Youth hunting question

[jsharptooth91]

I want to take my 12 yr old hunting. Dont know if she will like it.

My question, do they have to take the hunters ed class to go out?

Do they have something like a mentor program. Where you can take the kid out a couple of times?

[Sportfury]

Jsharptooth to go out with you in the woods they do not need a hunters ed class unless they are going to be hunting. You can get a one year waiver on the hunters ed class, so they can hunt. See page 85 in the big game rules. The date is wrong and the correction is in the online edition.

I would say that whatever you do make sure that she has fun the first time out. To bad you didn't ask earlier we could have gotten her out in the pheasant fields last weekend. Fun for both the young and old. My dad took his hunting buddy (who doesn't bird hunt) on Tuesday for the senior hunt. That night his buddy was calling him and asking if he was going out the next day. Good luck and get that kid out in the woods.

[adamR]

if i was you I would enroll her in hunter ed as soon as possible so that you can start putting her in for youth permits right away... quickest way to get her addicted is to get her a fairly easy doe tag somewhere... just let her go hunting when she wants to and dont push it until she gets drawn, she'll be hooked

[dscubame]

Hunters Education really should be renamed to Firearms Safety.  Any kid that is going to be in a home with firearms would benefit taking it whether they end up hunting or not.  Heck even when I am with an adult that is handling firearms that has not gone through the class it is apparent most of the time.

[Lcl 66 Tinner]

My 9 yr. old daughter went through hunters safety and passed with 100% on the written and shooting. I'm starting her on birds (grouse) so #1 she see's the bird in her sights and understands the consequences when she squeezes the trigger and #2 I'm making her use a .22 for head shots only to improve her accuracy and no recoil to speak of. I don't want her to be scared of recoil when using larger calibers so were working up to more recoil using a .40 cal muzzleloader to increase recoil a little at a time. And lastly I told her she needs to get 10 birds before she can hunt deer so I have time to build money to get her a youth rifle like a .243 or .270. She goes out with me and does real good being quiet and watching her footing and now she's showing me where deer are after I've looked over an area and flat out didn't see the deer. Must be the young eyes.

[duck stamp]

My grandson is going to take the hunter safety written test this next coming year, what do they do on the shooting part of the test???

[dscubame]

It depends on the instructor and what facility is available to shoot at.  My daughters class used shotguns others will use .22 or low power rifle.  Accuracy is not the issue it is simply muzzle control and gun handling safety.  In my daughters case it was 3 shots out of a 20 gauge and done.  Point a gun at someone and immediate fail without consideration.

[ICEMAN]

jsharptooth91, good for you for trying to get her involved. Plan small excursions with some extra fun just for her.

I used to help my kids make plaster casts of game tracks left in mud....  Get her some binoculars so she can help to locate game. Make a picnic of it!

[huntnphool]

My grandson is going to take the hunter safety written test this next coming year, what do they do on the shooting part of the test???

 At my daughters field test they had each student wait their turn. individually they were asked to go to a 5 gallon bucket and get the propper shell for the rifle they were shooting, in this case it was a bolt action .223. They grabbed 3 shells from the bucket, checking the bottom of each to make sure they were the correct caliber, and went to the shooting bench with the instructor, who made sure the student chose correctly. They then loaded the rifle and shot all three shells at the target down range.

 Once this was done they went and waited their turn to do the same with a 20 gauge shotgun, although they only shot it once and also in a sitting position from the bench with the instructor right there next to her.

 Then she moved on to the .22 ruger handgun, shot three times with it as well, also sitting at the bench with the instructor right there.

 She took her class at Cabelas in the upstairs classroom, it was very well done. The field test was at the TRRC in University Place.

[bearpaw]

Hunters Education really should be renamed to Firearms Safety.  Any kid that is going to be in a home with firearms would benefit taking it whether they end up hunting or not.  Heck even when I am with an adult that is handling firearms that has not gone through the class it is apparent most of the time.

excellent idea.... 

[duck stamp]

Thanks for the info on the field test, Now I have a better Idea on what training I will be doing.   thanks Joe

[Bob33]

Hunters Education really should be renamed to Firearms Safety. 

excellent idea.... 

Sad to say, but I'm old enough to remember when it was.  I don't know when it changed. The current curriculum, while obviously placing a heavy emphasis on firearm safety, also addresses other topics such as conservation, survival, sportsmanship and ethics, and other hunting related issues and thus the term "hunter education" seems more appropriate.

[Sportfury]

I took my son through the hunters safety course at Paul Bunyan in Puyallup. It was a great course. The kids went through 4 nights of book learning, videos, and hands on from some great people who give their time to teach this course. The Saturday course consisted of the test, simulated hunting on private land, having the proper tags (following the game laws), and hands on in archery, shotgun, rifle, and handguns. They were going to have muzzleloader also, but the volunteer who ran that portion ended up being sick. They even asked me to be the land owner for the simulation. It was a lot of fun and it really made the kids and adults think about what they were doing. I highly reccomend Paul Bunyan and I have heard that Tacoma Sportsman's course is excellent also.

[75johndeere]

Bill (paul bunyan)is a great instructor for all ages I have known him for a long time. stand up guy

I took my son through the hunters safety course at Paul Bunyan in Puyallup. It was a great course. The kids went through 4 nights of book learning, videos, and hands on from some great people who give their time to teach this course. The Saturday course consisted of the test, simulated hunting on private land, having the proper tags (following the game laws), and hands on in archery, shotgun, rifle, and handguns. They were going to have muzzleloader also, but the volunteer who ran that portion ended up being sick. They even asked me to be the land owner for the simulation. It was a lot of fun and it really made the kids and adults think about what they were doing. I highly reccomend Paul Bunyan and I have heard that Tacoma Sportsman's course is excellent also.