Lowering Hunting Age

[Rattler]

I'm surprised most on here are only thinking about bow hunting.  I think a 12 yr old should be allowed to hunt with an adult, but think they should start with small game, maybe ducks too, then work their way into deer hunting with a firearm, then move on to archery after they've mastered deer hunting with a firearm.

The skill sets a child needs to learn about hunting are best learned starting with small game.  Safe firearm handling and shooting skills are easily learned there and there is enough activity to keep a kid interested.  Moving on to deer hunting requires knowing a little about deer and what it takes to hunt them.  There's a lot more to it than just being a good shot.  Once a kid proves they are a deer hunter, they can test their deer hunting skill with the tougher challenge of archery for deer.

I'd be afraid a kid would become bored with bow hunting if that was the first type of hunting they experienced.  Plus they could easily get discouraged with it if they were never able to get off a shot with their bow, or ever get close enough to a deer to even take a shot.

I think the best way to get a kid interested in fishing is to take them out for sunnies and let them catch a lot of them and get real excited about it.  Seems to me the best way to get a kid into hunting would be to take them out for something that allows them to take a few animals and get real excited about it too.  I'd choose rabbits and squirrels to start.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

8 minutes ago, hunter49 said:

  According to the General License info. on page 12 in the Hunting & trapping syllabus a junior youth ages 12-15 already can hunt small & big game if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian using a gun, bow, or X bow so isn't this already in effect?   I am for a lower age but with an adult.

That is in general and a conglomerate statement.  12 year old for gun on small game.  12 year old for bow on big game. 14 years old for gun big game. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

7 minutes ago, Rattler said:

I'm surprised most on here are only thinking about bow hunting.  I think a 12 yr old should be allowed to hunt with an adult, but think they should start with small game, maybe ducks too, then work their way into deer hunting with a firearm, then move on to archery after they've mastered deer hunting with a firearm.

The skill sets a child needs to learn about hunting are best learned starting with small game.  Safe firearm handling and shooting skills are easily learned there and there is enough activity to keep a kid interested.  Moving on to deer hunting requires knowing a little about deer and what it takes to hunt them.  There's a lot more to it than just being a good shot.  Once a kid proves they are a deer hunter, they can test their deer hunting skill with the tougher challenge of archery for deer.

I'd be afraid a kid would become bored with bow hunting if that was the first type of hunting they experienced.  Plus they could easily get discouraged with it if they were never able to get off a shot with their bow, or ever get close enough to a deer to even take a shot.

I think the best way to get a kid interested in fishing is to take them out for sunnies and let them catch a lot of them and get real excited about it.  Seems to me the best way to get a kid into hunting would be to take them out for something that allows them to take a few animals and get real excited about it too.  I'd choose rabbits and squirrels to start.

And the best part about this bill is it allows the parent to gauge the ability and interest level and do what is best when they feel it is best. (over 12 of course). Nothing says they have to hunt deer at 12

[hunter49]

 Channel 2 in Buffalo is doing a survey & so far over 50% want to raise the age to hunt.

[Swamp_bucks]

It would be great my daughter wants to go hunting but shes having a hard time getting her draw weight up.  I hope it passes means i would get to add my kid to the hunting group and 2 of my god sons. 

[First-light]

Hell we be hunting with kids at the age of twelve for years….bout time the state caught up! lol as long as it is supervised let's do it.

[dbHunterNY]

4 minutes ago, Swamp_bucks said:

It would be great my daughter wants to go hunting but shes having a hard time getting her draw weight up.  I hope it passes means i would get to add my kid to the hunting group and 2 of my god sons. 

that's the idea. this allows them to hunt with any implement during it's respective season. it's about recruiting young hunters before they leave the hunting heritage in the dust for something else. older people get the busier they get, making it hard to find time for something new.

[dbHunterNY]

46 minutes ago, hunter49 said:

 Channel 2 in Buffalo is doing a survey & so far over 50% want to raise the age to hunt.

problem with surveys is it's an educated guess. survey where i'm from and it's well over 80%. survey 30 minutes down the road into the states capitol and it'd tank.  the senate floor vote was 47 to 13 (just over 78%) i'd bet much of the no votes came from urban districts.

[BigVal]

The lady on the news here said they fear shooting deer at a young age will desensitize the kid and he or she will end up shooting humans. Lol 

[Marion]

When I was younger I thought the age for hunting big game with a centerfire was 16 years old. Has that changed at all?

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

14 hours ago, hunter49 said:

 Channel 2 in Buffalo is doing a survey & so far over 50% want to raise the age to hunt.

If you read the comments on the News site pages it is becasue of people that know nothing about hunting or our current NY laws. The people responding to this envision 12 year olds being handed a gun, patted on the head and sent out into the world. They have no idea that they can currently hunt and that they can hunt with the very same guns and rounds that are going to be used.  They can't wrap their heads around it becasue they do no understand it and have no experience with it. (copy and paste this comment in any gun law thread)

[Culvercreek hunt club]

13 hours ago, The Jerkman said:

When I was younger I thought the age for hunting big game with a centerfire was 16 years old. Has that changed at all?

