Hunting Washington Forum
Community => Youth Board => Topic started by: wiremonkey on August 07, 2010, 12:08:57 PM
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Just trying to get a feel for what age might be appropriate to start kids in hunter safety. Obviously it ultimately depends on the kid, but is 8yrs too young or is 10yrs of age worth waiting for?
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I was 11 and thats what I'm going with with my kids if they prove they are ready
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Well that one is hard to say. I took my oldest daughter at 11 and she did fine, my oldest son I plan on taking at 10 just because I will nto be able to take him any sooner my next boy I am not sure about, he is a beast of a totaly different nature we might have to wait until 11 or 12 before he can go. when I took my daughter there were kids from 6 all the way up. one little six year old girl kicked butt on everythign except the shotgun. so I guess what I am saying is you know your kids best and if you think they are up to it the should be. they do have to be able to read, write, take some notes and be able to pass a writen test by them selves.
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Made my kids wait until they were 12. That way they could take the class w/o me being there and so they would be a little more mature to handle the seriousness of it.
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My son is exceptionally gifted academically and pretty mature for his age. he took it right after he turned 9 and passed, but not with a very high score, and with the advantage of an ex-WDFW game biologist attending with him and helping him study. All of the 8 and unders in his class didn't pass, and I think he was the only 9 year old (excellent, but hardcore instructor, who only passes students who actually PASS) to pass. Most of the 10-12 year olds passed, at least as well as the adult students, so i think 10-11 is a good age, but some exceptional 8-9 year olds can pass (and some instructors pass young kids who maybe did not REALLY pass ...)
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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.
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My 16 and 17 y/o took it when they were 12, they were more involved with other sports when they were younger. My 10 y/o boy took it last year and did fine, he's been wanting to go hunting with me since his older siblings started and he is just really into being outdoors moreso than all the kids. His younger brother who is 9 now still isn't ready. You just need to know your child and the rest is self explanitory. Washington is unique in the fact that there is no minimum age. States like Montana you can't hunt until your 12.
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My oldest son passed the class at age 8. If we took the class, my second oldest could pass the written test at age 7 but he's not ready to handle a gun. My 4-year-old son enjoys shooting the 22 but is not ready to take the written test or handle higher caliber rifles yet.
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My kids will take it as soon as they are able to read/comprehend, and I will be along to help them myself. (although they will take the test themselves)
I put more responsibility on myself than the instructors to teach them safety and common sense,
I have heard of (and met) too many "graduates" of the program that IMO still have no business handling a dangerous weapon.
And due to the fact that they (my kids) will be under my direct supervision for many seasons, see passing the course merely a formality.
I do not believe that it is anybody elses job to teach my children the proper ways to handle dangerous weapons, or to behave in a safe and responsible manner.
:twocents:
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Mine took it at 7 1/2 and passed it legitimately. He was 85lbs at that age though and has lived around hard core hunters since he was 3. My dad and brother had him well trained by the time he took the course. Honestly, outside of the shooting, I think he could have passed at 6. Not only depends on the maturity of the kid but, how well he's been trained. I swear that, my oldest knows more about hunting than a lot of people that do it every year.
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We've had them as young as 7 or 8. It's best if they can hold a gun up for the hands on test. Ten - twelve is a good age but if you want them out there and they can shoot one of your guns comfortably now then send them in. If they fail they've had a practice run. We usually have very few who fail and do our best to help them pass. Not having supportive perental help with a bad attitude is a sure way to flunk it. If a child passes and has no good support in the field it doesn't work either. It is esier to start a kid out shooting deer or turkey cause they don't hav to swing through to shoot. Upland birds are the hardest because there is alot more room for error. Most start at twelve but we see alot of young adults that have never taken the course. Good luck with your child.
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My kids will take it as soon as they are able to read/comprehend, and I will be along to help them myself. (although they will take the test themselves)
I put more responsibility on myself than the instructors to teach them safety and common sense,
I have heard of (and met) too many "graduates" of the program that IMO still have no business handling a dangerous weapon.
