What age did you start your kid hunting?

[BIGINNER]

YA,  I  SEE WHAT YOU MEAN,  THIS PATICULAR NEPHEW OF MINE IS A SCIENCE GEAK,  ANY OTHER ONE OF MY NEPHEWS,  EVEN 10 YEARS OLD WOULD NEED SOMEONE TO GO WITH THEM TO THE CLASS TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING,     

[Kain]

Been taking her out since she was 2.  We also hunt house sparrows and starlings in the back yard.  She has a pink tent that she sets up like a hunting blind and we bait them with bread.  When a bird comes in she tells me if it is a bird we can shoot or not.  If she is right I shoot it with the pellet gun and she runs out to get it.  

Two years old

Three

Four looking for grouse

[Skyvalhunter]

Very nice!! How do those birds taste?

[mdme3006]

I have always taken my kids out hunting and scouting with me, All three of my kids, two girls and a boy all took hunters ed at 9 years old. Its all about the kid, if they are physically ready to handle a firearm safely and understand what the instructors are saying, then send them. The time I get with my kids in the woods is priceless.

[Sumpnneedskillin]

 He would take me on numerous turkey hunts, and when ever I got to cold he would call it quits and take me home (knowing full well if I got cold and didn't enjoy it, hunting might not have struck a cord with me).  

I started my boys at 10ish.  At first they just followed me around while I hunted.  We talked about animals, nature, woodscraft, tracking, gun safety etc.  Then they graduated to carrying an empty weapon to get used carrying it around and practicing safe gun handling skills.  I've always believed in that if you want them to enjoy it, when they've have enough, that's it for day.  If they got cold, wet, tired, bored etc and were ready to quit, we quit.  The oldest has decided that he's not into hunting (hopefully it's a phase) but the youngest is always bugging me about going hunting.

[boots]

Walked with my old man in the woods starting around age 10. Hunters ed certificate at age 12.

[Tman]

Mine have all been in the woods with me, they're 2,5,7,10. My 5 y/o got to be with my wife when she got her deer this year, and they were all with me about two years ago when i got my elk (Decided we would go on a hike down a closed logging road during mz elk season, and believe it or not a legal elk stepped out, They were pumped.  My 7y/o was 5 and did most of the field dressing, she's been hooked since. I've taken them since they could walk, whether it was a walk around the property or hiking over a mountain.  It all depends on the kids capabilities.  Signed my 10 y/o and 7 y/o up for the hunters education in April 2011, they will both be a year older (age wise) then.  If they pass, good, if they can't comprehend, thats ok too.  I have preached gun safety since they could understand, all it will do is help them to better understand the proper safety techniques, and ethical hunting decisions.  Theres always later if they don't make it. 
Sometimes it seems kids will take instruction from a stranger a bit more serious. We'll see.

[huntergreg]

Question for the dad's that put their kids through hunters ed at age 7 or even 8.
For the test part, where they able to actually read and understand the questions?

My 7 year old is at the top of his class in reading, but I can't see him being able to sound out a word like "Conservation" and then really know what it meant.

If they can't read the test do you get to read the questions to them?
This is a serious question.  I know my son could pass right now, but I know there's no way he could read the test and fully comprehend the questions without some help.

 

[nwhunter]

Moley not sure if every hunter ed class is the same but at ours the younger kids have the option of having the test read to them by a volunteer and then fill out the answer sheet like the rest of the class. A parent doesnt get to do it and the questions aren't explained any differently but it helps the kids who would get hung up on trying to read the questions. My boy took the class at age 8 and had the test read to him and passed easily but he is really into hunting and the outdoors since he could walk practically. The hunter safety stuff is usually easy enough to get through its the habitat and conservation questions that get the younger kids. The younger kids get into hunting and the outdoors the better before they get hooked on video games and computers!nwhunter

[AKBowman]

Im 29 and I want to say I started hunting bunnies/grouse etc when I was around 8. My parents did take us out before then though. I think I started hunting ducks when I was around 13 and big game at 16.

[MoleyMolson]

nwhunter, thanks for the response, that's exactly the info I was looking for.

[quadrafire]

about 9 yrs with a pellet gun, then hunter safety at 12, then in the field at 13. He was ready earlier, but we just didn't have the time.

[sakoshooter]

My son went along when he was very young. Passed his hunter's ed at age 10 and shot his first deer that year. Spike blacktail. That was many animals ago. He's 31 now.

[h2ofowlr]

I started taking my sons out in the field at age 2.  They love sitting in the blind helping to call in the birds.

[bak2huntn]

I can't remember when I started hunting I did hunters ed at about ten but had already hunted several years those were different days then! Never got my son in to it,My biggest regret. Went for grouse one year .But I must have did something right now he sleeps with his M-4 and is looking forward to hunting the Taliban's!