Legal Hunting Age

[Idahoan]

Taking a poll on when a kid is old enough to hunt, legally harvest game. They still have to pass hunter education as well as the adult.

[baltz526]

12 years old

[Hawk]

Legally, or just taking them afield?

Going afield, mine were about 5-6.

[Idahoan]

Originally Posted by Hawk

Legally, or just taking them afield?

Going afield, mine were about 5-6.

legal to harvest game

[julezilla]

I really think it should depend on the game.

[Hawk]

Originally Posted by Idahoan

legal to harvest game

Depends on the kid; by themselves may be 14; with a prudent adult--about 12.

[lor]

I guess I'm the oddball in this poll.
Research has shown that states with the most restrictive policies have less hunter recruitment. It all comes down to how you raise a child, I would rather be around some 10 year olds who went thru the paces with BB, pellet, etc guns, than some of the adults I've seen who just got a gun for the first time, and never fired a shot at anything other than paper.
I understand why hunter education is important, however if you wait too long holding out this golden carrot of hunting which your child can never bite, they just might develop a interest in something else. I am currently experiencing this with issue my nephew, he just turned 12, but is already big into basketball. He may hunt with me because I ask him, but the opportunity to really get him hooked by being an active participate and not an observer has been lost. Now that Oregon has the Youth Mentor Program, perhaps things will be better.

[Take EM]

12 w/hunters ed card,except on privite land.

[Swamp Puppy]

Originally Posted by baltz526

12 years old

for big game....

pretty sure that they can shoot birds and other small game earlier.

[baltz526]

page 6 of the big game regulations 13 and under must be accompanied by adult 21 or older, except on their own property. 12 and over for big game. page 7 of the bird regulations says the youth mentored program is eligable for 9 years to 14 years. page 8 says 13 and under get a free hunting license, but i see no fixed in stone age, when it becomes legal for a child to bird or small game hunt on non personal property?

[Gillfish3]

I grew up on in New Jersey and it allow hunting for all game at the age of 10 and when i was a kid I could not wait for that magic age. I have only missed 4 seasons since due to military service. My son had to wait until he turned 12, I personally think that is to long. By then he was into all manner of other things, football, soccer. But once i got him in the field he can't wait for the season to start. The younger we get these kids in the field, wheather it is fishing, or hunting the better. Like the bumper sticker says "If you take a kid hunting, you will not have to hunt for the kid"...

Gillfish3

[Swamp Puppy]

for the mentor program it starts at nine...but if a kid goes through hunter safety they can hunt earlier.

pretty sure i've run across a few 8 year olds on youth waterfowl hunts that i help out with.

[CombinationLicense]

The new mentored Youth Hunting Program has changed the way we look at kids and hunting so I'm not sure why you're asking about the minimum age. Are you talking about big game or birds and small game? Opinion or law?

BTW - The new mentored hunt program isn't in the big game regs but it is in the bird regs and on the ODFW web site. Once the age of 18 is reached, no HE is required at all so we're only talking about kids younger than 18.

The way it was:

Kids had to pass hunter education (HE) to hunt anything except for on their own property. Outside of that exception, there was (and still is) a minimum age for kids of 12 to hunt big game with their own tag. There was (and still is) no minimum age for kids to hunt birds and small game after passing HE. The course is designed for 10 year olds but if a kid can pass it they can hunt.

Our kids took it at 9 years old and started hunting all kinds of birds at 10.


The way it is now:

The ODFW Mentored Youth Hunting Program has created new opportunities for kids to hunt in a controlled mentor/youth situation. Studies have shown this group of hunters to be the safest hunters afield BY FAR.

The program allows kids aged 9-13 to go afield with a non-hunting mentor without first attending/completing the HE class. Big game or birds doesn't matter and it lets parents decide when their child is ready to go hunting. When the kids turn 14 they have to take HE to continue hunting so the program was specifically designed to encourage kids to attend HE after they get started.

There are specific requirements to participate in the program and there's been a couple of threads on the topic already. You might do a search here or just visit the ODFW web site to get all the details.

"CL"

[James in Idaho]

Growing up and subject to "Dads Law", we tagged along for birds at 6, big game at 9, and were allowed to carry a gun at 12. Worked pretty good, and the state required hunter safety. As a single parent, I started taking my daughter on easy hunts at 4 or 5 (simple dove or duck hunts w/o much walking), but held off on big game until she was 9. One of her first, she got to help gut a moose! She passed hunter safety at 10, and started bird hunting that year, mostly grouse and duck. She started big game at 12 (per state law), and shot her first deer at 13. She's been on a couple of elk hunts, which are pretty tough, but she's done well. Hardest part has been finding good gear that fits her. She is in pretty good physical shape (year round competitive swimmer), so she has been able to handle that part just fine. We have a blast together, and I think the time line has fit her. Lots depends on the kid.

[Hunt'nFish]

I think there are some 10yr olds with more resposibile behaviors than some adults today. So I don't think there is or should be a set age. BUT, personally I think hunters Safety SHOULD be required to hunt alone.....even if your 30! Ignorance of good gun handling is a learned behavior...not one aquired by age.

When I was a boy, Dad's rule for hunting was: "Son if you can hold up this 12ga and hit 5 out of 10 clays, you can go out to the back 40 and hunt those ducks." Of course we'd already gotten hunters safety in the cub scouts and been shooting squirrels w/ pellet guns since we were 6 and 22's since 8 or 9.

For Dad it was more of a gradual thing. Starting small and working up as we proved ourselves. Legal age for big game was 12 and so I had to wait. That was actually good though, anticipation of my 12th birthday was one thing I REALLY remember. That year dad handed me Grandad's old Rem722 .300Sav for my birthday and a brand new Ruana skinner. Man that was the coolest birthday ever!!!

