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Hey yea, not my cup of tea either. My boys will legally have to wait till 12 to legally kill big game (almost there!) and I don’t think that’s all bad. But just because I would do it differently with my kids, seeing kids out in the bush and killin stuff warms my heart. Especially in this day and age. Different ways to raise kids, and boy, there sure is a lot worse!!

I will say though, I’m sure the small game around our farm can’t wait till my boys hit 12, although if they’re anything like their father, that doesn’t mean a whole lot. Just send more arrows!

Kids Good. Hunting Good. Kids + Hunting=VERY Good.

Simple. Why add a bunch of bullcrap to a very uncomplicated idea.

Missouribreaks. . . . Crossbows. We got it. You hate them. You're the best. You're the moral compass for everyone. everyone bow to Missouribreaks superiority.

(I really shouldn't post before I've had a pop and a chew in the morning)

I know my kids wouldnt have been ready at ages as young as noted in the OP... I'm not sure they really are quite yet. They love to go, but they do not have the readiness to actually kill an animal. Maybe in a year or two... Kind of amazes me when I see super young kids at it.

I'm hopeful they will stay "hooked" and be hunters for life.

Last weekend I was asked to sight in a 350 Legend for a buddy who wanted his 7 or 8 yr old son to use and hunt on the Whack-a-Doe Weekend. My buddy also wanted me to go with him and his son to the range and help the son work with the gun. 99% of the event was basic gun safety and how to shoot it. When it came time for the actual first shot, there was a guy on the shooting station next to us shooting a AR with a break on it. Each shot sent a percussion blast towards us. I could tell this rattled my buddy's son. He fired his first shot with the 350 and wouldn't shoot it again...even though he hit the bullseye. I asked him if he wanted to take another shot and he said no and started to tear up. I could tell he was very rattled at that point and I didn't want him shooting anymore....his first range day was over. I looked at my buddy and told him his son isn't ready to hunt....maybe try again next year. I could tell my buddy begrudgingly agreed.

Point being in that story.....I think it's the mom or dad who wants their kids to hunt more than the kids want to hunt themselves. As much as we parents want our kids to hunt....don't push them into something they're not mature enough to do. Do an honest gut-check and ask yourself who's ego will get more bruised if the kid's not ready....you (the parent) or the kid's?

As a parent we need to be able recognize whether our child is interested or are they trying to satisfy Dad and are afraid to tell Dad they are not interested in hunting. It is not for everyone and we need to respect their decision.

My younger son is completely different and can’t get enough of hunting, fishing and the outdoors.

IMO whether that kid is 4 or 12, it's morals are still coming from the parents. If you're talking about brainwashed kids hunting....is it really that bad if what you're talking about is the love of hunting?

ND has a youth season and the kid has to be 11 by the end of the calendar year.

MN has a youth season and they have to be 10.

My daughter shot her first deer when she was 12 during the MN gun season.

That is a perfectly acceptable understanding. For some folks young and old....killing an animal or a fish is just not something they take too.

He's almost 11 now, 3 deer down and super excited for a bigger buck than last year. Heading out for squirrels this week. Safe to say he's hooked.

To all of you who think you need to wait until the kids are older; Some situations, that works. Sounds like a lot of your’s, it has.

But many more it doesn’t. Not every young kid needs to go on the miles deep hikes. In the cold.

There are plenty of gimme style hunts that are perfect for cutting their young teeth on. My youngest began going to sit blinds when he was 2.

He’s now 8. He’s watched me shoot antelope, mule deer, bear and turkey. And he’s killed 2 of his own turkey.

He owns a .243, a 6.5 creedmoor, a 20 gauge, a .410, (2) .22’s. And 2 bows.

He also owns a 4 wheeler. And he goes to work with me. He ties rebar, he floats concrete, and he’s a staple in my customers offices.

Why wait?

Everything has it own circumstances.

Everyone needs to take a good look in the mirror and realize that hunting is dying because too many macho men said….they need to stay with “mama”.

The facts are the facts. Hunting is down and is continuing to go down. I’d dare say it’s because of this old fashioned thinking.