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!
 

It was. I believe the early archery age was 14 but gun for big game was 16. 

[Five Seasons]

15 hours ago, hunter49 said:

 Channel 2 in Buffalo is doing a survey & so far over 50% want to raise the age to hunt.

raise or lower? 

the tricky thing about gun hunting is guns. and ny no likey guns. 

[Five Seasons]

1 hour ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

It was. I believe the early archery age was 14 but gun for big game was 16. 

when i took my course 20 years ago now that was it. 14 archery 16 big game 12 small game. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

3 minutes ago, Belo said:

when i took my course 20 years ago now that was it. 14 archery 16 big game 12 small game. 

Well they kept it the same from 42 years ago until then at least...lol

[Five Seasons]

6 minutes ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

Well they kept it the same from 42 years ago until then at least...lol

it is really weird for me to be 34 and to actually do the math. I haven't been deer hunting 20 yet as I had to be 16, but have been in the woods for a long time. wow.

lets be honest too, i had a bb gun well before 12. poor robins, chippies and sparrows. 

Edited January 24, 2018 by Belo

[TreeGuy]

I hope it passes. Will give mentors the opportunity to get kids out before they get totally sucked in by facespace and tablet time.

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[Hunter007]

On 1/23/2018 at 6:49 PM, BigVal said:

The lady on the news here said they fear shooting deer at a young age will desensitize the kid and he or she will end up shooting humans. Lol 

I think she is confused  if anything  video games and movies would be more likely desensitizing kids to killing  if anything.  And even then the kid would have to be already mess up from bad parents or born that way to be like that .

 

Edited January 27, 2018 by Storm914

[GreenDrake]

Unfortunately not all adults who take to the woods are responsible and I fear the youngsters will not be taught or monitored properly which can be dangerous. Once that bullet leaves the gun you cannot bring it back. 

[gjs4]

An interesting aspect would be to bring data to the table. A quick query of hunting incidents in NY would not justify any concern for: youth based on performance, would warrant the law to mandate fall protection and would have everyone worried about being shot by Jr totally off your rocker on where real injury/incident frequency lies for our area and country. Then again every hunter’s opinion is where their reality and desires show. Surprised more folks weren’t backing this as they tag twice the number of bucks with a rifle in October as in previous years.


Because of you we can’t have nice things.

[Dom]

On 1/24/2018 at 9:25 AM, Belo said:

it is really weird for me to be 34 and to actually do the math. I haven't been deer hunting 20 yet as I had to be 16, but have been in the woods for a long time. wow.

lets be honest too, i had a bb gun well before 12. poor robins, chippies and sparrows. 

It's posts like this that would get most children in trouble.Why would you be killing little birds?Don't say you were to young to know not to shoot them/Had I done this my Dad would have not only taken my bb gun but spanked my ASS good

[chas0218]

13 hours ago, Dom said:

It's posts like this that would get most children in trouble.Why would you be killing little birds?Don't say you were to young to know not to shoot them/Had I done this my Dad would have not only taken my bb gun but spanked my ASS good

I never asked my dad or grandpa if I should shoot birds nor did they tell me I couldn't. So I shot a few in my day, not knowing if I should have or not.

[Five Seasons]

20 minutes ago, chas0218 said:

I never asked my dad or grandpa if I should shoot birds nor did they tell me I couldn't. So I shot a few in my day, not knowing if I should have or not.

this. I didn't ask my mom if I could rub one out to a playboy either.

get off your high horse dom.

Edited February 6, 2018 by Belo

[Doc]

I think if we were all to be honest, we can all remember when as youngsters we did things that clearly demonstrated our lack of maturity. And that irresponsibility multiplied as the number of participating kids increased. I know that I and my two buddies were a holy terror on the woods when we all got together. We only had one rifle between all of us, but we all did plenty of shooting, and it was not always under the most safe conditions or procedures. There always seems to be a feeling of invincibility that goes along with being young.

[dbHunterNY]

On 1/26/2018 at 11:41 PM, GreenDrake said:

Unfortunately not all adults who take to the woods are responsible and I fear the youngsters will not be taught or monitored properly which can be dangerous. Once that bullet leaves the gun you cannot bring it back. 

not everyone drives safe and with good judgement yet you probably have gotten into your car more days then not driving to work, the store, or anywhere else.  youth already have free reins when it comes to small game and target shooting when compared to hunting big game. big game is a much more controlled environment in my opinion.  hunting safety stats with firearms are pretty good. we aren't sailing into uncharted waters. a vast majority of other states have lower ages restrictions then what we're even trying to get to with this bill.