Mo.'s Firearms Youth Hunt

[vixenmaster]

What can i say, our Bucks must be on the move, i heard well over 60 rifle shots this mornin, but no deer. The only young person that lives close to me does the Hunt wid his father. Now this is jus 1 but where did all the other shots come from? So my Mrs has agreed to pick up this stair step thingy i have to pay fer at the local deer processor. We are waitin on the woman in the parkin lot. In whips this big nice 4wd pickup wid a 7x12' trailer n a dead 8 pt that anyone would be proud to have shot. Out jumps the Mom n the Pa n gets the lil about 4 yr old girl out of truck. They proceed to the door n Butcher comes out n helps them get the Buck in the cooler. The Pa is tellin how the 4 yr old shot the Buck off a food plot usin her .270 Rem model 700. I am tellin ya this child couldn't lift it, so we knowed who killed the Buck.

[janesy]

I can't say I've ever met a 4 year old that I would even consider letting them shoot a 270 let alone hunt with one.
There always someone out there looking to beat the system. Shame really

[wabi]

I think a lot of the kids have a little help from the parent. Help like in holding the rifle, aiming it, and squeezing the trigger for them.
I did not let my son hunt deer until he had hunted with me for several years. Each time I shot a deer I explained to him where I aimed and why I picked that spot. When I let one walk I also explained why. (poor shot angle, too far away, or just not much meat there! ) I also let him help trail them and showed him how to field dress them.
He shot his first deer when he was 13. (He's 16 now.) Last year he shot, trailed, and field dressed his own.
He let a couple smaller ones walk, but we were needing meat, so he picked a bigger doe.
I had most of the meat ground and used it for jerky and she lasted about 2 weeks.
Did I mention that boy likes jerky?

[Pinpoint]

It is too bad. Some folks really don't understand the purpose of these type of youth hunts. I can't imagine anyone letting a 4 yr old shoot a 270 even with help.

[Scarecrow]

Michigan had a minimum age of 10 years old. They eliminated it 4 years ago and now have a program called "Mentored Youth Hunting". In other words it's just another tag for daddy to fill. Crazy!!

[RexKay]

Yes,sad happens here too. See it every yr.

[papabear1]

Happens way too often Mike, the buffalo reflex paper always has pictures of the youth hunt,with the kids and their kill, and there is no way some of these kids could handle the gun the parents claim they shot the deer with, But what can you do / say ! I think the youth has to be 6 yrs. old to qualify, and have a certificate so who's to say. ????

Dave

[rein1]

I'm thinking of taking my grandsons out on Michigan apprentice hunt ,, Both of them handle my 300 Mag just find for bein 3 and 4 ,, Yea we start our grandkids early in Michigan

These programs claim to help youth get outdoors and maybe be a hunter for several yrs, But face it its all about selling more tags for more $$$ earned ...

[grouse]

I'm all for kids hunting but the Missouri youth deer hunting program is way overboard. The minimum age is supposed to be 6 and it continues until the age of 15. This means that these kids get to hunt every year before the regular firearms season for 10 years. Where I hunt there is a 4 points on one side antler point restriction that is waived for the youth hunt.

I killed an 8 point buck on Thursday eve. so I didn't hunt this past weekend, but when I have hunted during the youth season it sounded a lot like opening morning of the regular deer season. The state wide kill for the youth hunt is usually around 20,000.

I think kids should get one opportunity to participate in the youth hunt and thereafter hunt during the regular season. And, of course there is widespread abuse of dads taking advantage of the program to get out and hunt early and pretend their kid did the shooting.

[acreek]

Wisconsin has an early youth gun deer hunt but most don't participate in it. However, I think the idea in general is good given that the temperatures are more comfortable and the atmosphere is more relaxed than it will be a month later during the regular gun deer season.

Some of these ages seem crazy, though. A kid killing an animal before he knows his ABCs, before he can read up on rules, regulations, ethical behavior, respecting nature, and following best practices seems a little soon. A kid killing an animal before he is strong enough to field dress that animal and drag it even 10 feet seems a little soon. There is more to hunting than pulling a 3 lb trigger a fraction of an inch.

[papabear1]

Wisconsin has an early youth gun deer hunt but most don't participate in it. However, I think the idea in general is good given that the temperatures are more comfortable and the atmosphere is more relaxed than it will be a month later during the regular gun deer season.

Some of these ages seem crazy, though. A kid killing an animal before he knows his ABCs, before he can read up on rules, regulations, ethical behavior, respecting nature, and following best practices seems a little soon. A kid killing an animal before he is strong enough to field dress that animal and drag it even 10 feet seems a little soon. There is more to hunting than pulling a 3 lb trigger a fraction of an inch.

Couldn't agree more......

Dave