I wish Ny would lower the hunting age!

[TeeBugg]

My son is 9 and will be 10 in january. He is so ready to hunt with a bow. He wants to go now! But he has to wait til 12 i believe. Ive seen other states that have no minimum age. Why is ny so high?

[Adkhunter1590]

I thought it was 14 for big game with a bow? idk why it's so high. Very stupid I agree.

[TeeBugg]

12-13 must have completed bow and hunter safety course. Accompanied by parent or mentor type person.

[steve863]

I will NEVER understand why NYS and many others think that bowhunting is OK at an earlier age than gun hunting?  My honest opinion is that a 9 or 10 year old is too young to hunt with a bow.  Hell, we have people way older than that and all they manage to do with a bow is stick a deer and then have it run off wounded.  I would not have any more confidence in a 10 year old, that's for sure.  Have them hunt supervised with a firearm for a couple of seasons, and then they can pick up a bow if they wish.

 

 

 

 

 

[TeeBugg]

To each his own. My son shoots better than most guys i see going out in the woods. Then again he has been raised around hunting and knows guns and bows are not toys.

[Doewhacker]

 Can you son pull 36+ pounds? (State minimum)  Mine is 9 and there is no way he could pull that weight.

 

Small game sure, and as Steve said supervised gun hunting are ok in my book.

[TeeBugg]

He shooting a micro midas set at 35 now. Its almost on the edge of too easy. But we kept it at that to practice more on accurate shooting.

[Waldershrek]

I don't think there should be a minimum age as long as they are supervised, have had their safety class and can meet any physical requirements (pulling 36lb draw weight etc)

[TeeBugg]

I don't think there should be a minimum age as long as they are supervised, have had their safety class and can meet any physical requirements (pulling 36lb draw weight etc)

Fully agree. I see states downsouth with no minimum and 4-7 year olds taking turkeys or deer with the supervision of parents.

[Adkhunter1590]

I'm personally know a 7 year old who has shot multiple does and is working on getting a buck all with a bow. What difference does the age matter on hunting with a bow vs a rifle. If they can pull it back and shoot safely have at it! Buck fever does not discriminate on age...a 45 year old veteran with 25 years of bow hunting can get jittery and wound a deer just the same as a 8 year old.

[steve863]

 What difference does the age matter on hunting with a bow vs a rifle. If they can pull it back and shoot safely have at it!  

 

 

Because it's easier to screw up with a bow in my opinion.  With a light draw bow, and a less than perfect hold, that aim behind the shoulder can end up hitting the shoulder bone, and the deer will most likely get away wounded.  Do the same with a rifle or shotgun, and the deer will be going down, and more than likely OUT!   And if an adult who is hunting with the kid is also carrying a firearm, he might be able to dispatch a poorly shot deer if it's trying to get away.  Not as likely to do the same with a bow if the deer gets passed 50 yards or so.  If anything will discourage a kid from hunting it's NOT recovering their first deer, thus I believe it's wiser to have them start with a firearm.

Edited October 28, 2013 by steve863

[irish_redneck]

Valid points imo

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[TeeBugg]

Because it's easier to screw up with a bow in my opinion. With a light draw bow, and a less than perfect hold, that aim behind the shoulder can end up hitting the shoulder bone, and the deer will most likely get away wounded. Do the same with a rifle or shotgun, and the deer will be going down, and more than likely OUT! And if an adult who is hunting with the kid is also carrying a firearm, he might be able to dispatch a poorly shot deer if it's trying to get away. Not as likely to do the same with a bow if the deer gets passed 50 yards or so. If anything will discourage a kid from hunting it's NOT recovering their first deer, thus I believe it's wiser to have them start with a firearm.

Light draw bow? So women and kids who hunt with 40# shouldnt either? Im trying to understand that thought.

[steve863]

What don't you understand?  Will a light draw bow penetrate as well as a heavier one at different yardage and angles?  

 

Look, I'm not here to argue with you, only giving opinions as to why I would prefer starting a kid with a firearm over a bow.  If you thought everyone would agree with you about starting a 9 year old deer hunting with a bow, you were wrong I'm afraid.

 

 

 

 

[TeeBugg]

Because under that idea...anyone who hunts with a 40# or 45# bow shouldnt hunt. Even recurve traditional guys/gals would fall under that. The bow my son is now shooting was passed down to him by my stepmother...she has multiple kills with it at 42# draw weight. She kept her shots 20 yards and closer and thats what he is practicing at. I didnt expect alot of people to agree with me actually. I just merely wondered why it was different ages in different states.

