Hunting Washington Forum

Community => Advocacy, Agencies, Access => Topic started by: EastWaViking on December 26, 2008, 08:58:35 AM

Title: Hunters Education?
Post by: EastWaViking on December 26, 2008, 08:58:35 AM: I've been hearing rumblings that the state may set a minimum age of 14 for
taking hunters ed? Is that true? If so, who do we contact to fight it?
I started hunting at age 8, and so is my son, if he is ready.... regardless of
what some liberal in Olympia says.
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: bow4elk on December 26, 2008, 09:02:14 AM: I have not yet heard this. Where'd you hear it?
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: Bofire on December 26, 2008, 09:09:37 AM: I heard that 14 would be the age when allowed to hunt ALONE, without a parent. not about taking the class.
Carl
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: EastWaViking on December 26, 2008, 09:21:40 AM: Talking to Dadbear yesterday, and he mentioned it. I am trying to find out more.
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: Grizzly95 on December 26, 2008, 09:56:30 AM: I agree, my daughter took it at 10 and got her first doe the same year. I wasn't lucky enough to grow up in a big game setting. All I shot was pheasant and dove. I now have an 8 y/o daughter and am looking forward to her taking the course. I think I know or about 15 people that want to take the course in 09.
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: rasbo on December 26, 2008, 11:35:16 AM: that would piss me off also,Im ok with an adult being with you at that age.That will break up alot of tradition in my family,My grandson turns ten tomarrow,this year I would like to hunt with him.
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: shorthair-on-point on December 26, 2008, 01:39:56 PM: They are proposing age minimum to hunt ALONE from what I have read.
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: EastWaViking on December 26, 2008, 03:41:23 PM: Quote from: shorthair-on-point on December 26, 2008, 01:39:56 PM
They are proposing age minimum to hunt ALONE from what I have read.

Let's hope that is all. I would be fine with that. Where did you read about it?
Post links if you find any.

thanks
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on December 28, 2008, 09:31:19 PM: No one but the parent should be able to judge when their child is mature enough to hunt
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: ICEMAN on December 28, 2008, 09:35:28 PM: I see a problem with how these laws are going to be written and interpreted. What does "under direct supervision or control" mean to you, to me, to the enforcement officer.....? :dunno:
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: benbo30 on January 09, 2009, 10:42:35 PM: Quote from: Bofire on December 26, 2008, 09:09:37 AM
I heard that 14 would be the age when allowed to hunt ALONE, without a parent. not about taking the class.
Carl

i heard that 16 to hunt alone ...... and i would be pissed as well if they propose a age limit to 14 for taking hunters ed , my daughter is 4 now and when she turns 8 she will be taking hunters ed and she will be hunting with me
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: nwhunter on January 11, 2009, 06:06:32 PM: If I remember right it was in the survey that wdfw put out this fall and was in regards to age to hunt alone being 14 or 16. I am fine with that but hunter ed age should always be up to the parent I think. My son passed hunter ed this last spring at the age of 8 and passed easily but he has been tagging along with me in the woods since he could walk. He is extremely cautious with a gun but he won't hunt alone until he reaches the age limit of at least 14 except with his bb gun shootin' birds around the house.
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: MountainMan7640 on January 22, 2009, 08:50:16 PM: Folks I am a certified instructor and as of yet there is NO AGE REQUIREMENT as far as minimum age. We have had several 7 & 8 year old take the class. I am sure if this was proposed I would have heard about it. Yes from what I understand there is a proposal for a young person to be a minimum of 14 years of age before they can hunt alone unsupervised.
It would be real hard to make a minimum age requirement as I have seen some 8 year old kids do so very well, yet I have seen some teenagers do miserably. It is the way a kid is brought up. Most of these 8 year old kids have had parents that have taken the time and effort to teach them about firearms and safety. The ones that do bad have never held nor been around a firearm. There is also some kids are mentally ahead of others. I hope it does not come down to a minimum age but on the other hand I hate being the one who has to tell that 8 year old after 3 days of class that he or she has to come back as they have failed. I hate being the fall guy. REMEMBER no matter what the age of your child if they are interested in hunting or firearms "Take the time and teach them".
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: benbo30 on January 22, 2009, 08:54:13 PM: yea its in the paper again about the age limit , lets hope they dont change it , now what i am wondering is that they are saying to hunt alone , does that mean that they cant take the class till they are 14
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: huntnphool on January 26, 2009, 04:58:33 PM: Quote from: benbo30 on January 22, 2009, 08:54:13 PM
does that mean that they cant take the class till they are 14

My 10 year old is taking it in March for that reason.
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: MountainMan7640 on January 26, 2009, 09:18:06 PM: RIght now today there are no age requirements for Hunter Education, but that is not saying that in the next few days, weeks etc the wonderful poloticians of this state will not change that. As an instructor we are hoping not but I guess we will see.
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: bankwalker on January 28, 2009, 11:41:12 AM: Quote from: Bofire on December 26, 2008, 09:09:37 AM
I heard that 14 would be the age when allowed to hunt ALONE, without a parent. not about taking the class.
Carl

thats how its been...

at least 13 years ago when i took my class. they told us you are not allowed to hunt alone till the age of 14.
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: buck470 on January 29, 2009, 02:23:13 PM: My son, age 9, graduated Saturday, only missed 4 out of 75.
Title: Re: Hunters Education?
Post by: MW65 on January 30, 2009, 02:27:43 PM: Quote from: EastWaViking on December 26, 2008, 08:58:35 AM
I've been hearing rumblings that the state may set a minimum age of 14 for
taking hunters ed? Is that true? If so, who do we contact to fight it?
I started hunting at age 8, and so is my son, if he is ready.... regardless of
what some liberal in Olympia says.

I am a hunter ed instructor. The state has no plans on imposing an age limit for hunter ed students. Last year a 14 year old boy shot a 51 year old lady he mistook for a bear. Because of that they are looking into age limits for supervised hunts. It sounds like 14 is the age that they are leaning for. By the way I am a liberal we aren't all anti hunting fanatics!!(I am also a Master Hunter)