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Youth hunt pics.

1K views 23 replies 15 participants last post by  Buba Garrett 
#1 ·
I am a HUGE supporter of the youth hunt and I have argued with several of you on here about it being abused. (I may have been wrong)

In todays Petit Jean headlight news, there were pics of 2 longbeards and 1 jake. The "hunters" were an 8 year-old (maybe) a five year-old (probably not) and a cute little 4-year-old with a ribbon in her hair. (no way!)

I was wrong! If you want to "help" your 4 year old kill a bird don't put it in the paper!

Please don't make us look bad!

Jump to page 18.

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#2 ·
The four year old aint so bad. Deer season before last a 18 month old boy killed a pretty good buck close to where I hunt.His dad still swears that he killed the deer and that he just helped him hold the rifle. He also checked the deer but got in a little trouble with the agfc. The dad says he got out of it though.
 
#3 ·
There is no doubt a good bit of abuse going on in both youth season. Alot of abuse going on in the regular season. Some folks are just sorry. Lots of 4 and 5 yr olds killing birds. Some of them maybe able to handle it I dont know. I have a just turned 6 yr old. He cant handle a 20 gauge all on his own, little on be able to keep it together enough to get on an approaching gobbler. He is still aways off. Untill he can actually handle the gun and do the whole deal himself, he will stick to just tagging along and watching on a few hunts during the adult season. I am guessing he will be about 10-12 before he can actually handle it. I aint having none of this just reaching over and pulling the trigger mess.
 
#6 ·
I truely feel there needs to be a age limit put on the youth hunt. It should be somewhere around 7 or 8. If anyone wants to carry a child younger than that they should carry them during the season.
I think that it should be at least 7 or 8 for big game. (deer, bear and turkey)

Like manybeards said, Daddy can load up the stroller during the regular season after he tags out.
 
#7 ·
As much as I think the youth hunts are abused, I would hate to see the state enact a minimum age for hunting. I'm usually not a "more regulation is the answer" kind of guy.
That said, I think that maybe the kid should be able to demonstrate that they can hold and fire the gun by themselves. And if the recoil knocks them smooth on their butt, maybe the warden should be able do the same thing to their daddy.
 
#8 ·
I do not believe any child unable to pass some sort of gun handling test should be able to hunt. I do not believe the little girl or little boy in the pictures can handle a shotgun by themselves. I have seen a little 5 year old girl at our range shoot a lightweight .243 until she ran out of shells however (about 10 shots and was asking for more). Each child is different and she showed she could handle a gun and did kill a deer the next day. I have no doubt she did it by herself and did shoot the deer after her older (7 year old) brother missed it. Bad as I hate to say, it needs better management of hunters.
 
#9 ·
As much as I think the youth hunts are abused, I would hate to see the state enact a minimum age for hunting. I'm usually not a "more regulation is the answer" kind of guy.
That said, I think that maybe the kid should be able to demonstrate that they can hold and fire the gun by themselves. And if the recoil knocks them smooth on their butt, maybe the warden should be able do the same thing to their daddy.
I support a minimum age to qualify for a youth hunt only. If dad wants to carry an 18 month old baby with him then let it be during the regular season. I do not oppose letting a youth participate in the regular season.
I will continue to support an age restriction, 8 to 16 years old to qualify for a youth hunt privilege. Even then it is hard to tell if a child is ready to accept the responsibility of shooting a firearm. :thumb:
 
#10 ·
The youth hunt is becoming quite a slippery slope. This next fall, holders of 65+ licenses, who are accompanying a hunting youth, will be allowed to hunt deer during the youth hunt.

Next year look for this same regulation to be enacted during the youth turkey hunt.

It seems that instead of trying to go after offenders, the AG&FC is simply going to legalize abuse of the youth hunt.
 
#12 ·
i hear that midnight rider. i have been hunting turkeys with my dad since i was 8 and killed my first that same year, no youth hunt though. had to go out there when all the big boys were out there too. i think the youth hunt is ruining the regular season. I know we should take the kids but the ppl that are not abusing the youth hunt would be taking there kids during the regular season also. Ever since i killed my first turkey my dad has always said that he enjoyed me killing them more than him. i believe that the abusers of the youth hunt would be doing it anyway but the youth hunt is also giving them a legal reason to be out there. thats just my twisted view on it.

dan
 
#14 ·
Re

The same guys that abuse the youth hunt are the same guys that start hunting turkey in Mid March. The youth hunt has virtually no impact on the regular season. The abuse will continue we can only rely on our G&F officers to keep up the good work and continue to try and catch these losers who abuse the system.
 
#17 ·
I do not believe any child unable to pass some sort of gun handling test should be able to hunt. I do not believe the little girl or little boy in the pictures can handle a shotgun by themselves. I have seen a little 5 year old girl at our range shoot a lightweight .243 until she ran out of shells however (about 10 shots and was asking for more). Each child is different and she showed she could handle a gun and did kill a deer the next day. I have no doubt she did it by herself and did shoot the deer after her older (7 year old) brother missed it. Bad as I hate to say, it needs better management of hunters.
Not callin you a liar,but would have to see that with my own eyes!!!!
 
