Minimum Age To Archery Hunt Deer

[totally_addicted]

My best friends son is 9. He has been practicing archery for a long time now and can easily pull back over 30lbs. He is deadly up to 15-20 yards and has practiced from multiple places like blinds and stands. 

 

I can’t find anything in the book stating he can’t hunt but it does say licenses are for hunters 10 and older. Does that mean he can hunt deer but must be with a licensed hunter and apply their tag if he harvests an animal?  Or is it illegal for him to hunt because he’s not 10?

 

Why do our regulations always have to be so confusing?  

[bobbymalone]

The minimum age is 10 for deer hunting whether its with a bow or gun.  I remember it changing from 12 a number of years ago and there was some noise about it.  DNR said something about decreasing numbers of hunters so they expanded it.

 

It's weird that it isn't explicitly stated, but it would have the option of 10 and younger if 9 year olds could deer hunt.

 

I don't know man.  My daughter turned 3 in August and I just took her somewhere that kids age 0-2 enter for free.  She was 2 that day.  A 9 year old could be 10.   

 

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by bobbymalone

[Cheetah]

Check out the youth opportunities in Wisconsin.  They removed age restriction on tags last year.   Kids under 11 simply have to hunt with a mentor at their side.  Archery/Gun/Crossbow license for mentored youth is $7. 

 

Youth gun weekend is Oct 6/7 and a 9 year old can go out with an adult mentor that weekend, $7 license as I mentioned.  I might be taking some kids out that weekend, waiting on their dad to confirm.  

 

https://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/pubs/wm/WM0431.pdf

See page 12 for license costs.  

See page 23 for youth mentor rules.  

Edited September 8, 2018 by Cheetah

[DonBo]

A 9 year old may be a good enough shot to harvest a deer, but can he really comprehend what it means to take the life of an animal?  I'm all for taking kids hunting, but make sure they're mature enough to understand what it really means.

[totally_addicted]

Don,

 

This 9 year old has been hunting since he was 2. Yes I’m not kidding. Since he was two years old. He has sat with his dad on countless hunts where deer were passed a couple were taken. Last season he sat with his dad as he arrowed a nice 8 point. He has put more time in to shooting and hunting prep than most grown men. I don’t think he would have a problem with understanding what it means to take a deer’s life. 

[Scoot]

No doubt some 9 year olds are ready! Also no doubt some 15 year olds are not ready! It all depends on the kid and there is no law that will fit every individual perfectly as far as minimum age. What I found with my son is that there will be no shortage of Internet know-it-alls who seem to think they know better when my kid is ready then I do.   Some people will tell you that no 10 year old is ready and others will tell you that every 10 year old is ready. Others still simply felt comfortable telling me that I didn't know my own son well enough to know whether he was ready or not.  

 

Good luck! This is something that I think I should receive serious thought and consideration before a decision is made.  Sounds like this kid is on the right track and I'm sure it will be a great experience for him. Have fun. 

[nofishfisherman]

Scoot is exactly right.  There is never going to be an age restriction that is perfect.  It sounds like this 9 year old is absolutely ready to hunt while I know some adults that probably aren't as ready as this kid is.  However, I believe the 10 year old restriction would legally require him to wait another year.  

 

If you guys were to make a common sense decision based on this individual kids ability and readiness and found yourselves in possession of an extra bonus tag that you need help filling it certainly wouldn't ruffle my feathers.  I'd be one of the first in line for a high five.  The only trouble with that is that kids aren't great about keeping quiet about such exciting things and it might be hard to keep on the down low.

 

With that in mind there is also value in waiting for another year.  One of the important lessons in hunting and fishing is ethics, which is doing the right thing even when no one is watching or is ever going to know.  You could build this into his final lesson preparing him for a lifetime of hunting.  "We'll wait not because you aren't ready but because its the rules and following the rules is the right thing to do even when no one is watching". As he gets older he'll learn to find the gray areas for himself. 

[jbell1981]

I've had my kids with me before they were of age and if the opportunity arose with them there (it never did) I would have let them pull the trigger and fill my tag.  This was shotgun so obviously a little different. Maybe have him with and have his bow instead of yours and if the perfect opportunity comes up let him take the deer.

[paceman]

When my son was pretty young, 6-7 I took him our for a few short hunts. Never shot anything with him there. Just sat in stands watching deer...I think about 9 I took him with on a early goose hunt. I dropped 2 at first light and he started sobbing pretty good. One goose was flopping a bit and it scared and shocked him, plus the sound of the thud of the birds hitting the ground was unsettling to him. Of course we packed up and left. I did not take him with again until he was 10. Since then he has fully immersed himself into hunting with no issues. he has watched me shoot everything and he has now shot deer, turkeys, ducks, geese even a couple chuckars and he absolutely loves it. This fall he is 13 and is bow hunting for the first time. Yes all kids are different. My son was not ready at 9 but at 10-11 he sure was...

[snagfinder]

Ive taken my stepson along hunting since he was 2. We have been goose, duck, turkey, deer and pheasant hunting. He loves all them and the killing and cleaning doesn't bother him one bit. I would love to let him shoot something now that he is 5 but there has to be an age limit and if its 10 hes gonna have to wait at least that long. What age can you take gun training? I think that should be a must before they are allowed a license even if with a guardian. I guess he did shoot at the plastic ducks in front of our blind with his bb gun last weekend.