He has been hunting with me since I could carry him in and out of the woods own my shoulders.I started him out with a single shot 22 at 3 under my supervision for a couple years then I let him go with a bb gun.IMO getting a kid a bb gun and teaching the basic saftey then just sending them out in the yard own their own wasn't the route I wanted to go. HE is very safe and just about a better shot then me. We have certain rules when he hunts by himself I've made it clear if he breaks any of them it's back to hunting with me he's never more than a couple hundred yards from me and it's our property. HE can also clean his own I still have to guide him along but he knows the basic process. I'm trying to do my best in raising a real man