Minimum solo hunting age in WA

[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!