who grew up in a different era, so what do I know.

I have to admit, I had the same thought. I feel like for a good buck, they have to earn it. I mean work for it, understand it, appreciate it, put in the time, put in the effort, etc. Spike or doe for their first one.

On the weekend that my daughter went was youth weekend and opening morning we got her on a spike but she couldn't close the deal. She put in the time and effort, the deer just didn't help her any and ended up leaving. A doe came in and the same thing happened. Never would line up for a shot and I had preached about shot placement so much that she never felt comfortable pulling the trigger.

That evening a cull buck on our place came out. I had no intention of letting her shoot a buck of that caliber (even though on our place it isn't a trophy, it most definitly was to her). The buck did everything right, so I let her take it as her first. I have no regrets and she is no worse for taking it, but it did go against what I believed and had intended.

I do get your point on the true trophy bucks, but for some, that might be the trigger time that keeps them coming back!!

The other two have killed their share of deer but this was my daughters first. Pretty good youth weekend for us

No doubt.

I agree with this. But even a lot of grown men use those lock-down rests these days. I guess if one can’t shoot well it’s better to use it than not if you just have to kill something.

I agree with this also (probably because I too have some years on me). Sadly, I think that (as in youth sports) many parents try to live vicariously through their kids these days also. That’s what comes to mind for me when I see a 6 year old behind a 150+” buck. (Another of 1001 reasons I don’t like those-type-of-places-that-shall-remain-nameless )
But I have to keep in mind these days are different too for another reason: my kids saw more decent bucks (14” 8 points and up) in a season than I saw in a decade of hunting back in the ‘70s. So naturally they will be shooting better deer than I did.

I definitely think it's all about maturity and proficiency of the child....not age. My dad started teaching me to shoot a .22 LR at age 4.

At age 5, I killed my first squirrel. At age 7, I killed my first deer. My dad was always within arms reach of me and watching closely....but I was unassisted (which I think is important). I will say I don't believe in the stunts where parents set up a tripod with the rifle already set up and position their toddler behind the gun to pull the trigger....just so they can brag how their 3 year old shot a deer. The kiddo needs to be able to place the shot and maneuver the rifle on their own, in my opinion.

IMO the kid needs to be abot to hold and shoot a DEER rifle themselves. IMO deer rifles start at 3030/250 savage. If they cant handle recoil out if them then they are too young. Also, they need to be able to shoot that rifle with iron/peep sights, if they can't do that they are too young. They also need to be able to sit in a blind or wherever and be still and and quite and not playing with a phone, if they can't do that they are too young. A lot of kids in pictures are probably too young IMO, because many of them would not be able to meet the my requirments for hunting

Better get em before adolescence then!

My requirements for a new hunter are that they be able to hit a paper plate at 100 yards 5 times in a row with a 243 and up. My own youngsters shooting the 22 Hornet had to be able to hit a golf ball at 100 consistently. It’s not hard to kill a deer out of a blind at a 100 yards with a rest. It’s like shooting a layups only easier.

Well I have met some adults that were not old enough to shoot game but maybe that’s another point. As far as youngsters are concerned you act like a man you shoot like a man. Did you get up early in the summer and go to the lease and do chores? Did you put in time at the rifle range? Are you proficient and accurate with your rifle? Can you field strip and clean your own rifle? Do you know your ammunition? I think you get the point. You act like a man you shoot like a man.

I've been taking my kids with me to the blind since they were old enough to answer yes or no when I asked them if they wanted to come along. It doesn't have to be serious business all the time and if I have to pack books, games, movies, snacks, ipads, etc. to ensure that they are occupied during the slow times, so be it. I work a lot of hours, so if I can bring my kids along with me when I'm not working, I do. Hell, most of the time I don't even bring a rifle when they're with me.

Actually shooting an animal is another matter altogether. My son started shooting a bb gun when he was 5 and shot a doe this year at 7. My oldest daughter has declared that she's a meat eating photographer and doesn't really care to shoot, but she still likes to come along.

What about the girls, LOL?

I'm with you on this

I would bet an aweful lot of people who shoot with hand me down lever guns, or a remington pump or woodsmaster autoloader that have never and will never field strip their guns and probably rarely if ever even clean them as they should.

But, I bet some of them are pretty good hunters, too.

I'm fairly certain it's a known problem with the woodsmasters, they are run into the ground before being cleaned and have pitted chambers and all sorts of problems. That's why they are so cheap, used.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion of "deer" calibers and the age of a kid. I have my own set of requirements and as soon as a kid with me meets those requirements, we're going hunting. So far so good...

I agree with the phone part of your statement.

Wow, i am so happy you agree with part of my statement.

