My dad had me in the goose blinds and deer stands a long time before I ever carried a gun.

Perhaps take her along for a season and let her experience it without the pressure of taking a bow or firearm. After that, whenever you and her mutually decide she is ready, then take her out with the bow.

Not everyone is mentally ready at the same time... my older brother could have hunted when he was six, but I clearly remember being grounded for most of my first year of hunting at age 12

 

jmbear makes a good suggestion about taking her out first.

He also made a good point about everyone being different. Personally when I hear of people taking their 4-5 year olds out hunting and letting them shoot, I question that. I think its too young for most 5yr olds to kill a deer and fully understand what just happened. Again it all depends, I have a 5 year old nephew that I feel would be able to grasp the experience and a 6 year old that would be clueless.

 

i started taking my boys out when they were 5 just to tag along squirrelin'. first time for deer was when they were 10 with the mentor program. i think letting a kid shoot an animal at 4 or 5 is too young though. but as others have said, it depends on their maturity level. i just have never met a 4 year old that could grasp the idea to my satisfaction.

on a side note, thompson center makes a mini version of their contender carbine in 22 that is really a good gun for little kids to start shooting. my brother just bought one to teach his 5 year old grandson to shoot. it cost $289 with a matching 4x scope and mounts. stock adjusts too. we're going to shoot it this weekend.

 

Around 10 and 11, with the two older ones. Only squirrels and Spring Gobbler..Neither have been in the woods deer hunting yet. They are now 14 and 15. my youngest is now 3, she loves to fish. She'll stick with that for awhile.

 

sometimes i wonder if i should have waited until mine were older. part of the lure for me when i was little was watching my dad and brothers go out and not being able to go along. my dad didn't take me out hunting with him until i was 11. i was so fired up about it that maybe the cold, etc didn't get to me much. by the time my boys were 11 i had them in the woods for everything. deer, squirrel, rabbit, turkey. i might have burned them out.

 

I don't know about the burn out thing....My daughter now 15, loves Spring turkey...looks forward to it every year. She has as no intrest in Deer hunting, but will eat every piece of game you put on the table. My son, loves small game and Spring Gobbler....just now starting with the compound, so maybe he's getting ready.

I never pushed either of them into it, just kinda let it evolve. I know my oldest likes to sleep in...and she doesnt understand why Dad has to be in the tree stand ot 0500 hrs...

 

A childs small orange vest went to his feet! Someone else showed him archery hunting but ducks small game fishing came from me! We dont hunt much together i move to slow but i enjoy being with my son when i can!

 

I have taken mine since they were 3 years old just to tag along. My son started hunting with the gun at 6 years old. Both of my daughters don't have the desire to go, but that is there choice. Like others have said all kids are different. Just don't push them too much and let them have fun when out there. Shooting a 22 at some metal targets is usually alot of fun for kids. A .22 cricket will fit them well.

Getting her in the woods would definately be a good thing, and I don't think there is a definate age of when she should start taking a gun. From my experience kids like small game hunting and spring turkey alot more than deer hunting. There is usually more excitement with them. I would also add that groundhog is a great thing to get kids excited. The crossbow is a good idea also. Even if she doesn't want to hunt with it this year, she might in a year or two. I would suggest for both guns and crossbow that you get a good shooting stick. I recommend a Primos trigger stick because they are easy to adjust the height.

 

I took my oldest to sit with me at age 4 or 5. Didn't let him actually hunt until he was 10. He's killed 3 buck, a gobbler, and a coyote in 3 years. Seems more excited about grouse than anything though.

My youngest is 4 and wanted to go with me archery hunting. I figured we get into a blowdown and see whatever came by. Well he decided he needed to take his little toy bow and wouldn't go if he couldn't. He sat home that night but is still wound up to go and got all excited when his brother and I brought deer home the same day. Looking forward to next year with him.

 

My daughter never was interested in hunting but my three granddaughters have been going along since they were four yeard old. The eight year old was in the blind this year when her dad shot a 232# black bear. She was more excited than he was. We havn't let them hunt yet but plan on introducing the oldest to firearms training this year. I bought her a pink Chipmunk single shot .22lr a couple of years ago. She already likes to shoot a bow. My SIL and I don't to expect to kill anything when they are along because they have short attention spans and trouble sitting still. Never the less, the eight year has seen a bear kill and one of the six year olds has seen four deer taken. At least two of the three willbe hunters.

 

I started my kids shooting .22's when they were 5 or 6 and they all started hunting when they were 12 (legal age back then) I took them along small game hunting at 10 or 11.

My Granddaughter started shooting at 6, hunting at 9, she is now 12 and in 4 years has 3 buck to her credit. This was the first year she could get a doe tag and filled it.

She heard all the stories her Mom (my Daughter) and her Uncles told about hunting and was really fired up to hunt.

