LifeNRA Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 6/16/2005 1:15:29 PM I have a question for all the parents out there. Who knows your kids best? Hopefully, you do. You know when your kid is ready to learn to shoot and you know when your kid is ready to go hunting. The sad thing is that too many states don’t let parents decide if their kids are ready to hunt. They have minimum hunting ages that are far too high and don’t allow parents to take their kids on supervised hunts. Currently 22 states don’t allow big game hunting by anyone under the age of 14, and in some of those states the minimum age is much higher. Some of you might be thinking that limiting youth hunts is just fine. Well, think about it for a minute. If we don’t recruit new hunters into the fold hunting will die. In today’s world there are too many things--from video games to year round youth sports--for kids to spend their time doing for us to wait until they are 14 to get them started in hunting. A recent study shows that states with minimum hunting ages over 12 are recruiting hunters at a lower rate than states with the lower age requirement. There is a clear relationship between starting a kid early and creating a life-long hunter. Some people argue that young hunters aren’t safe hunters. The facts show otherwise. According to the same report the safest hunters in the woods are young hunters. NRA is actively pursuing opportunities to lower minimum hunting ages across the country. We are also supporting mentor-hunting programs and I’ll talk about the specifics of those programs in my next post. For now, take a kid hunting and if the state won’t let you because the kid is too young, call your wildlife agency and demand that the age be changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastrophies Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters No age limit in Texas. Once they reach 12, they have to take the hunter's ed class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters Fortunately, I don't live in one of those restrictive youth hunter states. I started my son out early and wouldn't have it any other way. By the time he was 14 he was more responsible than some other adult hunters I know. I'm not surprised about the recruitment problems the restrictive states are having. Seems like a common sense thing to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horst Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters We have a "youth" season here for deer.The only problem with it is the youths have to be 12 years old to hunt during it.Of course they have to be supervised by a licensed adult. But at the same time if your kid wants to try deer hunting earlier than 12 they can buy a license for the regular season and go when all the adults go Pretty much defeats the purpose of the youth season if they have to start hunting during the regular season with everyone else first. As far as the safety aspect of it goes, Ive said it before in here, I feel safer hunting with my 9 yr old than I do with a lotta adults I know. And no I dont believe every child should be allowed to hunt big game before theyre 12, but that should be up to the parent to decide, not the state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchies Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters Major issue here because alot of the problems they are having with younger kids going in that Dad takes them and then takes the gun away from Jr. and shoots the deer but tags it on son's tag. I have seen it too many times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horst Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters Well hutchies, wouldnt that be considered poaching?Why should the kids be forced to sit home because of a few irresponsible adults?Anyone who would deprive thier kids of taking a deer is a worthless, selfish, poaching, piece of crap IMO and should have thier license taken away but I think thats an entirely seperate isse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters Yeah, I'd say 14 is too high a starting age. I think I started with my Red Ryder when I was 12. Then again, IMHO, these little guys and girls shooting big shotguns and big rifles at the age of 6 or 7 is too young IMHO. Seems to me in a lot of those cases it's the dad forcing the kid to go before they make up their own minds. I have 4 kids ages 11 to 3 and none of them have shown an interest in hunting. When they do, I will most definitely introduce them, but I want it to be their decision, and true, I don't want the state making my decision for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters No age limit here. Been taking my oldest daughter out with me starting when she was about three and a half. She is nine this year, and Tennessee just changed the law defining a youth. Used to be a youth was age 10-16. To hunt the youth hunts kids had to be in that age group. Now it is 6-16, so my 9 year old will get to hunt those special hunts with a rifle before the first gun season ever opens here this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teamgoose4 Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters in tennesse i believe you have to be 10 to carry a gun and also have to complete the hunters safety course. i was done with it when i was 8. took a long time before the two years went by but i shot a doe my first season when i was 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricfirefighter Posted June 18, 2005 Report Share Posted June 18, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters 12 here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted June 19, 2005 Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters [ QUOTE ] in tennesse i believe you have to be 10 to carry a gun and also have to complete the hunters safety course. i was done with it when i was 8. took a long time before the two years went by but i shot a doe my first season when i was 10. [/ QUOTE ] That is not accurate. Tennessee has no age restriction for hunters. A youth used to be defined as 10-16, now is age 6-16. That just qualifes them for youth only hunts. A child cannot get their hunter education course until they are 10 years of age in this state, but that is not required for youth hunters under 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhunter91 Posted June 19, 2005 Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters That's another reason why I hate New York. Too many darn liberals in this state. Chuck Schumer, Hilary Clinton.. screw them all! They just screw it up for everyone else. NY (not NYS DEC) believes that young hunters aren't safe. Then explain why the average age of a hunter in an accident is 40+ years!? Here the minimum age to take the basic Hunter ed course is 11. The course is a minimum of 12 hours, but no more than 16! Then at 12 that hunter ed certificate becomes valid and you can buy a license and go hunting for small game, from chipmunks to turkey to coyote (with a gun only). That's about it until you are 14, if you take your bowhunter ed course. The minimum age for that is 11 also. That class is a 10 hour class. Your bowhunter ed certificate becomes valid on your 12th birthday. Then once again until you are 14 you cannot hunt big game. Then you have another 2 year wait until you can hunt big game with a rifle/shotgun/muzzleloader. The last 2 years they have introduced a bill that would lower the big game bowhunting age from 14 to 12. Last year it was shot down, this year it has been idle for about 2 months now. Probably not going to happen. This year, I miss out on all of the early season deer hunting, because my 14th birthday isn't until late November, right smack in the middle of the gun season. I just absolutley hate this state. I might not be a parent with kids, but I have my views and I have been affected by these crap laws in NY. Thanks for letting me vent... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
va_strutstopper Posted June 19, 2005 Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters theres no age limit here in VA. my son took his first deer last season at age 14. i was a very proud dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deershed Posted June 19, 2005 Report Share Posted June 19, 2005 Re: I have a question for all the parents? New Hunters In Md. if you can pass the Hunter Safety course you can hunt,no age limit. I told my kids when they hit 10 if they wanted to hunt they could.My youngest will be 10 in Aug.and he can't wait to go. All my kids except one started hunting on a youth hunt and at the age 10. My one son his first year hunting on a youth hunt 2 yrs. ago couldn't get a shot at a hawg of a buck.The deer wouldn't stand still and the boy couldn't find him in the scope.He kept telling me to shoot the deer for him and he'd tag it. I told him sure in 2 weeks,but I'd tag him myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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