Men used to think the girls should stay home too.

To that I say…..wimp.

I think one of the biggest issues against youth hunter recruitment are screens. I have 4 kids from 4-14. All love the outdoors, reading, hunting, and using their imaginations. Kids love all sorts of things when their mind is allowed to idle and not be constantly occupied by a screen. The same reason some very young kids can’t sit still in an event or at church, is the same reason they can’t sit in a deer stand. Deprive them of technology and they’ll do all sorts of things other kids think are boring. My mom bought my kids tablets but I don’t even know where there are and the last time they were used. We have 1 tv and I bet it’s on less than 30 minutes a day and that’s with a wife and one child at home all day.

I have a 9 year old daughter. I'm a horrible parent, but my parents are awesome :) I grew up in the country with an inordinate amount of freedom. My parents' place bordered several thousand acres of Corps of Engineers public land by a big lake. I had BB guns, 22 pistols, horses, ATVs, and from a young age would disappear for hours with no supervision in all sorts of weather. I can remember being 10 or 11, on a half broke horse, riding miles from home with a 22 pistol on my hip like a real cowboy. I had to learn responsibility. If that horse bucked me off (which happened somewhat regularly), I was responsible for catching him and getting back on, or walking home. . . .

I'm trying to give my daughter that same freedom, minus the horses. She has an interest in hunting, but hasn't been ready. I took her last year when she was 8 and she killed her first deer with my AR. She had to work at it this spring and we did 5 or 6 hunts before she got a turkey. She's had a BB gun for several years but this year really got into it and has been hunting frogs with it. She loves it.

I try to make it easier for her. We use my trailer and ebike to get in. Stuff like that. I realize not every kid has the drive I had to hunt and is willing to walk miles and miles. If I have to cater to her to get her to love it, I will. She may not love it. That's ok too. She's really competitive and that's one aspect of why she likes it. She is also really into sports and I imagine she'll like that more growing up.

She liked the deer hunt. Was really interested in the gutting. Was really proud of her little yearling 8 point. She REALLY liked the turkey. Maybe because we had to go more and it was a little harder. We were on turkeys every time, but they always zigged when we zagged. She had to earn it a little more. She was so excited after that shot.

I'll do anything to get that reaction. She was shaking and smiling so hard. Just awesome.

I think parents, who know THEIR kid, should be able to decide when their kid is ready. If they go too early . . . . well, parenting is not pretty sometimes. Sometimes we mess up. But hopefully, those kids will join our ranks. Or at least, when they hit the ballot box in 20 years and a vote comes up, they will look back on their hunts with their parents in a fond manner, and vote accordingly.

My .02

Recently she wanted to shoot one of my pistols. As a bad parent, I loaded one round in my 9mm and let her bang one off. I forgot to warn her about the slide, and it got her thumb. . . . She still wants to go shoot some more

What about an old lady that finally draws a tag? Should we assume that grandson shoots all of her deer? Does it happen? Sure. What you just said about parents shooting, yep I bet it does happen.

So that’s good reason for kids to not hunt?

Ok.

I guess this is where I have to point out that, working with the children, and teaching them, showing them, and guiding them is where the knowledge of what, when, where and how come into play.

But I will say, your take on taking children hunting appears to be spoken like a man who doesn’t have kids.

And most likely hasn’t taught a lot of people, a lot of different things.

Lots of lifetime hunters (probably most) learned to hunt small game first, and didn't require a special youth big game season to get hooked. That we think it is needed now is less about kids and more about our priorities as adults.

I honestly feel sorry for kids these days could you imagine a kid walking through a neighborhood with a .22 rifle on his way to the woods.

Take the time. Make the sacrifice. Start them young.

Let them screw up your hunts.

It’s beyond worth it.

As far as minimum age restrictions, it should be up to the parent and kid. Our daughter started rifle hunting at 9 and that was a realistic age for her. Other kids might be older or younger. I do question someone as young as 4, but I also question 100-yard bow shots. There's a lot of gray area. Maybe some 4-year olds are ready. Ultimately the parents and kid should be able to make the decision.

