I didn't get a hang on stand till I was 17 but I have been putting up my own ladder stand since I was 13 or 14.
Every kid is different. I personally wouldn't let my kids do it until they can prove to me that safety is the first thing on their minds and they can prove the responsibility for hunting out of a stand. I'd also consider using some other form of tree steps that aren't the pegs, something like the Summit Bucksteps. Lifeline or not, if you come off the steps and fall, those things can be nasty to an adult let alone a little kid. My son will turn 7 in March. I'll be getting him into the woods this fall in a blind with me to get his feet wet. I'd have taken him sooner if he could stop talking for more than a few seconds at a time.
Back in my day I pounded 2x4's into the side of a tree and sat on a limb when I was 6 years old... No safety gear or nothin. Smash a thumb, take a little fall, it will only toughen you up for later in life. Get em out young. To be honest I'm not really sure - I would think 12 would be about the age I start letting my kid in the tree with safety gear.
My son is only 6 days old, so I have a lot of time, but I do agree that with today's safety gear, I wouldn't hesistate to have him climbing his first year of hunting here in PA.
Depends on the kid. That said I would make sure they have a lot more safety equipment than when I started bow hunting!
I totally agree^ my son is 13 and he hunts the stand we put up together so it just matters how mature they are they shouldn't be goofing around in a tree stand. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I will have my son learn to hunt of the ground before getting into stand hunting. I feel this will make him learn to be a better hunter. once he gets a couple deer off the ground then it will be up to him at that point. I want him to learn how to be still, learn the lay of the land, recognize what habitat he is hunting in, tree species, feeding areas, bedding areas, and all the other things a hunter should know. he will appreciate and respect his game if he is first and foremost a good hunter. i think just putting a young kid in a stand just to shoot deer isn't teaching him a thing. I wouldn't want to put him in a stand at a young age and not have him understanding shot angles. a little much for a immature kid to handle while making a shot under pressure. most likely he would be wounding deer until he understands more. I will take him out when HE wants to go. I am watching my buddies burning out their kids by the time they are 14 or 15 yrs old. they have now lost interest. i sometimes think that my friends are living there dreams through their kids eyes. when i see them out in the woods the kids don't look like they give a crap if they are there or not. just going cuz dad wants me to kind of attitude. PA has gone down the wrong path with having a mentor program. there is NO minimum age for a kid to hunt here. my buddy had his 3 yr old shoot his doe last year just to go to work and brag about his 3 yr old shooting a deer. poor kid! this is just what i think. to each their own!
JMHO just because 'we did it when we were younger' doesn't mean this day and age you should throw caution to the wind and get your young hunter to start climbing sticks. Do everything in your power to make it as safe as possible by using lifelines and harnesses. Practice, practice, practice. You could start them off at 5 feet using all the safety equipment and have them practice. If they are actually going to bowhunt, have them practice shooting from that height too. Slowly increase the height as time and their confidence increases.
Baby steps when it comes to this is what I'd say. All it would take is one slip on the way up or down at a high height and you may ruin it for him for years to come.
yeh I know. It's not something that I have to do at this point. I will let him try at 10 ft in the yard and go from there.
