Might Mite

My son Hunter, will be 8 in Oct. as well, and he has a bow. He didn't start getting serious until this year. I have him shooting a Chipmucnk .22 and .410 as well. Teaching him safety and technique. By the time he is 11/12, he should be well ahead of the game.

Davoh

Take him to a pro shop and have the pro there fit him and test him out different stuff... Check and be 100% sure of all laws regarding age and draw requirements... A bowhunter education course wouldn't hurt either....

I personally started bow hunting when I was 10. Started shooting long before that, but couldnt pull the required weight so I had to wait. Here in Texas you can hunt as young as you want but only with an adult untill you're 12. For two years my mom would sit in a bow blind a hundred or so yds off (but with direct line of sight), so I could hunt. None of the bow stands on the property were condusive to two hunters....

xlilcntrygrlx

Both of my kids started around 7. My daughter is 8 and we just bought her a Genesis Mini. She is doing well with it.

My son is now 13 and we bought him a Parker last year. He will be able to hunt in NY next year!

If he is interested, go for it!

nctaxi

I am getting ready to buy my son a Parker Buckshot for various reasons. The most important reason is for $50 you can send it back to the factory and they will put new limbs and all on it to get it bigger. Instead of having to buy a bigger one, just send it in.

DoctorDeath

Just about the right age.

HuntingEd

i killed my first deer at age 8 w/ a gun, started bowhunting once my dad felt i could accurately shoot 40#. Shot right under my first attempt w/ a bow at 15 yrds. I think i was around 12 when it happend. I was shakin so bad the tree was moving and my dad was sitting at my feet holding my legs still... ever since then ive been addicted to bow hunting...

warmdaze

Straight Up 6,8,10,12,14. there is no set age when your child is ready. You will know by how your child responds. My son is nine and he's not ready in my eyes yet. He's been shooting for two years now and the end of last year finally started trying. Mainly due to strength I believe but stilleven mentally not ready and he's top of his class.That doesn't mean you can't teach him the other aspects of hunting. My son and I will be spending alot of time in stand this year and I take him scouting all the time. Some at six are ready, some at 14 are not. It all depends on the child.

squirrelkilla23

shot my first doe last year with a shotgun at age 12, got a 97 on my hunters education course, highest in the class and i purchased two crossbows this summer. i plan to hunt by myself with the xbow all during bow season. i also bought a 20 gauge to hunt with my dad during gun season to fill a tag. i feel that i'm ready and prepare myself by hunting small game such as groundhogs with my xbow practicing shots and such. it's great fun.

SouthernMDhunter

Each kid is different when it comes to bow hunting. My son who is now 14 has tinkered with youth bows etc since he was 8. All target practice for 3 years. At age 12 I bought him the High Country Micro Quad and he hunted the last two years with it. I think a large part of the equation is to consider the childs size, maturity level and most important if they enjoy the experience.

My son has loved shooting the bow since he started and just loves to go bowhunting. This year I got a little surprise. About two months ago he came walking in the door and asked to shoot the PSE Nova one that a friend gave me 2 years ago when he quit bowhunting. That bow is a 29 inch draw length set at 67 lbs., I was amazed when he snapped it right back and after some minor sight twinking he was shooting 3 inch grps at 30 yards.

I turned the bow down to 60 lbs which leads me to my next point. Do not force your kid to pull a draw weight which they have to struggle with, remember they are growing and we do not want them damaging themselves. Let them pull a weight which they are comfortable with.the long and short of it isyou know your kid and if their ready or not. Just make sure you encourage them and remind them about Safety, safety , safety, safety. Make it a fun experience for them.


Dave