You can’t tell from The photo, but I’m so macho and hung ho about forcing him To hunt. We had to glue the bugle tube to his lips for the photo op.

You can see the look of torture, and not ready to be in the field, right on his face.

This truly is abuse. He should be home with “mama”.

We had to hog tie him to get him to even go to Montana for this.

I’m sure taking him young, getting him involved young, has been nothing but a detriment to him.

You can clearly see; 1. She doesn’t want to be there.

2. It’s very unsafe to have a child handle a firearm.

This is very obvious.

Then they had to sit it out in the blind and finally were forced to kill these birds on day 2. The worst part? Young brother and sister got a double together.

Man, I can only predict that they won’t be hunting when they’re older. They’re probably already burned out.

Some parents might illegally fill their kids tags?

Poaching happens no matter what. You think the poacher will stop if their kid doesn’t have a tag?

Hunting is dying. Kids need to get involved. They need to be involved young as well.

They need to be involved in work young too.

To Anyone that is against taking the kids out young, I’d dare say, you’re chicken that they’ll screw up your hunts.

You’re not big enough to let that happen and to enjoy it.

You’re not big enough to handle the additional responsibilities that come with it. You’re selfish. You’re self centered. And you’re short sighted. Period.

Do my kids go on all of them? Nope. Dad had “his” hunts.

I go through my year, a year or 2 in advance. And strategically plan it for all of us.

Hunting, and taking kids hunting isn’t an all or nothing endeavor.

But to be against youth seasons and all of that, is ludicrous.

What’s the worst that’ll happen? They “took your tag”?

She passed HE and hunted pronghorn age 9. I wasn't 100% positive how she'd do on her own hunt, but we practiced with rifle, she drew aiming dots on every animal in my magazines and she said she was ready so we entered her in the draw. Similar to your family, after crawling 400 yards, sitting on my lap in the hot sun for over an hour for this buck to stand up, and then making a good shot, she stated she'd rather be at home... NOT!!!

Mainly due to time, she hunts with rifle, but she's tried bow many times for turkeys, we just haven't had it come together.

I am not a fan of youth only big game seasons for the opposite reason you suggest. I think youth only big game seasons are designed because some adults are too selfish to take kids hunting during the regular seasons and concentrate on the kids hunt, rather than their own.

Unless its illegal (due to age restrictions) to take kids hunting during regular seasons I don't see any reason for special youth seasons, particularly when there are almost always regular season small game and big game options available and open for adults to take kids hunting.

Contrary to what’s on this forum’s beliefs, not all hunters are good. Not all of them can hunt without a mass disruption.

But again, going back to the facts. Hunting is dying. Some Extra enticement is needed. And I also am not against making it easier for the parents to take the kids out. Whether it’s longer seasons, or the kids can hunt sooner, or whatever the case may be. Making it easier for the parents to do it isn’t a big deal. In fact I’d dare argue, the parents that’ll take all the extra time, are really the more dedicated hunters anyways.

Also, it's hard to explain, but some amount of work, pain, discomfort, effort is what makes it worth it. Sitting in a warm blind playing video games waiting for a monster buck to walk up to a corn pile isn't going to hook many kids in the long run. Waking up early, hiking, working for it and then having success, or even a close call, is what makes lifelong hunters. It doesn't have to be forced-marches, but some skin in the game is needed.

Sounds to me like her dad didn't have any business at all even being on the hunt then. I imagine she'd been just as happy shooting a small whatever it was being hunted...

Matt

I'll add a side note.... Not only did I start my son young but it was compounded by the fact that he has been type 1 diabetic since 13 months old so add all the blood sugar testing and insulin & needles and complications of high and low blood sugar levels and such to your hunting supplies not to mention this was long before cell phones were ever thought of and being a long ways away from medical help if needed with a diabetic child while hunting and fishing . So absolutely do not preach to me about taking young kids hunting & fishing.

So your trying to equate the ethics of kindergarten age kids shooting big game animals with rifles to a drag queen show. ??????????.