Hunters Ed Age Question

[huntingbg]

Hey all I got a couple little ones, ones almost three and the other a year old.  I'm already excited to get them ready to hunt.  What age was your child when they took hunters education?

[lokidog]

Older than 3.   

Seriously, it will depend on a lot of factors. Statistically, most under age 10 don't pass, if your kid is a slow reader, they may need to wait longer, if your kid is smaller than average, as mine is, they may have to wait longer, if your kid is immature, they may have to wait longer.

The point is, you have a long ways to go but there is a lot you can do to make it easier for them when they are ready.  When my boy was three, he was using sticks and other toys as guns.  I thought about getting him a "toy" gun but decided that most were too realistic looking for a three year old to differentiate his toy from a real gun.  So, i made hime one out of wood.  I used a small 22 that my 8 yo daughter had as a template for the stock, then shortened it a little so it would fit him.  I also attached a dowel to it for the barrel.  Clearly, this is a "toy" gun and could not be confused with the real thing.  From Day 1 he was told about the firearm safety rules, most specifically that his gun was not to be pointed at people or pets.  He was reminded of these rules if he was seen to break them, or almost break them.  I would trust my, now, 9 yo more than many adults I have seen handling firearms.

My boy willl be doing the online course starting later this week.  Again, not because of lack of maturity a year or two ago or lack of reading ability, but because of his small stature.

Ultimately, it will be up to you when you and he/she decides to take the class.  Please, though, be sure and do the other parents/kids a favor who are trying to get into limited class spaces and make sure your child is actually ready to pass the class and not just take up space in one.

Good luck and have fun, they grow up quickly.

[shedkid]

No age limit that i know of, i was 6 when i took it and passed. :)Good luck to your kids in a few years!

[HornHoarder]

My son is 8 and just started his hunter ed class.

[h2ofowlr]

My son had just turned 9 and I enrolled him in the class.  He ended up passing and had a great season.  Rule of thumb is look for a sign of maturity in your child, if you assess that he is ready and can comprehend the information than he may be ready.  I think the youngest I have seen is 8 in the class.  Any earlier than that I may be hessitant to do it.  Ultimately it's also the instructors call.  He or she may place an age limit on the class.

[brocka]

I was 9 when I passed mine. I also was a strong reader at that age. I think it depends on the maturity. All I wanted to do was hunt so I was very interested in the class. I used to the take the regs to school for "reading time". If a kid is young and not interested I can see it being easy to fail.

[h20hunter]

For me I think it will be a combination of age, reading ability, comprehension, and physical ability as well. Right now my son, turning 7 this summer, is reading at a high level for his age and can understand the text but may not comprehend the information on a proper level. He also lacks the physical size and strenth to proprly handle a bow or firearm without my hands on help. Hes just got no meat on him. I hope that around the ages mentioned....9 or 10....the stars align and the interest is there. All kids are different in ability, both physical and mental, and should be guided by what their parents think is best.

[arees]

My son took it when he was 8.  We held off that long until he could read the material himself.  When it was time for the written test, parents could not sit next to their own children while taking the test.  My son only asked the father sitting with him about two words during the test and only missed two questions.

We started him shooting archery at about 3.  He was shooting a bb gun with a cut down stock around 4 and a youth 22 around 5.  He got his cut down 270 at around 6 and learned to hand load for it (using scoops and Trailboss powder so he could not overcharge a round).  Through out he was taught shooting safety, but not fear of firearms.  We would play hunter and guide with his stuffed animals in the basement taking care to only take safe shots (and knowing to step clear of your client before making a backing shot when the elephant charged).

We were on a weekend trip with some other kids where we taught them how to make small bows from sticks and strings.  When the kids disappeared with the bows I checked up on them and found that my son had set up a range and was using the range safety calls we had taught him to keep the shooting safe.

Kids can learn safety early, if you teach it to them.  You can adjust the bows and rifles to their size and ability.  Work with them starting early and you will have not a problem recognizing when they are ready. 

[huntingbg]

Thanks for all the good advice...while I don't want to wish these early days away, I'm excited for the future.

[ICEMAN]

You are a good dad!

[Dan-o]

I took my 6 year old son through at he same time as my 10 year old (figure dif he could pass I wouldn't have to go back).

My 6 year old (good reader) passed no problem.

I didn't let him carry a loaded firearm until 10.   He had some nice walk alongs with bb gun to prove 100% muzzle control.   

And of course at 10, as the adult you need to be in "Immediate control" of the situation.

[npaull]

I did it with my dad when I was in second grade. I'm 30 now.

[doubletall]

My daughter is 9 next month and breezing through the online course without help. What can she (we) expect on the field day?  Do they teach proper gun handling or are they just evaluated on what they have learned from the online material and from me. Can anyone give me a brief summary of the field test.

Thanks,

Dave

[arees]

I would confirm the field day testing with the instructors that will be performing it.  Based on discussions on this board and the experience of others, some instructors believe it should be a test of safe handling skills while others believe it should be a test to see if your daughter can handle the recoil of some arbitrary rifle selected by the instructor.

Hopefully your daughter has learned enough to know how to select a rifle that is suitable for both the game she is hunting and her abilities.

[whitey]

My daughter went thru it when she was 11 y.o and shot a nice 4x4 whitetail the next season at age 12.
I think it really depends on the kid, Mine didnt really have any interest in hunting in general until then. Now she could care less about deer hunting, but loves hunting birds over her dog  Harley.. She comes around harley forgets all about me.