I was astonished to read one time that a 4-year-old Mississippi boy shot his first deer. The local paper did a big story on it, saying the kid didn’t want a doe (he didn’t want a doe, or his Daddy didn’t want him to shoot a doe?). The boy waited for a 6-point buck and smoked him.
Stories like this are cute and make us feel warm and fuzzy that our kids are getting into hunting and helping to perpetuate what we do. But how young is too young?
Can a 4-year-old handle and aim a rifle safely, even with Dad holding it and pointing out the animal, which is hard if not impossible for a kid that age and size to find in the scope? Can the youngster know to shoot buck in the shoulder?
Can a 4-year-old comprehend what it means to shoot the life out of an animal, something that is very personal (bordering on the spiritual) for those of us who do it right?
I submit to you, no way.
I am sure the parents of kids like this are my kind of people—salt of the earth, hard-working, well-meaning hunters. But I cannot help but to think that in some way they must be living vicariously through their kids to let them kill a deer at such a young age.
I fear this is becoming a competition. Next, some Daddy will try to have his 3-year-old break the record…then a 2-year-old will shoot a deer…where might it end?
This topic came up earlier this year with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which tweaked its rules. As I understand it, now a kid of any age can kill a deer if accompanied by a mentor (and using the adult’s tag on the deer). To get their own deer tag, a kid would have to be 7.
“We’re not taking away the ability for the 2-year-old to shoot an antlered buck. If the parent decides, ‘I think little Susie is ready to wail away’ — go ahead. But they have to use their (parent’s) tag,” said the president of the Board of Game Commissioners.
A 2-year-old shooting a deer, are you serious?
I raised two boys. I understand every kid is different. To me 8, 9 or 10 years old seems a reasonable age to kill a deer. I do agree with those who say that only a parent (or grandparent) will know when their kid is mature enough to do it and handle it.
This I know for sure: I challenge any of you to look at his or her 2- to 4-year-old rumbling around the house and tell me that he or she is ready to kill a deer.
What do you think is the right age to shoot a deer?
It’s hard for a kid to understand the gravity of what your really doing when you pull the trigger . They need to be old enough to understand and why we do it and then be a observer in the process before they are considered as ready
I live in Pa as does my son whom has a 2 year old son, according to the PGC my son or I could take Bubba hunting on our tag. I guess he can handle the .300WM and the 3 1/2″ 12 ga. I have waiting for him in my safe. And if he kills a B&C buck I assume it may be placed in the record books.
Here is another example of the moronic powers to be in the PGC. The age limit was 12 yrs. old when I raised my kids which IMHO is where it should have stayed. Also I know a lot of today’s 12 yr old that are no way mature enough to know what killing something means. Not to mention by the PGC’s own admission about 30% of the kills are done by the mentors.
Growing up in Mississippi as a youth it was very common place for a 5-7 yr old kid to be hunting with a parent and actually doing the killing. I personally took my first deer at age 6 and I can promise you I was every bit ready for it as any teenager would have been. I had been hunting with my dad since I could walk and I was addicted to watching deer and learning every single thing I could about them as far back as I can remember. I personally was ready and so happy when I finally shot that doe on the state wide youth hunt. My best friend also killed a doe that day and we learned from our dads as we watched them skin them in my back yard. So for me age 6 was perfect..I had been shooting a 22 and 20 gauge for 2 years by that point and I mean shooting like every day so I was actually very accurate for being 6 years old.
My process was when each of my two could consistently squeeze the trigger for tight groups at 100yds, knowing long shots were likely in Kansas where I was fortunate to be able to take them. For Zach, that was 10 and Cathleen at 9.
My daughter sat on stand at 6 and we made it for 1 hour. At 7, we lasted 1 1/2 days of gun season while observing the process and enjoying deer camp. we then enrolled in a weekend hunter safety course, and she passed her exam. After turning 8 and shooting proficiently, she hunted her first shot gun season with a youth muzzy and bagged her first deer on Sunday morning. I really like the idea that a child can use a parent’s tag since the point is to introduce a future generation of hunters.
Agree each child is different, but for me small game until 9 or 10, with a parent until 12 with a firearm or archery. 13 & up should be able to take stand on their own with proper training, teaching, and practicing with a responsible adult.
Having said that, I have no issue if you let your 6 yr old squeeze a trigger if sitting on stand with adult, using adults tag. But under 6 – too young. IMO
10 years old.
Am I the only one that remembers when waiting was worth it? I was ready to hunt at 11 I had to wait until 12, 13 with a bow. one of my fondest memories was finally being able to go out and hunt with my own tag. I wasn’t very good had no idea what I was doing but I could do it and no one could stop me any more. Kids these days don’t have to wait for anything.
I have taken my daughter with me since she was 4. She turns 9 in a few weeks. She loves sitting in the stand and trying to spot a deer before I do. And, she gets really mad when I don’t shoot the young bucks. Last year she begged me to take her bow hunting, but said that she wanted to do the shooting. I borrowed my brother’s crossbow and we practiced for several weeks. The very first night we sat, a beautiful 8 pt came into the decoy and stood broadside for what seemed like an eternity. She got the biggest case of buck fever I’ve ever seen . She never did pull the trigger, but it is one of my favorite hunting memories to date. We put out trail cams this past weekend. As we were walking away from the spot of last season’s buck fever episode I heard her say, “Here bucky, bucky, bucky. Lexi has a surprise for you… and I’m not gonna shake this time”.
I think every kid is different. I don’t know if states could set a fixed age. I know that my daughter is 100% ready now and will be hunting with me this fall. (and hopefully pulling the trigger)