And due to the fact that they (my kids) will be under my direct supervision for many seasons, see passing the course merely a formality.
I do not believe that it is anybody elses job to teach my children the proper ways to handle dangerous weapons, or to behave in a safe and responsible manner.
:twocents:
I've been an instructor for 13 years, and I agree. However if a child does not have that kind of support they should wait until they are older :twocents:
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Had one 8 year old pass and in past while working with another team had one 7 year old pass, but as mentioned by others she had alot of good at home instruction before coming in. had one 7 year old pass the written but couldn't shoot due to size and had one 10 year old who just couldn't hold a firearm for very long (too weak).
last class all passed all sections of written, two 10 year-olds and two 11 year-olds in that class.
says right in my opening night slideshow if they can't sit still, pay attention, and behave themselves, please wait until they ready to before bringing them. had one kid, smart as a whip. passed written with ease but had hard time with his behavior, still wanting to run and play graba$$, for sure I'd not wanna be in same woods if he had loaded firearm.
In my classes, they tend to fail themselves by not paying attention and end up muzzling someone on range day, not loaded, field course portion.
all that being said, I disagree with folks who bring them in too early and they end up heartbroken 'cause they failed. in some cases they don't want to return. had one in my last class who took it 3 times prior 'cause he wasn't ready to shoot & his parents kept sending him, he did well, but he was 13.
parents aren't allowed to speak in test room, students are separated, so no peeking. all take test themselves. if your kid passes my class, THEY PASS IT, not the parents or whoever else brings them. also don't believe in passing "close enough" youngsters. yes or no only.
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I was 28 and loved the class!
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I have been help out as an instructor. Must of the younger/small class members (8-10yrs) are weak to carry a gun throught the field course and end up failing. I haven't run across one that has failed the test.
During our test, parents are sent outside of the building. They are not allowed to walk the course with their kids either. I also can't believe how many kids are sent throught the course that have never shot a gun......
Just some of the things I have seen and there isn't anything wrong with them taking the class again. I believe you can learn alot in the class.
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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!
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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.
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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 :bash: i would say 10 is a great age if the kids have been started with guns and saftey from a young age.
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I was 8 and a half when i took it. Good year. :IBCOOL:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Just wanted to add my :twocents:. 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.
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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.
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My son passed at age 7 and has been a safe hunting companion with me.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. :twocents: :twocents:
Gadwall
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My son took it this year at 9. Passed both written & field with good scores. Hunted him hard this year and he's done great. He has had better muzzle control than many adults. My hunting buddy pulled me aside and said he has hunted with a lot of kids over the years and some of them scared the hell out of him. He said my son has been the best he's hunted with. Said you could always see him thinking about it, he was cautious and exhibited a love of being out there. He wasn't just out there because it was something his dad wanted. :rolleyes: Pretty proud Dad to hear a report like that. :) The biology teacher at Yelm HS runs an excellent class.
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My daughter took hers last year when she was 10. She almost aced it she could have probably taken it a year earlier.
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I was 10yrs old my dad was 11yrs old.
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My oldest daughter was nine when she took it and passed it with no problems. My youngest was eleven when she took it and had no problems as well, but I had her wait till then to take it due to her not being mature enough for my for my liking. My son took it at ten had no problems as well, he would have had it a year earlier but chose to go to a once in a life time family event (that showed a lot of maturity for his age). I think it all boils down to each kids maturity level, kids younger than nine size wise and reading comprehension and so forth might have a harder time with it. Those are just my OP's. :twocents: :twocents:
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I instruct here in Walla Walla. When PathfinderJR was 6 or 7 he started asking to attend the course. I brought home the Hunter Education Textbook. I told him that when he could read a chapter and explain it to me, that he was ready. When he was 9, I let him take the class. He passed with a 96%. Only YOU know when your child is ready.
