I'm from Michigan and I hope to do some bowhunting this year. The age limit to hunt deer with your bow by yourself is 17 but, do

[bigbuck96]

I'm from Michigan and I hope to do some bowhunting this year. The age limit to hunt deer with your bow by yourself is 17 but, does anyone else think that considering most kids my age (14) are smart enough to hunt alone, they should offer a more advanced hunter safety class so kids like me can get a special license that alows us to hunt by ourselves?

[6phunter]

absoutely" the state is trying to be your parent,I was rifle hunting at age 10.

[floridahunter]

Yes the majority of hunting accidents happen to 21 year olds if ya know what I mean

[huntfishtrap]

Yeah, that law's pretty dumb. Is it that way for rifle hunting too, or just bow? In Iowa, you can legally hunt by yourself anytime after you get the regular hunter safety permit, which you can get at 11 years old, and I haven't heard of any awful hunting accidents here involving kids lately.
I do think it is important for there to be a mentor of some kind before kids of that age start hunting by themselves, I know I probably shouldn't have started going by myself at 13 without my brother's help and instructions.

[Smitty18]

The rule for hunting solo in PA is 16 no matter what you are hunting. Of course i never break the law (wink wink) but i started doing "something" at age 11.

[mesarich]

Hate to be the devils advocate, but I think the state is trying to err on the side of caution. There are 11 and 12 year olds who are more then able to hunt on their own, however I have seen 17 year olds who I would not want to be alone in the woods. The state has to set the age at somewhere otherwise you would have the idiots who let their 7 year olds hunt alone.

[keith green]

The problem for game & fish is that you most likely are the exception not the rule. Here in Arkansas there is a mentor program, and these guys are good. Check with DNR about that, & private property regs, and you may find a farmer or two willing let you hunt for some help/ chores. With an adult there's no age min. here and some guy "tagged" a doe for his 20 month old son during last youth gun season, We all went, yeah right, but weren't able to get the reg changed yet, sorry but has to be age min' of some sort. Goodluck 2u BB96

[30-CAL]

I remember walking about 1/2 mile up the road to a farm to small game hunt with my shot gun over my shoulder before I was able to get my drivers license. That would really be asking for trouble now.

[MN Outdoorsman]

17? Wow that's being a bit ridiculous. You can drive a car but not hunt alone? Especially bow hunting is much safer than firearm hunting. Should be 12 for bow.

[floridahunter]

Smitty18 you were thinking the same as me. I was dropped off alone on a 1200acre parcel to do something long before I could drive

[DSMbirddog]

I too think the state is just being cautious but one thought I have is that the parents ought to be involved enough to know if their son or daughter is ready to be off hunting by themselves. I was raised on a farm here in IA and was around firearms from the beginning. I started hunting by myself when I was about 12 but by that time my father knew I was capable of doing that safely and responsibly.

[Smitty18]

I think the bottom line we are all trying to get at is that if your parent thinks you are capable of hunting alone SAFELY then you should be aloud to do so. I am 15 and safer than some of the adults I hunt with so the decision was made that i can be trusted alone. My brother (14) has not made that impression on my dad so he is always with an adult.
Smitty18

[Cowiche Buddy]

Well, here in Washington, Im not sure if there is a law for hunting by yourself. Im 13 and I have been bowhunting for 3 years, but not necassarily by myself. If it was up to the parent, I think they should choose if you are responsible enough and have enough wood smarts to hunt by yourself. Good Luck.

[Catpool9]

Move to Arkansas , you only have to be 6yrs. to hunt by yourself, and all the years before that , was if you could hold a gun or a bow, you was good to go!...lol


David H.

[Catpool9]

My Daddy started me out hunting when I was 6yrs., squirrel hunting with him ,with a 20 gauge single barreled shotgun, by the age of 8 yrs. I was hunting squirrels by myself with a 12 gauge auto, that lasted about a week, ( wasterd to many shot shells) then returned to single barreled 20 gauge because I was missing to many squirrels with the auto, after a month my Daddy let me go back to the 12 gauge auto with the stipulation that I had to take as many squirrels as I did with the single shotgun, my aiming was much better afterwards.

I started using a 30-30 for deer when I was 12yrs., and a 30-06 at 14yrs,, but my Daddy made sure I was capable of using the firearm before I was left alone in the woods.

David H.