Youth hunts
West Virginia
Let’s try and focus on something positive for a while. At last weekends Commission meeting I brought up the age limit for youth hunts . Currently a child has to be 8 years old to participate in a youth hunt but there is no minimum age during the regular season . I also recommended that vertical bows be included as a legal weapon in youth Gobbler hunt. Currently , only a shotgun and crossbow are legal. The other issue that I brought up at Feb. meeting was the use off TSS for youth hunts by removing the shot size restrictions. I’m happy to say that it passed and that option will be available for youth hunters next year.
After the meeting I was approached by a DNR biologist that said the age limit was implemented because of age restrictions in surrounding states specifically PA. I then researched PA and their age restriction was removed 10 years ago. After researching a number of states most do not have a minimum.
Now, the question comes up is what age is right and appropriate? The obvious concern is will parent or mentor use their child as a way to kill another turkey or deer themselves ?
The other view is that is it ok to take the opportunity away for a youth because someone else may abuse the system ?
So much depends on parent or mentor . I know 5 year olds that I feel comfortable around if they have a gun , on the other hand I know adults that I don’t feel comfortable around with a gun.
Now , we go back to PA. When they removed the age limit they had a 1 year old , and two 2 year olds check game in . Obviously, it was an abuse of the system, but did those abuses justify taking the opportunity away from thousands of other kids ?
Youth seasons were established to get kids to start hunting and the earlier they start the more likely they will continue to hunt and become life long hunters and license buyers.
PA, may have come up with a reasonable compromise. They didn’t take away opportunity and still has no minimum age, but they did make it that any game taken by a youth hunter younger than 7 has to be checked by their parent or mentor and counts against their bag limit.
With all that , what does everyone think an appropriate age limit should be ? And should it be like PA in that under a certain age should game be counted toward parents or mentors bag limit ?
Go
sounds like PA has a good idea. personally, I'd be okay with that.
Whichever way, it should be consistant , early youth and regular season shold be the same.
I will be the bad guy on this, but we do need an minimum age........i see guys posting about 4-5 year old's out and i cringe....They may be ok, but how many are not? or are forced early like that then it turns them away? I would say the amount of 4-6 years ready would be slim, but they are out there. I dont know what the correct answer would be , but i would say 7-8 should be good....
BOJ - you are right in saying some may not be ready. I had one child that was so mature that there was no problem for her to be shooting a gun under my supervision at the age of 5. The other two - well for one it was 8 years old and the other was 11.
How we come up up with a specific age I have no clue - hopefully parents judgement will be made with common sense!
It’s got to include parental judgement. Something magical just doesn’t happen at age 8. Some 5-6 year olds are perfectly capable while some 10-12 year olds are not.
I agree, whatever the age is it should be consistent. I can think of no logical reason why a 7 year old cannot hunt in a youth hunt but a 4 year old can hunt during regular season .
I agree with Big Otis on this one. When I was young there was no youth hunt. I went with my dad but I don't think I used a gun until I was 12 or so and with him watching me like a Hawk. I know things are different now and parents want their kids to get started earlier. This is not T-Ball. I think a lot of it is for the parents benefit. And some guys use the kids to kill another deer or turkey. You can not stop that. If they need to kill one more game animal then they will cheat. I am no expert so I do not know what the minimum age should be. But I think a kid should be able to use a vertical bow if he can use a crossbow or rifle. Explain the logic to me. I guess I missed it.
Thanks for bringing this issue up. I have never understood the age restriction for the youth hunts but not in the regular season either.
Like most of you, I believe each child is different and parental judgement is critical. I believe a consistent, minimum age across the youth hunts and regular seasons would be a good thing though.
I obviously don’t have a great reason behind it, but I would say 5-6 maybe? My oldest sone just turned 8 last month. I’m not sure yet if he’ll be ready to hunt this fall or not. He has been going to box blinds with me during rifle season for the past 2, maybe 3 years though. Just tagging along, not being the hunter. He enjoys it and we are working on proper firearm safety with the red rider so we will see how things go between now and then. I was about his age when I started squirrel hunting and was 9 or 10 when I started bow hunting. I would like to start him out on small game too. It’s a good way to get them out and have some action while learning a lot.
Good topic. Again, thanks for raising the question at your last meeting.