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I was 7 or 8, summer between second and third grade, however old that would make me.
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My girls both took there courses at 10 and 11. One missed 2 and the other missed 3. The little kids do better than many adults and teenagers as they don't have the " I know it all" mentality.
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For most of us in our 30s and 40s, we took it when we were 10, because that used to be the minimum age. I am not sure when they changed it, but there is no minimum age anymore, you just have to be old enough to understand the material being taught, and big enough to handle the weapons.
FYI, almost every other state in the west requires a kid to be 12 years old to buy their own hunting license. Some states have "mentoring" programs where they will allow you to let your kid fill YOUR tag, as long as you are right there with him, but for the most part, they have to be 12 before you can start buying a license for them/building points, etc...
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My son took the coarse a month after he turned 8 years old and did better then I thought he would. He had been badgering me about sence he was six and I told him he couldn't do it until he could read well enough to do it on his own. He is still 8 years old but at the last teacher confernce the teacher told me he reads at high school level. I now have a half pint hunting budy and an excellent student; two birds, one stone. ;)
But there is a flip side, I now have 4' tall person pointing out everything I do wrong!
Like others have said it depends on the maturety of the child and everyone is different.
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Well that one is hard to say. I took my oldest daughter at 11 and she did fine, my oldest son I plan on taking at 10 just because I will nto be able to take him any sooner my next boy I am not sure about, he is a beast of a totaly different nature we might have to wait until 11 or 12 before he can go. when I took my daughter there were kids from 6 all the way up. one little six year old girl kicked butt on everythign except the shotgun. so I guess what I am saying is you know your kids best and if you think they are up to it the should be. they do have to be able to read, write, take some notes and be able to pass a writen test by them selves.
I went with my cousin this past year and I tell you it is good to see young ones in there. On the flip side there were several mexicans in the class that could not read or write. They had somone reading the test to them. How fair is that. Sorry to get off of the subject of the youth. And I agree should be able to read and write. So why is it ok if you can't speak english.
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"No habla Inglés" should not be tolerated as a defense to a trespassing violation. What happens in the field when the game officer explains the violation or needs more information? Ability to communicate in English should be a minimum requirement.
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My son is 10 and gonna give it a go in January. I can't wait to have my hunting buddy out with me in the field passing on what my dad taught me.
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I was 9 when I took it. And my sister was 8. I missed 2 she missed 1 :bash: .
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I had been tagging along with my Dad since I was 4yrs old. When I turned 9, he told me he would buy me a shot gun if I passed. I took the class at the National Guard Armory in Snohomish. I think it was 4 nights. I ended up only missing one question on the test, and I out shot everyone else in the class. The next day I went and got my jacket. Dad asked me where I was going. I told him to get his as we were going to get my shot gun. :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
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Well atleast you don't lack confidence!! :chuckle:
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I had been tagging along with my Dad since I was 4yrs old. When I turned 9, he told me he would buy me a shot gun if I passed. I took the class at the National Guard Armory in Snohomish. I think it was 4 nights. I ended up only missing one question on the test, and I out shot everyone else in the class. The next day I went and got my jacket. Dad asked me where I was going. I told him to get his as we were going to get my shot gun. :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Reminds me of something that happened right after PathfinderJR passed his test. He was out playing in the neighbor's yard with a few other kids, and it was starting to get dark. One of the other neighbors pulled up in his truck and told the boys that he had spotted a cougar in the area, and that they should probably get inside before it got dark. All the other kids went home. My wife caught PathfinderJR trying to reach the key to the gun cabinet... :chuckle: :chuckle:
"...but Mom...I've got a cougar tag... :dunno:"
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My sons passed at 7 and 10 - I took the 7 y/o along because I was already gonna be there with the 10 y/o.
The instructors were up front about not providing ANY additional help to younger students, but that was no problem for my 7 y/o. He passed the written test easily and he passed the safe handling test easily (my kids carry an unloaded bb gun when we hunt from when they are about 4, to help teach them muzzle control).
