# WHAT DO YOU THINK THE AGE TO HUNT BY YOURSELF SHOULD BE???



## varminthuntr (Jan 5, 2007)

i'm 13, from illinois, and i hunt deer with an adult, hunt pheasants by myself, but some adults think some kids shouldn't be able to hunt by theirselves. I think it all depends on your gun safety, and you know the statistics on your gun(how far can it go, buckshot, slug, rifle etc...) that is my opinion, how bout' you??????????


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

It depends on the person, what season it is and what game they are persuing. Too many variables for a firm answer.


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## rednek (Dec 29, 2006)

if you got your hunter saftey class done, i dont think there is a problem. but then i dont know i have been pullin triggers since i was 4 (now 20) my dad trusted me since when old enough to know what i was doing which was around 12. but my dad knew that i was resposable enough to know what i doing . 99% of the time i hunt with dad anyways


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

Really depends on the kid is question, I've met alot of adults in the woods that were not ready. :roll:

I also agree with MossyMo

As a basic guide I think 12 with a shotgun or rimfire and 16 with a centerfire.


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## 1shot1yote (Dec 23, 2006)

Here in MN kids under age 14 have to be accompanied by an adult to possess a firearm. That rule has been in effect for a few years here I think, I'm not sure how long exactly. I know when I was 12 I could hunt by myself, and did, of course my dad was never far away. I went with my dad or who ever would drag me along since I was 3. I've also been shooting guns probably since then. I believe like Remington 7400 said it all depends on the kid. I think if possible parents should start teaching there children safe gun handling and stuff as soon as possible, the younger they start the better I think. In theory it should make for much safer hunters not only at 12 but for life. But I think the MN law having to be 14 to be alone is a good law, who knows how many kids never even touch a gun until gun safety. Anyway that's my view on the whole thing.

Justin


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## NCGMAN (Oct 28, 2006)

STARTED BY MYSELF WHEN I WAS ABOUT 11 YEARS OLD. 410 SHOOTING SQUIRRELS AND DOVES. THEN WE GOT RABBIT DOGS AND MY HUNTING KNOWLEDGE INCREASED AS MY DAD TAUGHT ME.
KIDS ARE DIFFERENT NOW!!! MY FAMILY WANTED ME TO TEACH A FAMILY MEMBER TO HUNT, TOOK SAFETY COURSE, I TOOK HIM DEAR HUNTING IN THE STAND, HE DONE "OK".. I TOLD HIM YOU NEED TO SHOOT YOUR GUN AND SPEND SOME TIME IN THE WOODS. DID HE DO IT??? NO !!!! HE WOULD RATHER PLAY VIDEO GAMES ON THE COMPUTER.. YOU CAN'T BECOME A RESPONSIBLE AND SAFETY CONCIOUS HUNTER IF YOU DON'T PRACTICE IT!!!! BUT HE CAN SCORE HIGH ON THE VIDEO GAMES. WE DIDN'T HAVE "THINGS LIKE THAT" WHEN I STARTED HUNTING IN 1958 (ALONE) WE CONCENTRATED ON HUNTING, FISHING AND TRAPPING. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO "ALL" KIDS!!!!!


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

> I think if possible parents should start teaching there children safe gun handling and stuff as soon as possible, the younger they start the better I think. In theory it should make for much safer hunters not only at 12 but for life


You said a mouthfull right there. :beer:


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## weasle414 (Dec 31, 2006)

I was about 9 years old when my pops first let me loose on the rabbits and red squirrels off my grandparents deck. 11 year old when I was able to hit the woods for game. He never let me out alone with the .50 cal. untill I was 13, though. The only reason I got to go out so young was 'cause he's a firearms saftey instructor and taught me all he ever taught his students by the time I was 6 or 7. He won't let my sister out of his sight even with her pellet gun, and she's 11 turning 12 in April. It's all about the person behind the trigger imo, really.


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## 870 XPRS (Mar 12, 2003)

I've shot guns since I was 6, but I think on a common basis, it should be 12 and 14. I didn't get into the arguement about taking the age to 12 for rifles or whatever it was.

I think while accompanied by an adult, younger is the right age to bare a shotgun and 14 is the right age to bear a rifle. It has worked very well so far,, why change it. Having an adult who has been there and is there to instruct you is the main thing. This won't always happen is the problem............


