How long have you been "hunting"?

[Amos Keeto]

"... No one batted a eye seeing us riding bikes with our 22 when we got a little older. ..."

We (the family) lived in town until 1957. Before 2nd grade, we moved outside the city limits. My best friend moved in the next summer.
Bikes were good for running up and down our oil top road, but not good for transporting us to huntable territory.
He and I were blessed with parents who willingly took us hunting. His dad lost a friend in a hunting accident. It wasn't until we were grown that we got to go hunting together.

 

[akcabin]

I'll just write all my life as far as I can remember. Back in the 60s, when mom would holler " GET OUT OF THE HOUSE ! " Could find myself out hunting fishing wandering around in the woods any time of the year.
I enjoy getting out so much when the opportunity to stake land land n build a log cabin so we, me, could hang in the bush happened we went for it. Really feel blessed. Especially now that I'm oller

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm 60, grew up on a farm. My parents used to say that when I was still just crawling, I would be all over our property chasing down bugs and spiders and stuff to squash. Then I got a BB gun when I was 7, and that was all she wrote for the critters. I went through cases of BB's. Then got a pellet rifle, later a .22LR, and also used my dad's 12ga quite a bit. Back then the minimum hunting age for big game was 15. The year I turned 15 (1980) I bought a 30-06 and started deer and elk hunting with my best friend who was a year older. The next year I bought a bow, but didn't start actively bowhunting big game until years later. It's been a great ride for sure.

 

[Amos Keeto]

I'm 60, grew up on a farm. My parents used to say that when I was still just crawling, I would be all over our property chasing down bugs and spiders and stuff to squash. Then I got a BB gun when I was 7, and that was all she wrote for the critters. I went through cases of BB's. Then got a pellet rifle, later a .22LR, and also used my dad's 12ga quite a bit. Back then the minimum hunting age for big game was 15. The year I turned 15 (1980) I bought a 30-06 and started deer and elk hunting with my best friend who was a year older. The next year I bought a bow, but didn't start actively bowhunting big game until years later. It's been a great ride for sure.

Curious?
After the GCA '68, a 15 year old could not have bought a rifle....legally!
I know lot's of kids who earned the money, then had a parent or family member purchase the gun for them.
I commend you on your perseverance. It takes a deep desire for a youngster to dedicate themselves to such an endeavor.
Good on you!

 

[Las543]

50 years so far (I am 54 now).
At 4, my Dad would take me dove hunting with his buddies. I still remember sitting in a ditch with him and helping retrieve downed birds and chasing the floppers.
When I was 5, Dad got me a BB gun. I was the lizard slayer, and any dove that wasn't dead when my Dad or his friends would shoot would get an extra BB.
At 7, I got to use the single shot .22 for rabbits and squirrels.
At 10, I started with archery and a .410 single shot for my own dove and quail shooting.
Took my first big game at 14, an archery turkey. Also upgraded to a 20ga Mossberg 500 for Christmas (still have it) and a got to start using a hand-me-down .30-06 for deer hunting.
At 18, I bought my own first big game rifle. An Interarms Mark X in .270 Win and a Rem 870 Express Magnum 12ga (still have it).

Since then, I have hunted, or assisted others every year.

My two girls started younger than I did. Paige (my older daughter) was about 3, and Taylor (my younger daughter) went on her first big game hunt when she was just 3 1/2 months old. I knew she was going to be a hunter when Paige and I got back to the trailer for lunch on opening day of deer season, and my wife told me Taylor was crying, and called in a couple coyotes.

 

[MNGrouser]

I don't remember exactly when dad started toting me along on hunting trips. I know I was little! Back then Wisconsin didn't have all the youth and early hunts so I had to wait until I was 12 and passed hunter's safety to actively participate and carry a gun.

I actually stumped the DNR for a while there. There was no age limit on trapping (pre-trapper's education classes). At 10 dad let me borrow some of his traps and run a small trapline behind the house. We wanted to keep me legal and buy a trappers license. But you couldn't have a trapping license without a hunting license, couldn't have a hunting license without hunter's safety, couldn't take hunter's safety until the year you turned 12, but there was no age limit on trapping. (Is it any wonder I became an attorney) We asked the game warden and came to an understanding. "Go ahead and trap, follow all the other laws, I won't write you a ticket."

I turn 47 on Saturday and will be in Montana hunting mule deer with my dad & brother.

 

[Rich M]

51 years hunting with dad and a gun in my hands

We just got a buck this past Saturday - he was happy to be there.