[one big one]

At what age is a child ready to hunt? My son just turned 9 yrs. old, he took his first buck at 7 yrs old, He just started bow hunting this year, well yesterday he got his first shot, actually 4 shots at a doe a 6 pm, we saw four does,one soon as the feeder went off, 2- 15 min. later(blowed us), one at 6 pm. He started slinging arrows , the first shot went low, he was shaking, said daddy did I hit it, NO SHHHHHH, 2 nd shot , Daddy did I hit it, NO SHHHHH, 3rd , NO SHHHHHHHHHHH, DADDY GIVE ME ONE OF YOUR ARROWS, SSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, OK OK OK , 4th shot she was gone, What a hunt we had, both us walked into the field to gather 4 arrows Telling him I missed alot when I started, we got on his four wheeler & headed to camp. What a memory this will be, get to the camp & find out mommy hit four hundred $$$$ on slots, Hambergers & hot dogs for us,YEA!I've already got my 2, so share. You gotta be there, don't knowif he's ready ????? keep saying lets go until we see deer& then the hunt is on.

SEE YA IN THE WOODS.

 

[Tuna Man]

Depends on the individual child. But looking at yours..ok with a gun but NOT with a bow. I wouldn't bring a child bow hunting until he/she showed me that they could in fact make a relatively clean shot. Hate seeing wounded game. Practice...practice...practice on life like targets. You asked, Now that's my take.

 

[one big one]

He hits his target, but when its the real deal anyone can get shook up, do you bow hunt,have you ever made a bad shot?????? everyone has!!!!!!!!

 

[lobsterman]

My son started bowhunting when he was 9 and killed 2 does. Train him on a real deer target and teach him to pick a spot behind the shoulder the size of an apple.Focus on spot not animal. Aim small miss small.

 

[Nascar03]

Tuna Man (10/28/2007)Depends on the individual child. But looking at yours..ok with a gun but NOT with a bow. I wouldn't bring a child bow hunting until he/she showed me that they could in fact make a relatively clean shot. Hate seeing wounded game. Practice...practice...practice on life like targets. You asked, Now that's my take.

DITTO

 

[yallwatchthis]

Its called buck fever evrybody misses a few,hell still haven't killed anything with my bow and i've had it 10 years,but I have missed 3 or 4. i've been hunting since I was 6 and that wasn't soon enough for me, my son will be hunting by 5 or 6 if he wants as long as he can prove himself safe with my old single shoot 20 guage.

 

[Jason]

Ron, If that was the case, I better stay outta the woods during archery...:banghead I've been bow-huntingabout 15 years (serious bow hunting the last 7-8) and have shot 3 deer (1 hit but survived, 2 killed but never found)...I've been several times this year and had 2 shots at 2 different deer but passed them up fer my kids to shoot during gun. i know my 8 year old is chomping at the bit to bow hunt but the bow I bought him last year is still a bit big so maybe next year...never too young.....Keep him going, if he shoots a nanny and doesn't get a good shot ohhhh well that's the way it works....My boy shot a doe last year in the leg and 2 months later it was still alive (limping, but alive) and i shot a forked horn with a bow a few years back in the brisket and opening day of gun season he came out and had a straight scar across his chest (never got off a shot at him w/ the gun though)...

 

[one big one]

Between the game boy & the cell ph. toys to keep him occupied its hard to keep a young boy still & QUITEin a ladder stand, but its worth every minute of it. Take your child Hunting & you won't have to HUNT your child.

See ya in the woods.

 

[mpmorr]

I took my 4 year old daughter with me last yearjust get herexcited and of course wesaw a ton of does (gun, no does). The experience was priceless. If your son is capable of making a clean shot then he should have a chance. If not then of course you should be ready toend the suffering of a wounded animal. Not fun but necessary.

Bigtime Kudos to you for gettingyour son outinto thewoods and spending real time with him. There are millions of americans who never had that oportunity and never will. Those moments will be with him forever and with you through the hard times. Good hunting and keep up the good work. Just make sure there is no undue suffering on the part of the animal. Be ready to shoot when he is. Since you are tagged out that is a little tough, but to shoot when he does, challenges your skill as well.

Good luck and good hunting, and thanks for being a real dad.:clap

 

[duckhuntinsailor]

Well here's my take, take into account I don't have children. I don't think anyone can say that there is a certain age when a child is ready, simply b/c of different maturity levels. The fact that your son missed four times,....well I've done it even after hunting for years. I think as long as he's enjoying it that's the important part. As he learns and matures it will become more important to teach him the ethical responsibilities that we, as hunters, must uphold. However, right nowmay not bethe time to scold him or cut him off from hunting, rather use experiences such as these to teach him. It's important that he can relate hunting to having a good time and hanging out with his pops. I think it's awesome that you have him hunting at such an early age. Good luck!!!!

