In KY, my sons had to hunt with an adult until they turned 16. They were ready for it by . . . maybe 13-14, but I appreciated the extra time with them.
At 3, I let them hold firearms-- that got the mystery out of it.
At 4, they could come to the blind with me and watch
At 5, they had to start holding training rifles and practice with them in the field.
At 8, they could take Hunter Ed. I made them do that before they could hunt with me. Nowadays, you can't take the test until 12.
At 8, everyone was shooting a pellet rifle and then a 22. The one oddball was Moose. He shot 44 Mag and 357 Mag before the 22 LR. It's a long story.
By 12, everyone had shot a squirrel and hunted deer under supervision. Angus had shot a turkey
By 12, everyone had an adult-sized deer rifle in 30-06 and a 12 GA shotgun