Having said that, my 10 year old was ready to hunt safely and my 7 y/o wasn't. He didn't carry until he was 10. And even then we start out very conservatively with young hunters (If they carry, I follow along without a weapon so I don't have any expectations except to help them learn to hunt).
Someone said earlier that only YOU know when your kid is ready. Amen to that one.
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I took it when I was 9. My dad(Pathfinder101) is a hunter safety instructor, so he got a hunter safety booklet, handed it to me one night, and told me to read a page(to see if I even knew what I was reading). I read it fine, so he let me take it. I got like a 96% on the test. Now I am 11, and I still love hunting. :) :) :)
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My kids will take it as soon as they are able to read/comprehend, and I will be along to help them myself. (although they will take the test themselves)
I put more responsibility on myself than the instructors to teach them safety and common sense,
I have heard of (and met) too many "graduates" of the program that IMO still have no business handling a dangerous weapon.
And due to the fact that they (my kids) will be under my direct supervision for many seasons, see passing the course merely a formality.
I do not believe that it is anybody elses job to teach my children the proper ways to handle dangerous weapons, or to behave in a safe and responsible manner.
:twocents:
You took the words out of my mouth. My oldest is 5 this year. He will be going with me on my elk archery/deer hunt this year. I want him to learn the woods and ethics of hunting before he puts a weapon of any sort in his hands. IMO thats my responsibility as a father.
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I passed with about 90% when i was 6 yrs old and was told i was the youngest in the state of Washington at the time. I still remember how seriously i took the training and how well i displayed proper safety when hunting at such a young age. I also had a lot of home instruction since i was about 3 and was never allowed to have a "toy gun" since we were taught guns were NOT toys and were to be treated with care and safety.
I do think it depends a lot on the person and the level at which they are able to perform safe hunting and gun handling. I also think it never hurts to take a refresher course later on if you start as young as i did. :twocents:
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i think the refresher coarse isnt a bad idea, but if you keep them involved and around hunting and or guns and keep the information coming they will do great.
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I have 5 daughters started them at ages 8 and 9. No problem passing.
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My daughter was 9 and my son just passed in march at 8 neither had any trouble. Their mother and I really kept on them about studying. I think if the parents are willing to help them they shouldn't have any trouble.
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Get them in there as soon as they are able to pass the course. They don't necessarily have to start hunting that same year, but you can then start building them points. Some of my favorite hunts to this day were youth tags that I drew!
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My 9 yr old son just took the course and passed....he's all jacked up now
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MY DAD MADE MA WAIT TILL I WAS 12 BUT I HUNTED WITH HIM SINCE I WAS 5, oops caps was on... my son took it at 8 but i didnt let him hunt until he was 10 and he only got to hunt grouse and he started huntn deer at 11 and has now whacked a couple bucks, but the reason i put him through hunter ed so young was to start building points, but like others have stated only you know when your kid is ready, my dad also didnt let my little bro hunt until he was 15 and even then he was never out of my dads sight. i was able to hunt on my own the year i got my hunter ed card. good luck to ya sir
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i too mine when i was 11 or 12. 4 of my kids took theres in may this year and did great all scored very well 12 son 11, 10, 9 daughters. my 10 y/o daughter seem alittle scared of the shot gun but done ok
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My wife, and kids all took hunter ed at the same time my son was 9, daughter was 11 both did fine the folks at Paul Bunyan in Puyallup run a great program. That is my sons first deer shot the second day of his first season in my avatar the shot was over 200 yds he did great though I will say he wouldnt have been ready any younger.
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my 8 yr old daughter passed, but she will not hunt until she can prove to me that she is a good shot time will tell. practice makes perfect and she will achieve that before we hunt. :twocents: she passed june 25 th 2011 and if it takes until 2014 before she carrys a firearm that is ok for me. she is good now but we want this to to be a good start to fun times. j
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i was 11 :twocents:
