Minimum solo hunting age in WA

[RemingtonMike]

I'd like to know what the minimum solo hunting age for Washington is i have completed my hunter safety course and want to mostly hunt small game.

[Tman]

I'm pretty sure that Washington is one of the few states that still does not have a minimum solo hunting age..
http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=13243

[bobcat]

When I was a kid the minimum age was 14 but now there isn't a minimum age, unless they just recently passed a new law that I haven't heard about.

[Bob33]

There is no legal minimum age in Washington.

[carpsniperg2]

Just have to pass hunters ed and they are good to go, Any age

[Alan K]

If you go on a youth permit hunt you have to be accompanied by an adult, I know that.

[BoomWhop]

No minimum age if you have your hunter safety card.

[bigtex]

If you go on a youth permit hunt you have to be accompanied by an adult, I know that.

Same with youth hunts for birds such as the youth waterfowl hunt.

[DeerThug]

This came up a couple of years ago with a buddie and I.  Seemed to us that years ago it was 11 with a shotgun and 14 rifle.  one day he was going by an minimart and there were 11 wdfw enforcement trucks.  (yeah 11 in one place - good use of our $)  NONE of them new the answer.  A few days later the seagent called him and the answer is :

There is no minimum age:  it was changed some years ago.

So feel free to give a  youngster a gun and turn them loose.  Not that most would do that, but would seem to most reasonable adults that there should be rules for the idiots.

[RemingtonMike]

This came up a couple of years ago with a buddie and I.  Seemed to us that years ago it was 11 with a shotgun and 14 rifle.  one day he was going by an minimart and there were 11 wdfw enforcement trucks.  (yeah 11 in one place - good use of our $)  NONE of them new the answer.  A few days later the seagent called him and the answer is :

There is no minimum age:  it was changed some years ago.

So feel free to give a  youngster a gun and turn them loose.  Not that most would do that, but would seem to most reasonable adults that there should be rules for the idiots.

So are you calling me an idiot?
And I'm not clueless I know what I'm doing I dont even hunt with a round in the chamber, its on safety, the barrel is always up or down and I've always waited until I know what I'm shooting at before I pull the trigger

[h20hunter]

Wow...a little touchy? Don't think I would have taken it that way. However, there are quite a few of them out there.

[DeerThug]

Think you took what I said completley wrong.

Point that I was making is that it would be reaonable for there to be some sort of rule on such a thing.  Surely you would agree that there are parents that do not monitor their kids - whether it is hunitng or anything else, they are out there. At least if it was in the hunting rules it sets a base-line.  Afterall if it was in the book, you would not have had to ask the question in the first place.  Not that I am for a bunch of rules, but this one seems to be reasonable. 

[RemingtonMike]

Yeah I guess I did sorry

[WA hunter14]

no one should want them changing hunting laws against hunters in any way, once they change one they will want to change more, im 14 an hunt alone alot, i just started breaking off from my dad when i was like 11 and if most kids are like i was, as soon as i got away from him i was more cautious and aware just all around, i guess i was out of my comfort zone... not sure

[throttlejocky20]

I believe its up to the parents and the kids maturity level. Some kids could be ready as soon as 12 or 13 others should never go alone.

[pianoman9701]

Anyone who has passed hunter's safety and has the proper tags and licenses may hunt by themselves. There is no minimum age limit for taking hunter's safety. The instructor may require that youths under a certain age be accompanied by a parent when taking hunter safety.

[pianoman9701]

This came up a couple of years ago with a buddie and I.  Seemed to us that years ago it was 11 with a shotgun and 14 rifle.  one day he was going by an minimart and there were 11 wdfw enforcement trucks.  (yeah 11 in one place - good use of our $)  NONE of them new the answer.  A few days later the seagent called him and the answer is :

There is no minimum age:  it was changed some years ago.

So feel free to give a  youngster a gun and turn them loose.  Not that most would do that, but would seem to most reasonable adults that there should be rules for the idiots.

So are you calling me an idiot?
And I'm not clueless I know what I'm doing I dont even hunt with a round in the chamber, its on safety, the barrel is always up or down and I've always waited until I know what I'm shooting at before I pull the trigger

I think you must've have misunderstood his response. I don't think anyone is calling you an idiot.

[rock]

I started hunting alone when i was 12. but of course this was indiana where all my hunting spot are a mile from the house. I shot all my deer by myself. Doin what i wanna do. I do it legal and ethical. But its nicer for youth to be able to hunt by themselves. I blew a hunt when i was younger on a nice sized buck. Its taught me to be more patient. My parents trust me hunting by myself and with a selct few friends. My parenst i have to say are pretty strict like always having to talk to parents before goin to a friends house and all that good stuff. Its just a matter of trust. And i think i always get more game if i go myself too.

[WA hunter14]

same here, whenever i bring my friends hunting all i can think about is how loud they are

[longknife]

same here, whenever i bring my friends hunting all i can think about is how loud they are

LOL a making of a great hunter there!! I have said the same thing since i was 12!

I think alot of people got a bad tase in their mouth after the 2 youths that got dropped off by grandpa, and they shot a lady on top of Darrington. No law, but common sense,,,

[WA hunter14]

yea its people like them that make it worse for the rest of us

[sebek556]

I like the idea of no minimum age for the hunter saftey course. Responabily lies in the parent, I have taken many army soliders out for hunts and some scared me more then my kids first hunts. i have three children ages 12-9-5 my old is my daughter while having her hunter saftey card for 2 years now, not comforable with her soling just yet. My 9 year old son has also had his card for 2 years but showed a interst in hunt much young and would sit in the stand with me, at the current path he is on by 12 would be ready to solo in a area close to me. and the five year old will get to it when the time comes. my older kids all took hunter saftey course in SC, and I am really glad the laws changed for my five year old so in a few years he can take it. And lastly my wife will hopfully get her first ever solo hunt (college schedule permitting) after a few years of bouncing around with the kids.

[pat riotic]

No minimum age if you have your hunter safety card.

good to know i didnt know that 

[YellowDog]

same here, whenever i bring my friends hunting all i can think about is how loud they are

LOL a making of a great hunter there!! I have said the same thing since i was 12!

I think alot of people got a bad tase in their mouth after the 2 youths that got dropped off by grandpa, and they shot a lady on top of Darrington. No law, but common sense,,,

Did she have a nice rack? Two-point or better unit? This could have been justifiable.

No offense but that is a pretty distasteful remark given the fact that an innocent person was killed by a young hunter who mis-identified his target. 

[pianoman9701]

OK, point taken. Sorry about your friend.

[Elkaholic daWg]

No minimum age if you have your hunter safety card.

good to know i didnt know that 

True, but keep it quiet. This is Washington and the nannies could be getting bored!

[steen]

It is pretty clear in the regs. at least for deer, 14 on the eastside and 16 on the westside.  I'm not sure about waterfowl. 

[pianoman9701]

It is pretty clear in the regs. at least for deer, 14 on the eastside and 16 on the westside.  I'm not sure about waterfowl.

I can't find age requirements anywhere. Please tell me which page of the regs this is on and where on the page.

[GoldTip]

I gotta be honest, I hate any more hunting regulations than we already have, and no offense to any of you out there whom are very responsible parents or are very responsible kids.  But there are way too many out there who are not either, and I strongly believe there should be a minimum solo hunting age required by the state.  If you want to have your kids take hunters safety at age 5 or 7 or 9 or whenever you think they are ready for it, I have no qualms with that.  But having them solo hunt alone with a rifle should have some sort of minimum age.  Otherwise we might as well turn kids loose with a car whenever the parents deem they are responsible enough to be out driving.  Not any significant difference in my mind. 

[Elkaholic daWg]

 I told you so!

[bobcat]

It is pretty clear in the regs. at least for deer, 14 on the eastside and 16 on the westside.  I'm not sure about waterfowl. 

You're joking, right?

[winshooter88]

Bobcat is correct there is no minimum age in this state. The only thing about age for youth was on page 27 where it says that only hunters under 16 years of age can apply for youth hunts.

[pat riotic]

I gotta be honest, I hate any more hunting regulations than we already have, and no offense to any of you out there whom are very responsible parents or are very responsible kids.  But there are way too many out there who are not either, and I strongly believe there should be a minimum solo hunting age required by the state.  If you want to have your kids take hunters safety at age 5 or 7 or 9 or whenever you think they are ready for it, I have no qualms with that.  But having them solo hunt alone with a rifle should have some sort of minimum age.  Otherwise we might as well turn kids loose with a car whenever the parents deem they are responsible enough to be out driving.  Not any significant difference in my mind. 

im 15 turning 16 in a couple days (august 7th) and i actually have to agree with you because in my first few years if i had gone alone i would not have half the knowledge i do now. but now that im moving to the vancouver(wa) area i have no one to hunt with so i will be on my own for a little while but im joinning a local shooting club so hopefully i meet some future hunting partners there. however i would rather hunt alone then not hunt at all.

[GoldTip]

I gotta be honest, I hate any more hunting regulations than we already have, and no offense to any of you out there whom are very responsible parents or are very responsible kids.  But there are way too many out there who are not either, and I strongly believe there should be a minimum solo hunting age required by the state.  If you want to have your kids take hunters safety at age 5 or 7 or 9 or whenever you think they are ready for it, I have no qualms with that.  But having them solo hunt alone with a rifle should have some sort of minimum age.  Otherwise we might as well turn kids loose with a car whenever the parents deem they are responsible enough to be out driving.  Not any significant difference in my mind. 

im 15 turning 16 in a couple days (august 7th) and i actually have to agree with you because in my first few years if i had gone alone i would not have half the knowledge i do now. but now that im moving to the vancouver(wa) area i have no one to hunt with so i will be on my own for a little while but im joinning a local shooting club so hopefully i meet some future hunting partners there. however i would rather hunt alone then not hunt at all.

And at 16 years of age I have no qualms with you hunting alone, and your right, better to hunt alone than not at all.  My sense is simply in a state that has no MINIMUM age at which you can begin to hunt as long as you've passed hunters safety, then there should be a minimum age at which you can hunt solo.  That's all.  For me I would say age 14 would be a reasonable minimum age for solo hunting.

[Swannytheswan]

I disagree if there had been a min. in TN when I was growing up I probably would be a hunter today. My parents didn't care about me hunting  but my dad didn't hunt and he wouldn't have gone with me as much as I wanted to. I did drag him along for a youth hunt and I couldn't get him to be quiet. I was hunting alone at around 10-11 and am 27 now and I was responsible enough, it did take me longer to get a deer than it would have had I had someone to take me and show me the ropes but as far as responsiblilty goes I have always had clean kills and safe shots. I don't know if I am the exception or not however I will always choose to leave the decision in the parents hands rather than the governments. Parents know their children and the state doesn't. I know there are many parents that don't parent and would rather the government raise there kids but if we make the laws/reg. restrictive to do that good kids that are responsible will pay the price and hunting will die in america.

[predatorpro]

i was like 8 when i started hunting alone, but i know guys that are 30 that i dont think would make it an hour in the woods

[lokidog]

I have to somewhat agree with Goldtip,  even if it is as low as 12.  There is just such a huge maturity gap between most 11 and 12 year olds.  At least a parent/gurdian should be within earshot fo the kid. 

As a kid, a long time ago... it was really annoying that I could drive myself to go hunting but could not buy ammo for myself to do it.

[Swannytheswan]

As a kid, a long time ago... it was really annoying that I could drive myself to go hunting but could not buy ammo for myself to do it.

 

[AL WORRELLS KID]

As soon as I hit 14 years of age, I headed right down main street, shotgun slung across my shoulder and headed for the river to hunt ducks.
 I remember cars passing me by with guys hanging out the windows hollering "Yeah...Go get them!" ( They must have thought I was headed for City Hall or something.)
Those times of tromping through the swamps to the fields by myself made for some good memories.
Doug

[Rob]

As soon as I hit 14 years of age, I headed right down main street, shotgun slung across my shoulder and headed for the river to hunt ducks.
 I remember cars passing me by with guys hanging out the windows hollering "Yeah...Go get them!" ( They must have thought I was headed for City Hall or something.)
Those times of tromping through the swamps to the fields by myself made for some good memories.
Doug

Love your posts...  Wish these days were still around!  Very cool.

_______
I do not support a legal minimum age for kids hunting - I feel that should be up to the parents.  The problem is - I have very little faith in most adults on making a good decision on topics like this!

[pianoman9701]

There already is a tried and tested age limit in WA - that age at which you're able to safely handle a firearm and comprehend what it means to be a safe and ethical hunter. For some advanced children, that age may be 6, 7, or 8. For others, maybe 12. Instituting an age limit is the creation of a solution looking for a problem. There is no need to change due to safety reasons, unless someone thinks that all of a sudden we're going to see 8 year-olds shooting people. So far, they don't. Leave it alone if it aint broken.

[jstone]

It all depends on how you are raised. I used to hunt at 12 all by myself. My brothers made sure that I could. They made me tough. Mental toughness is a big thing. Lots to scare you out there. I have had rattlers almost get me. Shot coyotes at close range.

[boneaddict]

I do not support a legal minimum age for kids hunting - I feel that should be up to the parents.  The problem is - I have very little faith in most adults on making a good decision on topics like this!

pretty much spot on where I am at

[Birdgetter]

 

[Jason]

With all the new gun laws here in Washington can a boy who is 17 years old legally take a rifle and go solo deer or elk hunting?

My youngest boy who is 17 is wanting to hit the first two weekends for deer during modern, I will be chasing moose in BC so he will have to go solo.

[Bob33]

With all the new gun laws here in Washington can a boy who is 17 years old legally take a rifle and go solo deer or elk hunting?

My youngest boy who is 17 is wanting to hit the first two weekends for deer during modern, I will be chasing moose in BC so he will have to go solo.

Yes he can.

[Jason]

With all the new gun laws here in Washington can a boy who is 17 years old legally take a rifle and go solo deer or elk hunting?

My youngest boy who is 17 is wanting to hit the first two weekends for deer during modern, I will be chasing moose in BC so he will have to go solo.

Yes he can.

Thanks for the info.