I figure you have your own requirements and you posted your opinion of those requirements that the op asked for, just like i did. But, it seems you misconstrued my statment as a question wanting your opinion, which it was not

Personally, a day without a phone within reach, would be a blessing. I forgot what it was like, to be able to leave my phone at home. Going into another line of work where I am off when I am off, so that's soon to change.

I'd bet my next check, 99% of teens that have access to phones can't spend a day in the field without taking a break and playing with their phones. Teens especially because of their hormones.

I'd bet even a lot of grown men, too.

It's a conpletely unrealistic expectation by today's standards.

That's coming from someone who only has a smart phone because my wife got me one. I'd prefer to use a flip phone and save money.

But, whatever you believe, your opinion...

Maybe you shouldn't post giving your opinions on the subject matter if you're not prepared to hear someone else's opinions on same subject matter without posting a snarky response like you just did. Grouchy much??

Have a good night and God bless.

Seems about right to me. IMO, the child should be big enough to safely handle and carry the rifle without ever needing assistance, which only seems like common sense. They shouldn't need an adult to carry the rifle for them, much less place it on a window ledge so they can take a shot. They should also be able shoot it well enough and long enough to place numerous hits inside a three-inch circle at 100 yards.

My girls were in their teens before they took their first shot with a deer rifle. I suspect it was because I never tried to encourage them to shoot any sooner by offering any assistance in what I felt they should be able to safely do for themselves. I also believe strongly that because I took this approach, they never felt overwhelmed by the weight and recoil of a rifle and now enjoy shooting both rifles and handguns for sheer pleasure.

Yes, I would say if the child is old enough to safely carry their own center-fire rifle to and from the range, knowing they're going to shoot at least a half box of shells, and have enough desire to ask you to take them knowing the requirements, they're plenty old enough to shoot a deer rifle.

I started with varmint and an air rifle and progressed through to shotgun varmint and then trap shooting. Growing up in england there is limited rifle hunting so this is the usual course to go through. I think everyone that has mentioned safety from an early age is spot on and progressing slowly. Building skills, appreciation and maturity are key. Just my opinion. If my daughter is interested this is the route I will try to take with her.

I'll give this topic another twist.

Perhaps the best way to know if a kid is ready is to let them do it ALL by themselves and by that I mean:

1.) Drive themselves to the stand (4 wheeler or whatever)
2.) Get set-up in the stand (binos, load rifle, open blind windows, etc)
3.) Survey animals and make own judgement of correct deer to take if any at all

I seriously doubt some of these 5 and 6 year olds are capable to of this. Well perhaps they're capable, but would you trust your own child to do this and feel completely safe about it? My boy shot his first deer last year at age 12 and I know I'd worry about him on his own.

We had actually already heard your opinion, you just didn't like that mine contradicted yours and felt a need to comment further. I have found when people give unsolicited opinions they will sometimes get called on it, this was one of those times. Notice that i did not quote your original opinion, which I may or may not disagree with, cause you didn't ask for my input. I was simply answering the OP........

That would not work for me. You would miss out on the journey helping them get to that milestone. That's the most enjoyable part for me. My daughters first kill was at 7 with a .22 on a gobbler. She progressed to wanting to kill hogs at about 10 so I started her shooting the 270. I had her dry fire it often until I was satisfied she could properly aim and shoulder it. Had her take 3 shots at the range well spaced out between shots shooting 130s. She never even brought up the recoil subject. She loves killing hogs and I waited for her to ask me for a chance at deer. That was at 16.

I hope and pray she never wants to hunt without me but I am ready for when she wants to hunt alone. We have a great time hunting together and we are both using the camera more as well. She's 24.

I believe that it's an individual situation. I began taking my oldest son with me when he was six, his first kill (a doe) was at age 11. Youngest son started sitting in the blind at age 4. He killed a 4 point buck when he was 7. Both of them began with bb guns, then 22's and finally moved up to rifles. Oldest boy used a .243 (and still does) Youngest used a 6.5 X 55 Swedish Mauser.
My girls enjoy sitting in a blind but want no part of shooting or gutting a deer.

Shooting out of an affixed sled is for "range sighting in, zeroing in or ensuring zero" IMO; I've never seen so much sled or full rest usage as I have in the last 20+ years of hunting shows and infomercials. It's a bit laughable....If you can't handle a rifle, off handedly acquire target and self steady crosshair, sightblade, etc. on target and steadily and competently execute shot to consistently and humanely harvest animal than you are too young or too inexperienced to be hunting, IMO..This goes for kids and adults...

My earliest memories include guns and hunting with my family. I was carrying my son to the deer stand with a rifle slung on my back, him on one arm and a diaper bag on the other. He harvested his first deer at 5 and was shooting before that. It's never too early IMO.