#18 ·
I have hunted for over 40 yrs and you cant tell me a kid under 7 or 8 yrs old can handle a shotgun and kill a turkey.When the AGFC lets this kind of CRAP go on it really chaps my a**!I'm tellin you the problem is worse than you think.Dont all kids have to have a hunters ed card?So they have to take the hunters ed course,well,just have them demostrate they can handle a firearm.Why the AGFC turns the other cheek to this illegal activity I dont know,and when they happen upon one of us legal hunters they do there best to find something we are doin wrong "I DONT UNDERSTAND".My opinion!
 
#19 ·
I agree there needs to be an age limit on the youth hunts. If you set an age then alot of this crap
will stop since it will make it harder. There will still be those that break the rules, and the AGFC
needs to crack down on them big time.

The 65+ weekend hunt is the stupidest idea that has ever come along. There is NO justification for it
 
#20 ·
Whatever happened to it just being deer or turkey season, and you go hunting no matter what age you are. I don't understand why we need special weekends to introduce youth, or senior citizens to hunting. If we are good stewards of our sport and our families we will take others hunting regardless.
 
#21 ·
I know all kids develop differently, but I have a son that turned 6 in march. He is not a big kid, not small. Just a normal average size. Upon reading this, I went down and got my youth model 410 single shot out. I got this gun when i was 10 yr old. The length of pull is to long. When the gun is shouldered,he can he can reach the trigger but its a stretch. He cant hold it up and aim it on his own, with out taking a rest. He isnt strong enough to cock the hammer back all the way back. There is no way he is ready to handle that gun. He will be atleast 10 yr. old. I just have a hard time that all of these kids are out there handling 20 gauge shotguns on there own.

I know one boy who was 18 yrs old, he took his 16 yr old girlfriend he killed a bird while she slept in the truck. Hows that for youth hunting?:banghead: The AGFC are just a bunch of numbnutts. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy myself some land to hunt on. It is up near the Missouri. line, about 10 mi fromt here. I am kicking myself for not just going on to Missouri and buying it. They seem to be on top of managing their game much better the Arkansas. They kill some really nice buck up there, but they are only killing 1/hunter. Lots of turkey up there too.
 
#22 ·
I started taking my son on youth hunts when he was 8. I had to help him quite a bit but he could hold and fire the gun on his own. He finally killed a bird when he was 11 after several close encounters and misses.

My daughter killed her first at age 11 also. It was a pretty lucky shot because I know that she closed her eyes and turned her head before the shot.

I don't have a problem with someone taking a small child on the youth hunt. It was a lot of fun for my kids before they ever pulled the trigger. I just have a hard time swallowing a pic of a 4-year-old girl with a huge longbeard.

If you want to take a kid out and convince them that they killed a bird. Do it during the regular season and tag it yourself. Then put thier pic in the paper with daddy's bird.
 
#23 ·
I know all kids develop differently, but I have a son that turned 6 in march. He is not a big kid, not small. Just a normal average size. Upon reading this, I went down and got my youth model 410 single shot out. I got this gun when i was 10 yr old. The length of pull is to long. When the gun is shouldered,he can he can reach the trigger but its a stretch. He cant hold it up and aim it on his own, with out taking a rest. He isnt strong enough to cock the hammer back all the way back. There is no way he is ready to handle that gun. He will be atleast 10 yr. old. I just have a hard time that all of these kids are out there handling 20 gauge shotguns on there own.

I know one boy who was 18 yrs old, he took his 16 yr old girlfriend he killed a bird while she slept in the truck. Hows that for youth hunting?:banghead: The AGFC are just a bunch of numbnutts. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy myself some land to hunt on. It is up near the Missouri. line, about 10 mi fromt here. I am kicking myself for not just going on to Missouri and buying it. They seem to be on top of managing their game much better the Arkansas. They kill some really nice buck up there, but they are only killing 1/hunter. Lots of turkey up there too.
Exactly!Thats what I'm talken about,aint no 4,5,6,or 7 yr olds going to shoulder a 20ga shotgun and shoot a turkey.
 
#24 ·
Man what a mess we have dont we, I would like to know how many birds are harvested during youth hunt as opposed to opening weekend?? I talked to a WO who worked the area I hunt around Ouahita and was told there was trucks everywhere, more on youth hunt in my area than opening weekend. IAlthough I dont have any youngsters now I do have some grandkids coming up in a few years :biggrin: I support it but think its time to set a age restriction, but then these losers that are cheating now will find away to cheat then as well. Poachers are everywhere and probably most of you have heard of one already this turkey season. I just returned from South Dakota where you can hunt birds with a rifle and the last few days the wife did carry one, how many of you would hunt the Ouahitas if you knew hunters could tote a rifle, out there you can legally shoot a turkey from a gravel road, can you imagine the ouahitas if that was legal here:eek: I used a decoy out there several times even knowing folks could hunt with a rifle never ever worried about it- I wont even carry one in the Ouahitas in my turkey vest let alone use one! I love Arkansas and anyone who knows me knows I am a ambassordor for the state when I travel but I am paying almost 1000 a year to deer hunt because I feel safer and dont like 4 legged critters running all over me and I love turkey hunting more than any other type and I will be turkey hunting next year but it will not be in this state, the frustrations are just too great in the ouahitas anymore. So all you folks that hunt up there they will be 2 less hunters but I can tell you you sure as hell wont notice it!
 
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