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## younghunter (Dec 17, 2006)

Im 14 and jsut in the last year my parents have let me buy a shotgun but I hunt with my uncle hes the real reason im into hutnig i can member till i was like 5 still driving arond in the truck with him looking to seee a coyote with dogs on its heels and ever since then ive be obsessed but here recently my uncle lets me do what ever. Like last time i was there for a week three dasy i was buy myself from bout 8-6 and im the only other person that nows he gun safe comb. so i had acess to all his guns and he new it but he trusts me enought that i will shoot only guns i now and wont go crazy with he left me with keys to cars and all sorts of fun but him doing this for the first time i no he really trusts me with guns and now i think it will pay off and my parents will let me buy more guns and go further on with what i really like.


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## kevin.k (Dec 31, 2005)

im 17 i took hunter stafty when i was 11 and i had already been bowhunting well befor that, i was out in the woods, and helping out on a farm since i was 5 gun safty and respect for the outdoors is a natural thing...

It all depends on how you contol your self i absoultly hate when people dont give respect to younger hunters because, people dont belive that we dont have any experience or that we dont know very much about hunting. And alot of it is because of a few bad eggs that get out their and VANDALIZE property and break the laws.

so i message to you old guy  dont always frown on the younger generation


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## carp_killer (Nov 24, 2006)

back when i was young every body knew how to shoot a gun and set a trap before they were 4 and we all knew what we were doing to now if you give a 4 year old a gun hed think itslike a video game and shoot somebody or a vehicle expecially a city kid i think its a shame most kids would rather play video games then go huntin or trappin or somthing outside


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## kevin.k (Dec 31, 2005)

i havnt played xbox or anything in over a year


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## rednek (Dec 29, 2006)

whats a xbox :lol:


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## carp_killer (Nov 24, 2006)

exactly rednek


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## farmerj (Jun 19, 2004)

I have a 13 yo daughter i would let go on her own in a a heart beat.

I also have a 22 yo step-son would be lucky if I even let him touch a gun.

Depends on the individuals maturity and level of responsibility.


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## Yote Hunter (Nov 19, 2006)

just like most other people, i think it depends on the person. i have been hunting on my own since i was 13, although i think law says 14 in ND (im still a young guy and learning new things for myself, im only 18). But i have a brother who is 17 and wouldnt have a clue as to what to do if he were out by himself. i started hunting at a young age and knew what to do with my gun as far as safety. other kids my age, however, as im learning at college, lack very common sense and i deffinately wouldnt step out in the field with them.


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## Yote Hunter (Nov 19, 2006)

sorry, i meant that i am 18, not 18)


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

Kevin, When you "message to old guy" not to frown on the younger generation, you must remember this; Respect is earned. It is not a blanket right, because you have taken a hunter safety course, or have handled guns since you were a "young age". Respect is earned, or lost, through your actions, not only in the field, but in each and everything you do, each and every day of your life. Showing respect to others, and doing even simple tasks to the very best of your ability, will carry you far. Shortcuts and half-hearted efforts expose your laziness and apathy to all those you come in contact with.

I chose to let my children hunt by themselves at the age of sixteen. I thought then, and still do, that my decision was rational and reasonable. I believe that my kids were trained in firearms safety better than most of others I knew. As a concerned parent, I still had a lot of concerns, but things worked out well for us. Maturity has everything to do with the correct answer to the original posters question. Only a truly dedicated mentor can make that decision for his or her charges. Betting on success for the next generation, Burl


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## kevin.k (Dec 31, 2005)

burl, i agree with you 100%......

i didnt start hunting alone with a rifle till i was 15...


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## tombuddy_90 (Aug 5, 2004)

yea i have to agree, i am only 17 and i am not a fan of leting kids under 14 go by themselves. i also think there are kids my age that are way more "proper" while hunting, as hunting on public ground not seting my to close to someone else and just staying away when you know someone else that you don't know is around, then alot of 20-30 year olds out there and older guys that think they own the land. i have had many guys show up while i was duck hunting on public ground at 8:00 think that i took his spot and he saw the duck there yesterday and thought it was his.

it all depends on how much experience a person has and also a big factor is who they are learning from.

just my 2cents
thomas


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## carp_killer (Nov 24, 2006)

burly that is 100% correct respect is not just handed to someone they have to earn it and once they earn it it could easily be taken away again


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