The one thing I’d like to see is youth being able to take either buck or doe. During youth days
I am ok with the doe on youth days. It may keep less adults from participating
Well one reason I said that is. when I took my oldest son now 19. On youth days more than once all we seen was bucks and he didn’t understand why he couldn’t shoot a deer. Made me feel terrible. Im sure im not the only one that’s happened to
My thinking and opinions on that issue is evolving also. I used to be strongly against bucks during youth season but I’m not so sure anymore. Adults can shoot bucks during their season and with license structure it in a way encourages or at least enables them to shoot multiple bucks.
I’ve never been a parent but I would think it would be difficult to tell your child they couldn’t shoot one especially if it was the only deer seen. The whole purpose of a youth season is to get kids interested in hunting to recruit them as lifelong hunters and lifelong license buyers. Taking them hunting then telling them they can’t shoot something is probably not the best way to keep them interested . Then again the question of who is actually shooting the deer comes up again. Which brings up the question does what someone might do outweigh the youth hunter to have an opportunity?
IMO The biggest hurdle for that to occur in WV now is the senior license. In order to get that passed by Legislature they were also given the ability to deer hunt on youth days. WV has a lot of senior citizens and the number grows each year. With youth and seniors able to kill bucks during the October youth hunt that might very well be too much buck mortality before the rut ?
Well as far as parents killing deer if it’s happening not much going to change there. My opinion on a buck being killed before the rut. 2 things. 1 most of the bigger buck probably not that active when the first youth day. Comes in. And 2nd people afraid a buck might get killed before they have a chance at it. But bow season is in for a good bit before the rut.
I don't care about a kid killing a buck. Lots of the bigger bucks are poached in August and September where I hunt anyway. I take the first brown deer I see anyway so it really doesn't matter. I guess you are right people are going to hunt illegally anyway.
String advocate for either sex tag on youth hunts...........Every youth hunt i have ever been on, we have had bucks on us, close, like bow range close and not a twig in the way...LOL.
Sucks telling them that they cant shoot....it does build character though.........But with a 3 buck limit, whats it gonna hurt?
To many adults scared that "their" buck will get shot........
Heck I say let em shoot the first brown thing that comes by. I do.
I see no reason why youth season has an age restrictions. Every child is different , I say the parents should make the decision if their child is mature enough. Youth hunters should have a choice buck or doe . Maybe a few adults would cheat the system but not enough to have effect overall , Just my thoughts
I like your thinking Hoppies56. That is also how I feel about the issue.
I am for age restrictions. I’m glad they have them to drive a car also. You can’t just rely on a kids parents to keep us safe. Having said that what are the restrictions ? How old does a child have to be to participate in a youth hunt? What about the children without a parent? Who decides for them I’d they are ready.
Babysaph, 8 years old to participle in youth hunt , any age on regular seasons. Any youth must have a licensed adult over 21 to hunt. Must have junior license 15-17
So Babysaph your saying age to youth hunt should be 15 years of age, What age were you when you began hunting without an adult. i took my first squirrel at 8 years of age with my father , started hunting alone at age 12
No I'm not saying that. I'm not sure what the age should be. But 8 is good. Some kids don't have a parent to decide when they can hunt. I find now lots of parents think their kids are ready for anything. I simply don't think kids should be in the woods earlier than that with a gun. I was about 12 when I started hunting with my dad. I was driving when I went squirrel hunting by myself.
No I'm not saying that. I'm not sure what the age should be. But 8 is good. Some kids don't have a parent to decide when they can hunt. I find now lots of parents think their kids are ready for anything. I simply don't think kids should be in the woods earlier than that with a gun. I was about 12 when I started hunting with my dad. I was driving when I went squirrel hunting by myself.
For the youth hunt a youth should be big enough to carry the weapon, aim the weapon and shoot the weapon accurately by him or herself and withstand any recoil.
Good point Mountain William. I remember shooting my dads 30-06. bout knocked me on my ass and I was about half afraid of it. LOL. No disrespect intended but parents now thing their kids are ready for things before they really are. Be patient. It will come.
That is one of the reasons I worked for and got the use of #9 TSS to be legal in youth Gobbler season. A .410 with #9 TSS is lethal to 30-35 yds. Younger kids can handle a .410. Or 20 ga. If you give them a 12 ga. They’re not going to shoot it after first shot or they will develop a bad flinch.
Good point. I started with .410 and progressed right up the line 20,16,12. I have a good friend that to this day hunts and kills turkeys with a .410. What is #9 TSS? I'm not much of a gun guy and am not familiar with it.
I just looked it up gobbler. Looks good to me., that will kill a bird for sure