 

[jspooney]

I say it's never too young to take them...as long as you have a fun time with them. It's not about the kill as much as it is about being with each other. I started each of my kids at about 3 years old (maybe even 2). Sometimes we would sit for 30 minutes and then walk, sometimes we'd squirrel hunt, sometimes just play in the stand. Granted...my hunting sucess suffered (greatly) but the time with my children is priceless. As for your son...put himback in the tree tomorrow. There is no shamein missing. Anyone who says different needs to get off his high horse and rememberhe wasnot born as Robin Hood...he learned it. So what if a deer is wounded! Big deal...while you would not intentionally (or be glad for) a non-kill, if the animal dies he will feed the predators! That's why our ecological system is the way it is. A deer is almost NEVER wasted regardless of where it winds up! It is more of a waste by ending up inour freezers than left in the field if we're gonna "clean out the freezer before the season" and throw away unused meat! At 9...he'll stick one soon enough. I'll put money on how many adults miss or "wound" deer every year! Probably more than half of us!

 

[hydraporter]

Sorry if this offends anyone, but I can't believe some people think it is OK to wound a deer or tokeep shooting until you hit something. Have enough respect for the animal you are hunting to practice constantly until you can do it everytime. Even with nerves being a factor every hunter, including 9 year old hunters, should be able to hit their target with the first or second shot. There is not shame in missing, but after a point there is irresponsibility. After two misses it's time to head back to the practice range before you get anymore chances. Ethical hunting is about respecting the animal you are hunting enough to ensure a clean kill. It's not just about being out there doing it. It's also about doing it right.

 

[Bay Fisherman]

Ihave often wondered the same thing... I have a 9 year old and i think i am going to buy him a bow for Christmas and let him shoot/practice all summer. I will decide if he is good enough to hunt by next Aug. Any sudgestions on a youth bow that will draw enough wieght to kill a deer? I would like him to pull at least 40 lbs.

 

[Wild Injun]

I started going hunting with my dad when I was 4, killed my first deer at 9,I started sitting by myself at the age of 10, and started bowhunting at 12.With that said I was very excited and shot my bow everyday after all of that I still missed the first two and wounded the next 2.I'm not proud of that fact but it happened I had to learn the proper time to draw learn to judge distance etc..since then I have killed 53 and missed 5 it just takes pactice if I was you I would invest in a rangefinder it will make alot of difference.Hope some of this helps.

 

[GONU]

what Tuna Man said.

 

[KoolKat45]

Thats awesome that you were able to share that with your son.. I had my first encounter with deer and a bow this weekend. 3 does poped out on me and I couldnt get drawn cause I didnt want to get busted. One knew I was there but wasnt really sure what I was she would turn away and I would try to draw and she was all over me!!! Very cool cause I learned a lot. Thing is after they left I was shaking so bad not sure I could have hit the side of a barn if I would have got a draw on them.... I'm pretty sure of my self on targets but on deer its a whole nother story. Have a lot to learn and I cant wait until next weekend to learn more. Congrats to you and your son on a fine memory andhe will get better I only hope I do?

 

[Collard]

If the child can pull a bow back safely and hit somewhere on a bag target in the yard I say take him/her and take them as much as possible. They have just as much of a chance of wounding one as anyone. They're only going to get better and better through experience. I never know what's going to happen on any given shot. Neither does anyone else. I've had myrest move on meduring a draw on a doe, and aclamp on my string slip on another,you just neverknow, he may hit or miss or wound, same as anybody. I can hear the excitement in his voicenow as he tells his story to his friends and that's worth taking him/herover anything.

Ethical hunting is great. But I think there is way too much put into the definition of "Ethical Hunting". It goes back to the Lord of all hunting"THE BUCKMASTER"What a JOKE.When you get down to it you're killing another living animal, where are the ethics in that? Ethics are added to make us feel better about it. Where are the ethics in buying slaughtered pork chops or T-bones. It's just part of our babarianism we can't lat go of, naturalness of being human I guess. Let him shoot all of his arrows if he can, Wal-Mart has them pretty cheap.

 

[TSpecks]

I started hunting when I was 8 with my dad. I am 25 now and still miss. In fact last WednesdayI missed the biggest buck I have personally ever seen in the woods. I was shacking like a leaf, but i made the shot the buck just ducked my string, it happens. To me that is bow hunting watch T.V. and I have seen all the guys on realtree miss(the buck they called stickers that Bill Jordan missed at 19 yards probably 350 lbs). So keep spending time with your son if he shots good in the back yard it will come. P.S. watch the outcast show next Sunday to see the miss on the biggest buck I have ever seen.

 

[fla_scout]

one big one (10/28/2007)He hits his target, but when its the real deal anyone can get shook up, do you bow hunt,have you ever made a bad shot?????? everyone has!!!!!!!!

Seems to me that you asked a question and Ron gave a good opinion.

 

[rubberboat]

hears what I thank no body wonts so wound a deer but it happens find a safe distance your sun can shoot in like a 15 or 20 yard shot shoot it often at the house set the stand site up fore the same shot if you can make a few sites to sit wear the deer ar in the same position to shoot that way if the wind changes you can hunt any wind practice makes perfect shoot only one arrow don't shoot 2 or 3 at the target you tend to aim at the knock thats what worked for me I started shooting a bow at 9 shot everyday after school day or nit started bow hunting the next year if he missed 4 times that dus not mean don't take him jest make sure he is shooting tight groups and practice VERY often