average hunter safety age

[Cascade_Sherpa]

I took my class at 9 years old, but I'd been carrying a gun and shooting for a long time before that, so it helps.  Hunting was something I wanted more that anything else, so I took the class very seriously. I think I was the youngest in the class. Hard to believe that was over twenty years ago, man it was fun!

[uplandhunter870]

my dad made me wait till i was 12, asked him why years later and he said he didnt think i was ready to handle any possible bad situations by myself till then. i dont think it was the age that persuaded him but more of me proving myself to him when i tagged along on his hunts. had been active in scouts and had been shooting guns well before that but most of my younger years of hunting were walking distance from the house, upland mostly, and i was out there alone, he said he just felt better knowing i could deal with possibly losing my bearings in the thrill of the chase or slipping on the shale and twisting an ankle and be collected enough to make it home.

i really think that its on of those things where you will know when your child is ready not so much how old they are.

[carpsniperg2]

when i was 10 i took it along with a ton of other kids in the 10-12age range. the guy doing the stuff here was a real prick. there was a lot of older kids in the class as well. after the field day before the test he pulled all the kids in the 10-12 range but me to the side and told them he thought all of them were not ready to get there cards yet. even though no one did anything wrong. well i passed my test and when they were giving out the cards he asked my age. and i said i was 10 his eyes bugged out "i always have got atleast 3-5 years older then i really am" because i look older. anyways he started this line of well i did not know that is how old you are and blah blah blah even thought i had passed my test he was starting some *censored* when my card was already filled out. lucky my dad was there and heard the crap. he came over and told the guy if he did not give me a card that they were going to have problems on there hands. so he ended up giving it to me. but what a load of crap the guy thought you had to be 13 to be able to hunt i would say 10 is a great age if the kids have been started with guns and saftey from a young age.

[Oneshot1Kill]

I was 8 and a half when i took it. Good year. 

[wiremonkey]

thanks again for all the replies. i think it sounds like 10-12 would be ideal. who knows though he might prove himself a little earlier.

[h2ofowlr]

My dad is a Master Hunter Ed Instructor.  He has taught as young as 8.  A lot depends on maturity and the ability for the child to understand the information being taught.  Any child under the age of 10 is required to have an adult attend all the classes with the kid.  They are also observed during the field course that is required by my dad's class.  If they don't pass the field course, they may not pass overall eventhough they pass the paper test.
Maturity is a big deal as there are probably 15 year olds and so on, that shouldn't be passed or out in the woods with a firearm.

[chester]

Myself and a few other kids i graduated with all took it when we were 6.we all grew up around hunting and basically took it as soon as we could read well enough to pass.we all hunted with our dads, then Started hunting ducks and grouse on our own at 12 and deer at 14.we started hunting elk as a group as soon as one of us got a license. Exposure and time around other hunters plays a big part in it.

[blk_tmbr_archery]

My son went through the course this year at age 10 and recently turned 11.  I think what helped him is we continued to talk about what went on during class on the ride home and again on the way back to class the following day.  Though the instructors lead the way it's up to us to continue the learning experience and ensure it is fun.  As long as we are involved as parents our children can achieve more than we may expect.  For us to keep the entire family involved, my wife alternated for every class. 

[hard hunter]

Just wanted to add my  .  I took my son (10 then now 11) to hunter safety this year.  I would like to commend the guys that taught the class in Vancouver.  They did a great job.  I have taken hunter safety in Utah and Washington and taught bow and hunter safety in Idaho.  These guys did a great job.  My advise to anyone that is taking the class is to get the book ahead of time and read it prior to class.  Doing this helped my son, so much in fact that the instructors stopped letting him answer questions. 

[ducks55]

I was 9 when I passed it pretty easily... I had been hunting with my dad since I was about 4 so I had some experience I guess you could say. The biggest problem I could see for a younger child taking it is being able to shoot the guns, we shot a youth model 870 12 gauge and I was fortunate enough to be a big kid and could handle it but a lot of kids my age then couldn't have and one kid failed because he couldn't handle the gun properly.

[Bob33]

My son passed at age 7 and has been a safe hunting companion with me.

[DeerThug]

Matthew was 8.  But he had years of experience trailing me.  He had done a lot of shooting and was ready.  The only problem he had was with the bow.

It depends on the kid.  Some are ready at 8.  Some still are not ready at 25.

[lokidog]

I was a hunter safety instructor for a while.   The statistics were something like 40% or so of 10 year olds passed, less for younger ages, and about 90% of 11 year olds passed.  The "average" increase in maturity seems to be at age 11. 

Having said that, I think any kid that can read and comprehend what he/she is reading and can demonstrate safe gun handling is a good candidate for taking hunter safety.  My son is seven but reads at a 6th to 7th grade level with an 85 -100% success rate on his reading comprehension tests, he has had a toy gun since he was two, and was taught and follows gun safety rules from that point to today.  Unfortunately, he is small for his age and might have a hard time holding up a .243 or 20 gauge shooting during range day.  I feel that instructors that require shooting should allow students to use the gun that they would use while actually hunting, ie. one made to fit their size (would instructors go to the range with a gun that did not fit them?  Would a female instructor that is 4'10" be required to shoot a full length shotgun?).  Sorry about the rant. 

Even if your child fails the class, it is a good experience and they will learn something.  The next time will be easier.  Take them when you feel they are ready.

[PNWsportsman]

I remember taking hunters safety when I was in 7th grade.  I also remember other kids who were far too young to actually pass the class being helped through the final test by the instructor.  With parental support I would imagine Instructors would be more inclined to help young students.

[gadwall]

this is all great, thanks for the input. i couldnt for the life of me remember when i went through. my son is 6 now and will have a couple of years to prove himself able to go by age 10.

I have helped teach many such classes over the years and the appropriate age really depends on the individual child and their level of interest.  I have seen 8 year olds that were very serious about the class but still needed some help with comprhension especially when it came to things like the mechanics of the different firearms and understanding conservation.  I have also seen 16 year olds that I worried about because I knew they weren't listening a good part of the time.  I would say 10 is the minimum age but get the book way ahead of time and go over it many times prior to the class to peak your childs interest and help with the tougher concepts. 

Gadwall