My dad started letting me hunt by myself when I was around eight. But only on the ground and shooting houses with him within a 100-200 yds. Started on ladders around 10 or 11. Didn't let me hunt climbers until I was 14 or so.

At your son's age, I was loading a canoe on a utility trailer behind my 4 wheeler, and driving 30 minutes down the back roads to a boat ramp to duck hunt.

I shot a turkey by myself at either 7 or 8. Pretty soon after I was killing deer by myself. I remember at about 10 or 11 my mom would drop me off after school on some public land for me to bow hunt, and come get me after dark. That was before cell phones.

I sat with my dad until I was 12 or so, but because my brother (6 years younger) was around it from an earlier age, he went on his first hunt alone at age 8. He had killed 10 or so with my dad or I.

We put him in shooting house, loaded his youth model .243, gave him a 2 way radio, and left him. We didn't get in our stands before BOOM. Immediately worst thoughts come to mind.

He said he shot a big one.

It was a 9 point. We told him we had to saw one point off because you couldn't shoot more points than your age. He cried

I turned mine loose on their own when they were six

Because you're a father. Trust your instincts based on what you've taught him and his maturity, and at some point, give him some leeway.

If you have cell service where you hunt, mandatory 30 minute or after a shot text checks will make you feel much better. My son started on his own when he was 12 and we had to use WTs since there was no cell service where we hunt.

My son is 8. I go by and leave him in a shooting house on my way to my climber about 250 yards away. He's mature well past his years. He killed his first 2 deer when he was 6. He knows what he wants to shoot and not to touch his gun unless he's gona shoot it. Been no problem so far. That being said, I know plenty of 16 year olds I wouldn't leave alone with a gun. You know your child and only you know if they are ready.

This

Its really all about the training they've been given. My family didn't hunt, but friends did, and I was 18 before I got into it. Even at that age I wasn't ready to by myself, but of course at that age I learned more quickly than a youngster would.

I'm different than most. IMO, no one under the age of 13 should hunt alone. They are children not adults, and we can't expect them to act like adults. Did you ever do anything stupid when you were a kid? Probably so, we all have. Hunting within sight of a younger kid, i'm ok with, but not hunting completely alone.

Mine was 12, I could have turned him loose a couple years earlier but was having too much fun watching him shoot. He could kill deer in thick timber by age 10. I sat with him coaching him on what the deer were doing and when to shoot. Lots of difference hunting in thick hardwoods V a plot/shooting house situation.

I guess there is no right answer to this. I'll probably just start him out in a shooting house and then go from there. At some point you have to trust what you know the kid has learned.

I'm still nervous, there are SOOOO many things that could go bad wrong.

My kids are 14 & 16, and still sit with my dad or I. My son is definitely old enough to sit alone, but they would rather sit and talk with someone than sit alone.

Plus I am happy to have one of them with my dad. haha

My oldest son 14, my youngest son 12. Maturity has a lot to do with it. Each child is different.

I've was driving a Ford pickup 3-on-the-column hauling hay when I was 6; had my first wreck on a dirt road when I flipped said truck at age 13. Man the 70's were fun!!

I was 11 on the dog drives and probably 9 still hunting. Dad would drop me off and pick me up. But at 6-7 we would sit apart squirrel hunting so I had been hunting by myself for a few years.

My son started sitting by himself at 12. My daughter is almost 17 and still has not sat by herself ( and she may never). She is very safe with the crossbow and gun but has no desire to go it alone.