So I guess I'm saying that hunting is a progressive thing. Small game and birds should be earlier and big game should remain 12yr minimum (w/ or w/o an adult). Some things should be anticipated.

I think Oregon has it right.
Hunt'nFish

[Duck Commander]

I feel that time a kid is 12 years old they are already into something else and have no interest in the outdoors. The earlyer you can get them into hunting and fishing the better, if they are hunting themselves or just tagging along and learning from dad or mom.
Hunters education is a great tool to introduce safety and ethics into the kids and adults, and I'm glad that it is required.
We live in Washington and kids are able to hunt when the can pass the hunters ed. test. My oldest son was 8, my youngest son will soon be 8 and I don't think that he is ready to hunt, but he does go with me and my oldest son when we hunt, All kids are different.
Here is a picture of me and my oldest son at age 8 on a youth deer hunt.
This day will never be forgoten.
He has killed one buck since then.

[Idahoan]

Originally Posted by CombinationLicense

The new mentored Youth Hunting Program has changed the way we look at kids and hunting so I'm not sure why you're asking about the minimum age. Are you talking about big game or birds and small game? Opinion or law?

BTW - The new mentored hunt program isn't in the big game regs but it is in the bird regs and on the ODFW web site. Once the age of 18 is reached, no HE is required at all so we're only talking about kids younger than 18.

The way it was:

Kids had to pass hunter education (HE) to hunt anything except for on their own property. Outside of that exception, there was (and still is) a minimum age for kids of 12 to hunt big game with their own tag. There was (and still is) no minimum age for kids to hunt birds and small game after passing HE. The course is designed for 10 year olds but if a kid can pass it they can hunt.

Our kids took it at 9 years old and started hunting all kinds of birds at 10.


The way it is now:

The ODFW Mentored Youth Hunting Program has created new opportunities for kids to hunt in a controlled mentor/youth situation. Studies have shown this group of hunters to be the safest hunters afield BY FAR.

The program allows kids aged 9-13 to go afield with a non-hunting mentor without first attending/completing the HE class. Big game or birds doesn't matter and it lets parents decide when their child is ready to go hunting. When the kids turn 14 they have to take HE to continue hunting so the program was specifically designed to encourage kids to attend HE after they get started.

There are specific requirements to participate in the program and there's been a couple of threads on the topic already. You might do a search here or just visit the ODFW web site to get all the details.

"CL"

Just your opinion.

[CombinationLicense]

Originally Posted by Idahoan

Just your opinion.

OK, having advocated for the Mentored Youth Hunting Program (MYHP) for a long time I think the new way is the best way. Studies show that getting kids started earlier is more likely to produce a lifelong passion for the sport. By 12 years old most kids have developed other interests and have many other constraints on their time. The old system is what led Oregon to having a 32% hunter replacement ratio and the new system will give parents, not government, the ability to judge when kids are ready to hunt.

The vast majority of hunters in Oregon are deer and elk rifle hunters that spend limited time in the field, usually a couple of hunts a year. The MYHP is designed to target the kids in those families and allow them to hunt big game earlier since that's the only hunting exposure they get. It does also let kids try other types of hunting before passing HE so there is a benefit there as well. IMHO it probably will not have much impact on the families that already hunt for everything like mine but for the majority of Oregon hunting families there will be more and easier opportunities.

"CL"

[ehunter]

I may be the majority here but again I think that trying to take a young child on too taxing of a hunt can burn them out. I personaly think 12 is good starting age they have a better attention span and phsyicaly can carry a rifle and get up early enough to enjoy the experience. You can take any child hunting along with you at any time. I don't think they should be out of sight of a hunter over 21 until they are 16 I have almost been shot by a young man that was hunting by him self or away from his dad.

I am of the opnion that they should give all the cow tags and doe tags to kids under 18 and adults over 60.

[Boomn4x4]

I think 12 is still a bit young for most kids. I've heard SOOOO many dad's say "my kid is plenty mature enough, they do fine".... and then been in the blind with them and the kid ruins the hunt and the parent is completly blind to it.

Take them with you when they are 8, 10, 12 .... and I can see taking a kid that age for a walk out in the woods and shoot squirrls from branches with a .22 at those ages... but to let them do some gunning on a REAL hunt... thats too young.

I don't know what the law there is, but in Ohio ANY age can get a license, but anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a NON-SHOOTING adult 21 years or older..... I think that's a great law. It gives adults the option of taking younger children hunting.... but it makes sure that the parent is always responsible.

[ehunter]

We just passed a similar law..

Originally Posted by Boomn4x4

I think 12 is still a bit young for most kids. I've heard SOOOO many dad's say "my kid is plenty mature enough, they do fine".... and then been in the blind with them and the kid ruins the hunt and the parent is completly blind to it.

Take them with you when they are 8, 10, 12 .... and I can see taking a kid that age for a walk out in the woods and shoot squirrls from branches with a .22 at those ages... but to let them do some gunning on a REAL hunt... thats too young.

I don't know what the law there is, but in Ohio ANY age can get a license, but anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a NON-SHOOTING adult 21 years or older..... I think that's a great law. It gives adults the option of taking younger children hunting.... but it makes sure that the parent is always responsible.

[Antlershed]

I passed hunters ed and began hunting when I was 9 years old. I had been going with my dad, for a few years before then, but it was always easy hunts, so I didn't get burned out. I agree that there are many 10-12 year olds who, with the right education of firearms, are much more responsible than some of the older yahoos running around the woods.

[STRUTTIN-1]

.

So I guess I'm saying that hunting is a progressive thing. Small game and birds should be earlier and big game should remain 12yr minimum (w/ or w/o an adult). Some things should be anticipated.

Turkey included.