Hunting age?

[Calman]

At what age did ya'll start hunting.
My Dad would take me squirell hunting when I was so little he would carry me on his shoulders. When I was 8yr old he bought me a springfield bolt action 22. From then on I was allowed to hunt by myself.

By the way I still have that rifle and in still good working order.
That ol rifle put a lot of squirell and rabbit meat on the table.

Cal

 

[dun]

Being raised in an anti-gun non-hunting family, I was 17 when I started. Right after I left home for good.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Don't truly remember when I started going with Dad. I didn't get my own gun until I turned 11. A 410 single shot.

 

[MikeC]

5 or 6 when I started shooting deer out in the turnip patch with a BB gun.

8 or 10 graduated to a 12 gauge.

Then the work started................

Had to learn to dress them.

That lowered the fun factor. :lol:

 

[Brute 23]

I started shooting .22s at 4 in my dad's lap at the creek.

Started shooting skeet and trap with a 12ga. Rem 1100 at 7. Cousins and brother were all doing it so I wanted to also.

I was competing in skeet and trap at 8.

Never had much use for a BB gun... :lol: :lol:

 

[Jogeephus]

Both my boys killed their first deer at twelve. I would sit with them till they turned 16.

 

[Calman]

Both my boys and both girls could handle and fire a weapon as good as anyone by the age of 12.

I believe that makes kids less curious about a gun, they already are trained on what it will do.

In fact my youngest daughter taught her husband to fire a rifle and pistol.

Cal

 

[mnmtranching]

I was real young, I think 5-6. My first memory of the hunt, belly crawling behind Dad sneaking up on a pot hole full of Mallards.
\
He didn't ever believe in wasting shells, shoot em out of the air. not in them early days. It seemed like it took him forever :shock:

He aimed, aimed, and aimed, finally the old single 16 went off. Dad pleased as could be got 4 greenheads in one shot.

May not seem sporty to todays standards, but I don't care what you say. There was a lot of skill and sport to the way my old Dad hunted way back when.

 

[R.T.]

Squirrel hunting with Dad in the pecan trees behind the house
as soon as I could walk or stagger along. I killed my first 4 point
buck when I was 9 hunting alone (Mom) took me to the stand
it was a five gallon bucket in a brush blind. Model 94 30-30.
I took careful aim behind the shoulder and hit it between the eyes. Walked to the house without the gun and got Dad.
R.T.

 

[ArrowHBrand]

I started getting into the hunting lifestyle when I was a freshman in high school. Growing up we fished a lot because tackle and bait weren't expensive. My hunting really took off when I turned 16 and was old enough to drive. I bought my first shotgun then and would go out whenever I could. I was common for me and some friends to skip class to go hunting or up to Cableas to get hunting gear. Now that I have my own land I hunt all of the time. What age to allow my children to hunt with me is an on going discussion between my wife and I. She thinks 16 and I'm thinking more along the lines of 10. We'll have to see when our son gets a little older.

 

[CKC1586]

My grand daughter got a 22 for Christmas last year (it is pink!) and she is a pretty good shot for an 8 year old. Heard her target practicing this Spring and went up to see how she was doing. Get this, she had a line of her old Barbies on the dirt pile next to the target, she was blowing them to bits!! She got a bow this summer and she is doing pretty good with that too. The minimum age here is 12 so I imagine she will be ready!

 

[cattleluvr18]

i shot my first deer with i was 12 with my 7mm 08.

shot my first pheasant with a 20 gauge when i was 12.

shot my first blue rock with that 20 gauge when i was 10.

we dont really do any other hunting but we are goin squirrel hunting sometime next week. i'll have a .22.

legal age here is 12.

i wish i woulda started younger.

 

[3waycross]

My cousins and I were huntin every thing on the ranch by the time we were 8 or 9.

Started with pellet guns and never looked back.

I started taking my oldest son Elk hunting at 5. He is a Elk machine today.

 

[curtis]

I was real young, I think 5-6. My first memory of the hunt, belly crawling behind Dad sneaking up on a pot hole full of Mallards.
\
He didn't ever believe in wasting shells, shoot em out of the air. not in them early days. It seemed like it took him forever :shock:

He aimed, aimed, and aimed, finally the old single 16 went off. Dad pleased as could be got 4 greenheads in one shot.

May not seem sporty to todays standards, but I don't care what you say. There was a lot of skill and sport to the way my old Dad hunted way back when.

We did the same thing with a old single barrel, that's what we call a deep freeze shot.

 

[sidney411]

Dad bought me a Daisy BB gun when I was 5 or 6. Went hunting with him as many times as he'd take me from the time I could understand to be still and be quiet. Shot my first deer w/ my .223 when I was 12 or 13, I can't remember. I out-shot some of Dad's friends when we would go out target practicing, really surprized some of them.

I took archery class as an elective in college and I was the only girl to bring her own bow, all they had were cheapo depo stick bows for the class.

 

[curtis]

I took my grandson deer hunting this past weekend. He's 7 years old and shoots a 410 single barrel with a slug.

 

[Dave]

In this state you have to pass a hunters safety coarse to get a hunting license. There is no age limit but it is tough for kids under 9 or 10 to pass. I first shot a 22 at the age of 4 or 5. I tag along with dad at a very early age packing my BB gun. I started hunting deer at 12.
My kids were all shooting a lot at 7 or 8. The kids all got to go hunting with me (one at a time) by the time they were 6 or so. I started my boys deer hunting at 11. The oldest one who was very safe had just turned 11. The youngest one who took constant attention was almost 12. Just lucky for me the way their birthdays fell. The girls didn't start hunting until they were 17 or 18. They could have started earlier but weren't interested. Now the youngest girl (22) is my most regular hunting partner.

 

[Calman]

Makes me feel good in the ol ticker to see all the hunters taking their kids.
Once we stop that all is lost.

Cal

 

[mtncows]

"Hunt with your boy and you'll never hunt for him" -from a Winchester film we watched in ag class during hunter safety. A good way to teach responsibility.Kids around here who grow up hunting with Dad or Grandad usually turn out great.