Edited October 28, 2013 by TeeBugg

[Geno C]

to even have a child that young hunt with the bow there would be many things to consider when setting him up. one being broad head, for a bow around the 30-45lb mark is use a fixed 2 blade to optimize penetration. another would be arrow type/weight, id also work hard to getting deer in close

 

its do able and kids of all ages harvest deer in other states all the time, however the one thing id agree with steve on is i was always stumped why the bow age was younger then the gun age.

[steve863]

No one said deer can't be killed with a light draw bow.  What I said is that in general it is easier to screw up with ANY bow compared to a firearm.  Just read this forum and you will see how many people screw up with bows.  And this forum is just a very SMALL sample of the bowhunters out there.

 

 

 

[Geno C]

No one said deer can't be killed with a light draw bow.  What I said is that in general it is easier to screw up with ANY bow compared to a firearm.  Just read this forum and you will see how many people screw up with bows.  And this forum is just a very SMALL sample of the bowhunters out there.

 

 

very small sample...

[First-light]

No one said deer can't be killed with a light draw bow.  What I said is that in general it is easier to screw up with ANY bow compared to a firearm.  Just read this forum and you will see how many people screw up with bows.  And this forum is just a very SMALL sample of the bowhunters out there.

Hey-you talken about me?????lol

[steve863]

Hey-you talken about me?????lol

 

No.  I don't name names.  

[beachpeaz]

Fully agree. I see states downsouth with no minimum and 4-7 year olds taking turkeys or deer with the supervision of parents.

 

My son is 5 and there is no way he is in the woods with a bow, deer hunting.  Not sure the logic behind a 4 year old doing that.  Not to mention they don't ahve the mental capacity or maturity to process that at that age.  You could actually deter a kid from hunting more than help him once he sees a wounded animal "crying" or bloody mess.  I think the age is appropriate.  Maybe NY actually has it right for once and the other states are F'd up!  lol. 

 

I know this is off topic, since the thread merely started with a simple question as to why the different ages.  To that answer, I don't know...lol.

[steve863]

very small sample...

 

 

Yes it is, but I think those that take the time to post to a forum, in general might be more dedicated to the sport.  I would think those more dedicated would know how to shoot a bow better than the run of the mill guy also.  So if the more dedicated ones screw up often, what should I expect from everyone else out there??

[Five Seasons]

Fully agree. I see states downsouth with no minimum and 4-7 year olds taking turkeys or deer with the supervision of parents.

I really wouldn't use the south as an example for anything. I suppose id be ok with minimum bow limits and not age. A deer is a big animal for a 9 year old to watch die, let alone 12. If you're still afraid of cooties I'm not sure you're ready to kill. But then again our govt believes you can serve and kill before you can drink a beer...

[A Sportsman]

Beachpeaz, if you didn't mention it, I would have. The idea of a 5 year old standing over a deer that has been spined and is flailing and "baaing" is disturbing to me. Like you said, a kid that young may not be able to process everything in the right light. We need to be patient about this.

Also, some kids may in fact be ready at an earlier age than others. But as a dad I wouldn't want to have to explain to my son why some other kid hunts with his dad yet I don't take him yet. With a set age that guarantees most kids are developed enough, it alleviates the concern.

There is a lot we can do with kids before they are ready to hunt. Fish camp, hike, scout, etc. And its all a great primer for raising a future hunter. This is how I was raised. And I think for me, the fact that I had to wait until I was a little older made me want it all that more. I think it also made me look at it as a priveledge just to be out there.

[Five Seasons]

Because it's easier to screw up with a bow in my opinion. With a light draw bow, and a less than perfect hold, that aim behind the shoulder can end up hitting the shoulder bone, and the deer will most likely get away wounded. Do the same with a rifle or shotgun, and the deer will be going down, and more than likely OUT! And if an adult who is hunting with the kid is also carrying a firearm, he might be able to dispatch a poorly shot deer if it's trying to get away. Not as likely to do the same with a bow if the deer gets passed 50 yards or so. If anything will discourage a kid from hunting it's NOT recovering their first deer, thus I believe it's wiser to have them start with a firearm.

Statistically a deer is far more likely to survive a bad arrow hit than gun. Broadheads heal over. Gun shots don't. I would also argue an arrow wound is more deadly and you're less likely to hit because the deer must be much closer and not running.