My Grandson has no interest in hunting, which is O.K. I will not push anyone to hunt. If they do not enjoy it why make them do it.

I started my Granddaughter groundhog hunting before she went deer hunting. It is nice weather, very relaxing and you have lots of time to talk about/teach safe handling and safe shots. Plus they see what a firearm can do to a critter.

 

Wyatt started goin goose huntin with me when he was 2. Killed his first deer at age 7. 7 is the age he started actually hunting and not just tagin along

 

My boys both started tagging along behind me, deer hunting the mountains of susquehannock stae forest at age 4. Water and candy, sure did motivate them, to keep walking the mountains until dad shot a deer.

 

my 2 kids r 8 and 6 this is my oldest first yr hunting. they both have bin shooting for 2 to 3 yrs already from bb guns to crossbows and 223. my youngest is a better shot then my oldest but i told her she had to wait till she turned 8 to shoot something.they both shoot compound bows also.with that being said they have bin in the woods since they could walk. i would pull them in a sled checking traps and they would keep me company in the ground blind during archery.
i ask my daughter if she was ready to shoot a deer she said (not yet i dont want to make a bad shot and not get it) i was impressed with how well they actualy listen when u think there just goofing off.

 

I took my son along hunting as an observer at about about age 9. He did not hunt or shoot any game until 12. IMO most kids are not mature enough to handle any firearm in a hunting situation at a younger age. At the range yes, hunting no.

 

My Dad started taking me out deer hunting with him when I was 5. Created allot of great memories sitting with him. Than once I turned 12 it was my turn to shoot. Will never forget taking my first deer with my Dad right beside me coaching me along.

 

I didn't take my son until he was able to hold a gun correctly. Even the youth sized guns are too big for a small child. I believe he was 8 when I first took him out.

 

My son and daughter have both been out with me since they were 6 months old, I swore I wasnt gonna give up hunting just because someone had to watch the kids, I bought a Kid holding backpack and they were in the stream with me trout fishing and when rabbit season came in we were out running beagles and shooting bunnies with me, although when MOM found out what we were doing she wasnt as enthusiastic, but the kids were like my bird dog and beagles as soon as they saw me get my hunting stuff they would go crazy,, so eventually she had to bend, they are 10/12 now and my son just got his first buck yesterday an 8pt and my daughter caught her first mink on the same day,,,thank god they came 2 years apart, its a blessing to be able to be outdoors with the kids,,

 

My daughter went out this fall with me at age 7. She harvested a great 8 point. When it came time to gut the buck she was right there with me! Just when you think you know a child's limitations, they WILL prove you wrong. Give it a shot and take a kid hunting!

 

Took my nephew at 6 last year and now he is 7 and harvested a 6 pointer saturday.

 

I started taking my 2 daughters at the ages of 4 and 6. They never shot any game until they were 12. They use to shoot trap,sporting clays and the 22 all the time. Now the oldest one is in college and only hunts spring gobbler and loves it. She use to hunt geese and loved it. She never really cared for deer hunting. My youngest is now 19 and graduated from high school. She loves to hunt geese and spring gobbler. She also hunts deer a little in archery season. I say if you feel you can take them then take em. They grow up way to fast to enjoy as much time in the outdoors with as you would like. Spend every moment you can with them in the outdoors. They won't regret it and neither will you.

 

Took Levi out a few times around 5or 6...but he was not all that interested....waited till he said he was ready....by 10 he wanted to go...each child is different....but i didnt force him...waited til he was ready

 

I started my son out on some squirrels at the age of 8.. He is 13 and has been hunting deer for 4 years now.. Just becarefull and don,t force them...

 

Can't help with the kids,,, But I tagged along with my Pop on some small game trips while I was 10-11. After I turned 12 and got my license(had HS)I had to prove my skills/saftey before I was allowed to graduate to deer hunting at 14.

 

Have taken my son out for "a walk" with the gun since he's five, had him with me walking with the bow at 6, last three years he has gone late turkey with me, this is the first year he went on deer stand with me at the age of 9. He's a big kid but I don't feel he can properly hold the gun yet. Mentally I think he is ready, we saw a nice buck at 20 yards broadside, would have been the perfect shot for him but instead (since we were doe hunting) I spooked the deer back down the hill towards the area my brother was hunting......20 minutes later we head a shot and my brother bagged the nice buck we saw (it's in the success pictures, along with my son and dad) He was excited to go help track and find the deer, he even held the leg while my brother field dressed it. He keeps asking when we are going again..... We will see how he shoots the gun, matures and his interest level...each kid is different and allowing them to be mature enough to handle a gun as well as 'killing' a large animal is in their best interest in the long run. I will patiently wait and make sure he learns correctly on respecting the sport, other hunters and the animals he will hunt...