minimum hunting age

[WNYBuckHunter]

Neither did I until recently. The gun club I belong to has a rule saying no kids under 12 are allowed to shoot due to NYS law.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

shooting with their parent in the back yard.

Mine never seemed to mind it. I have been shootig since I was 8. I am not really sure in my own yard I would view the law the same as at a range....theorectumly speaking of course

[WNYBuckHunter]

I will be posting the groups I get with the new TC Hot Shot I got for myself when I get a chance to sight it in soon. That will, of course happen somewhere other than the gun club.

[Airstrike]

Sogaard,

As far as the crossbow, the Dept of Environmental conservation proposed in their deer management plan to include the crossbow in the archery season. Like the minimum hunting age, this is a change that has to pass through the legislature and be signed into law by the Governor in order to take effect. If it does become law, it should mean that 12 year olds will be able to hunt with a crossbow during archery season (depending on the language of the bill). The legislature remains in session until June so we just have to wait to see if either of these bills pass. I'm personally hoping the bill to lower the age to 12 passes because I feel my youngest is ready.

[SplitG2]

I'm personally hoping the bill to lower the age to 12 passes

It's my understanding this is a current reg already.

[Sogaard]

I think Airstrike was talking crossbows specifically when he wrote that. You're right about the age for vertical bow, but it seems crossbows are still at age 14 unless that legislation he mentioned passes.

Edited March 30, 2012 by Sogaard

[Sogaard]

I'm not a big crossbow fan, but I'd like to get my sons started deer hunting before 14. They both shoot vertical bows now, but only ones with a 25-30lb pull. They still aren't strong enough to control a 40-50lb pull bow well enough for me to allow them to hunt with one. If they switch crossbows over to archery, it would give me the opportunity to take them hunting with me a season, or possibly two seasons earlier, depending on how their strength and vertical bow skills improve.

Edited March 30, 2012 by Sogaard

[ncountry]

I will be posting the groups I get with the new TC Hot Shot I got for myself when I get a chance to sight it in soon. That will, of course happen somewhere other than the gun club.

Ha, I know what you mean ,I own and shoot a few pink guns too. lol

[16. ga hunter]

i find it funny how everyone keeps saying how hard it is to get kids interested. i for one don't think its any harder than when i was a kid. granted im only in my 30's but both my son and my daughter are interested in hunting and the outdoors. i think the key is to do things other than hunting with them like camping real camping like in tents not campers hiking bird watching ect. teach them to build the firte let them participate. some of my friends say how hard it is with thier kids that are older but they don't do anything till season .

[Doc]

i find it funny how everyone keeps saying how hard it is to get kids interested. i for one don't think its any harder than when i was a kid. granted im only in my 30's but both my son and my daughter are interested in hunting and the outdoors. i think the key is to do things other than hunting with them like camping real camping like in tents not campers hiking bird watching ect. teach them to build the firte let them participate. some of my friends say how hard it is with thier kids that are older but they don't do anything till season .

Exactly right! Outdoor activities are not single activities. The whole thing is a "package deal", and the more outdoor activities you keep your family involved in, the more likely you will have lifelong hunters develop.

[bubba]

Yep, according to NYS law.

we have to have 11 year old in the hunter ed class shoot air guns and laser guns.

[WNYBuckHunter]

we have to have 11 year old in the hunter ed class shoot air guns and laser guns.

Sad, isnt it?

[Doc]

Maybe this is another law that ought to be changed. I never realized that there were limitations on "shooting age" as long as the parents were supervising and controlling the activity. I guess my parents never realized that either because my dad always included me in our target shooting, even when I was a little kid. Yeah, there might be some minimum age for unsupervised firearm usage, but in a controlled target activity that is attended by a parent, it is ridiculous for the government to be involved in that.

[bubba]

Sad, isnt it?

sure is

[nyantler]

I think the best thing to do to make a youngster repect a firearm is to let him shoot one.... the first time my son pulled the trigger on a shotgun he gained a whole new respect for its power and quickly learned that this was no toy... he was very careful about how he handled a gun after that...

[Doc]

I think the best thing to do to make a youngster repect a firearm is to let him shoot one.... the first time my son pulled the trigger on a shotgun he gained a whole new respect for its power and quickly learned that this was no toy... he was very careful about how he handled a gun after that...

That is the one advantage of a shotgun's "kick". It definitely is a reminder that it is one very serious implement......lol.

[aoudadhunter]

Bring him to Texas where there's no minimum age. I shot my first one at age 7 and I took my nephew at age 5 to kill his first one(deer).

[landtracdeerhunter]

No minimum age in Texas. The parent determines if their child is ready to hunt. Now that has a nice ring to it. Does that go with all weapons?

[Elmo]

Then you also have parents who think it's okay to leave a 2 year old locked in a car in the sun while she hammers back a few tequilas. Yes, this did just happen not too long ago. It's always one idiot who screws it up for the rest of us. These idiots aren't going to amount to anything anyway so let's just get rid of them. Sorry...that's just me ranting.

Edited June 12, 2012 by Elmo

[aoudadhunter]

No minimum age in Texas. The parent determines if their child is ready to hunt. Now that has a nice ring to it. Does that go with all weapons?

Yes sir they have to have hunters edu course or be accompanied by an adult but if thier big enough to shoot a bow or a gun thier free to do so.

[First-light]

Sorry but if they let the parent be the judge on hunting age I'd probably only Bow hunt. 5 year old behind a weapon, a bit over the top for me.

[aoudadhunter]

I can see where your coming from but we grew up on ranches and have been in the woods since the we were a few months old even if dad just used a crying baby for a coyote call in the stand, we learned to shoot BB guns at 3 under supervision and were a beer cans worst nightmare. Eventually we were out around the barn shooting birds till we got a pellet gun and a cheap scope and learned to use cross hairs. So by age 5 we could shoot a .222 or a .223 pretty well at 100 yrds . And we were only allowed to use rifles under strict supervision and in the blind we didn't hold the gun till it was time to shoot. So after having that much exposure and practice and having our butts beat if we violated any safety rules we had a pretty good grip on it. It was just something we grew up around everyday and learned early so it's not like we just threw 5 yr olds in the woods with a gun and said have at it. Safety and accuracy always came first.

[mike rossi]

Maybe fans of the Jerry Springer show can't get it... But lawmakers should... The range of maturity between children of the same age is miles wide... What this law is (really) saying - is that the parent doesnt have enough sense to gauge the maturity of his/her own child...

[aoudadhunter]

Mike you nailed it on the head I believe