Youth Mentor Hunting

[CoyoteJack]

My 7 year old son has been taking a greater interest in the hunting that his father does. He has also been bugging me to get him one of the .22 Cricket rifles. Today while we were looking at available youth .22's he saw a picture of a young boy with his first squirrel. The boy was 6. This led me to research minimum age for hunting in PA.

I was unaware of the under 12 mentored youth option. I've been telling him he can go with me in the field but couldn't actually hunt until 12. Under the mentor program he could hunt squirrel, groundhog and antlered deer and all of those during the special youth seasons.

So I told him that once he shows a level of responsibility that satisfied my wife and I that I'd take him hunting. I'm guessing it would be squirrels next year at least and perhaps deer if I can find a manageable youth sized rifle for deer in a caliber that will give a clean kill without having to hit a quarter sized target, and has manageable recoil. My first deer rifle was a .257 Roberts and while I don't recall it kicking that much, I was 12 and a bigger child.

I'm glad I put off getting myself a ladderstand the last few years. I'd been thinking I would wait and get a 2 seater and now that looks to be the case.

I'm also going to get a family membership at Gem City's club because he has a lot of practice and range time ahead of him.

[ca2pa]

+1..NO....+2 for you!! i wish i could have started hunting at such a young age and with somebody mentoring me. IMO hunting does instill a higher level of responsibility and respect in a person. I think its great that you are raising him to be a fine young man, a hunter is more in tune with mother nature, conservation, and understands the responsibilities that are involved with owning and handling firearms. Good luck to you and your son, and dont forget to post them pics of the squirrels as soon as he gets one!

[bellae]

My son who is 9, is also interested in Hunting. He is getting pretty responsbile and proficient with his 22. I am thinking of getting him something he could use for hunting. Does anyone have any recommendations on youth sized Deer rifles?

[CoyoteJack]

Here is a list I found http://www.ocshooters.com/Gen/kidsho...h-firearms.htm

To it I would add the Remington Model 7, and Weatherby makes a youth sized Vanguard rifle that comes complete with a second stock of a normal size so the youth won't outgrow the rifle.

Personally I'm leaning towards the New England Firearms Handi-Rifle. It is a single shot break action which equates to more safety IMO than say having the youth carry a lever action and the risks involved when the need to unload occurs.

It doesn't take very long to reload a single shot really. The firearm is of a managable weight and now available in 7mm-08 as well as .243 which is what I'm leaning towards.

On the plus side they are available for 200 to 300 depending on the model and finish. On the minus side the wood on the basic model is butt ugly.

They also make a similiar selection of youth sized single shot shotguns.

[markheck1]

.243 works very well on deer, I only stopped using it cause I set it up for woodchucks.....and found a deal on a .300 Win Mag....
Never had a deer walk more than 20 yds...most dropped in their tracks.....
I would have no problem dragging it out for deer, but my boy is using it now.....
If you reload, I use 100 gr Speer Grand Slams, they hit like a Mack Truck, and stay together and punch through.

[gnbrotz]

Under the mentor program he could hunt squirrel, groundhog and antlered deer and all of those during the special youth seasons.

Don't forget turkeys.

[CoyoteJack]

Don't forget turkeys.

The youth mentoring section in the 2007-08 digest doesn't mention turkey as an option for mentored youth only the 12-16 licensed youth category.

[gnbrotz]

This page on the PAGC website lists spring gobbler under the "What species that can be taken by a youth participating in the program?" paragraph.

[Frenchy]

I Just bought a .357 lever a month back, I would say with a fair confidence that a reasonable 12 year old could shoot it no problem. Recoil is about that of a .22 mag, and the gun is not all that heavy either. From what I uderstand .357 is legal for deer as well, might be some thing for you to look into, Mind you, I am sure you will enjoy shooting it just as much as he will,.

[CoyoteJack]

This page on the PAGC website lists spring gobbler under the "What species that can be taken by a youth participating in the program?" paragraph.

Thanks I indeed did miss the spring gobbler option in the digest section on youth hunting as well. Well that makes it 3 species he can hunt next year as I don't expect to take him groundhog hunting.

If he wants to hunt varmit and furbearer when he is older that is fine. Personally I don't care to hunt for anything I don't intend to see on my plate and I don't have a recipe for groundhog nor do I want one