Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire How old must you be to hunt on your own i

If a kid isn’t big enough to field dress it on their own and contribute mightily to getting it out of the woods they have no business dropping the hammer. Regardless legal age.

Most all us old guys were hunting really young. Most were not even aware of the law, or even if there was a law at all. Nobody cared because hunting was common and nobody shot anybody on purpose.

I love all of the hunting stories and experiences of you guys. Keep them coming.

In regards to the question, hunting without an adult along we have Montana at 16, Tennessee at 10 and Ohio at 12. Pennsylvania at 16.

Virginia at 12, Arizona at any age.

No minimum in VT. If you can pass the course there are no restricions.

I turned 14 in 1971, you couldn't hunt big game before age 14, sometime in the 80s I think, they offered safety courses for kids 10 and older, if you passed it you could hunt big game at 10. Dad wouldn't take me deer hunting till I was 15, with my granddad's old saddle ring 30 30, it was tough in the long range areas we hunted, he never took me practicing with that gun, loaded it and said... here... Had a couple bucks at 200 yards and knowing what I know now, was hitting 5 feet low probably. My brother was given a 788 in 308 and killed his first deer at 16, I was jealous. At 17 I bought my own rifle, a 99 in 308 with a redfield scope... killed deer easy after that.

Kent

Started hunting doves alone at age 8 with a single shot 20. Left alone in an East Texas brush blind at 9 with the old man’s double 12 and my 20. I would shoot the first squirrel I saw with the 20 hoping to scare any deer away. I was scared of the 12, was a scrawny little fart. Hunting alone with my 30-30 at ten and killed my first deer with it the next year in 1971. Texas hunting exempt licenses were 25 cents for youth and senior’s, you needed one to get your deer tags. Dad would make me cough up my own quarter to pay for it.

1978 I was 12 years old in Pa, I remember the first hunt I was on with my brother (four years older) and my dad. First day of squirrel my dad, brother and I walked into the woods in the dark and split up. I'm sure it wasn't legal then but I'm also sure my dad didn't know that.

Started hunting at age 10. Dad and I would go to the woods and split up, so I guess I was by myself. Back then, I don't know if La. had a minimum age for hunting or not. Had to start buying a hunting license at age 16.

A few years back, Idaho dropped the age to 10 if accompanied by a licensed hunter and 12 for hunting alone.

When I came of hunting age in '60, Idaho's age was 12 whether hunting with or alone. Hunters' Ed didn't come along for another 15 years or so.
I got my 1st deer at 13, sort of alone. Dad was along but he was 100 yds downhill from where I plugged me my #1, a doe. 2 years later, I was also alone when I got my 1st elk. Again, Dad wasn't too far away but he wasn't right there.

My idiot sister and BIL bragging about how “the baby” 4 years old, “killed” his first deer. BIL holds the rifle and sights it (from the heated box blind) while the kid puts his finger on the trigger and pull. Deer probably 20 yds away eating off a corn pile. “The baby” won a youth fishing competition a month ago. I’m guessing he had one finger up his nose picking boogers and the other touching the rod while BIL fished against a bunch of 10 year olds. Stupid fugks.

What does "hunt on your own" mean exactly?

I don’t remember the game laws playing much of a part in how we hunted when I was a kid. Granny wanted some does as soon as there were cool nights and while they were eating corn before they started eating acorns in the fall. Revelation brand .410 with “pumpkin balls” (slugs). Shot more than a few with a .22lr behind the ear. It was groceries, not trophy’s.

Yeah. Not a fan of that crap myself. Little 7yo Johnny shooting a deer from a box blind over bait. Fugk’s sake

Wisconsin, 14 with a Hunter Safety certificate.

Tennessee youth hunt for rifle is always a *joke*

Little pinger ADHD kid 5 years old, 300 WSM 10 pound rifle, kills a 10 point whitetail at 302 yards.

Running around the store parking lot at the check in station climbing the gutter downspout, making spiderman noises.whining about wanting Twizzlers and some Kool Aid jammers.

wearing pajamas and a .99cent orange vest, zero enthusiasm in the pics, more interested in the kerosene pumps

Certainly didnt hunt by himself, daddy’s extra buck tag. Shhhhhh!!!

My boy was around 14 before I let him, had radios to keep in touch

Sam, unless things have changed in MT. You can buy your first big game license when you are 12 yrs. old and have passed hunters safety. Hunting with an adult of course. Also, you had to be 14 yrs old to carry a gun without an adult.
It may have changed since I started hunting in 1957 I think!

Kansas is 12 with hunters certificate. My dad and I hunted a lot of squirrels and I was very young. He made me get quite a ways away from him. You had to sit still and not move. I got good at that game and made a lot of memories. Once I got older and put a scope on my bolt action, it was a new ballgame. Dad used to comment on head shots while checking them out. Made him proud several times with others around. Good memories.

I’m inclined to agree with that.
I see quite a few kids who kill deer without ever having hunted.
Killing is easy, but after that is where the work starts.
We do all our own game meat, from start to finish.
Field dressing, dragging, skinning, and butchering. No ATVs either. It’s all boot leather.
In my family it has always been “if you’re gonna hunt, you’re gonna do the work”, and that’s how it should be.
Pulling a trigger ain’t hunting.
7mm

Kenny, I bet you are correct.

14 in Oregon


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