# Opinions on youth hunting alone?



## jonnythfisherteen2 (Mar 5, 2011)

I was wondering what everyones opinion on someone my age (17) or a year or 2 younger going out and hunting alone. Say, someone sensible enough that there wouldnt be any worries about them breaking the law or doing something stupid while they are out. Which would also be me. I ask because I really think that if I go out myself, id have more success alone than with someone who gets tired easily, is loud and tends to to very impaitient and leave early. And am I relatively safe out there? Im just doing squirrel hunting alone for now but later may move up to deer,
(Gun), turkey, and waterfowl.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

Now I am a tad bit older than you and times have certainly changed, but when I was a freshman in HS, after school I would go home, grab my vest, hat, gun, and boots, walk thru town (with my gun) and hunt the farms outside of town for pheasant. I was 15 at the time...walking home one of the local cops would stop me, but that was to check and see how I did. So if your responsible and old enough to hunt by yourself (don't know what the law is now a days) and your parents are OK with it, have at it...


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Misdirection said:


> Now I am a tad bit older than you and times have certainly changed, but when I was a freshman in HS, after school I would go home, grab my vest, hat, gun, and boots, walk thru town (with my gun) and hunt the farms outside of town for pheasant. .


And I am probably a tad bit older than you are and every year of high school on Nov 15, 4 of us would break down our shotguns, wrap them up in our hunting vests and put them in our lockers at school, go to homeroom, check -in for attendance and then cut class the rest of the day and go rabbit and pheasant hunting in the farms fields near my high school along Big Walnut Creek, east side of Columbus. Near the area where I-70 crosses the creek today except I-70 didn't exist yet. My how times have changed since the late 60's early 70's

I also used to do a lot of hunting alone in my teens


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## Ted Dressel (Dec 16, 2006)

When I was 16 I used to go hunting by myself. Back than 35yrs. ago nobody thought anything about it.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

I was hunting alone at 11, not that big of deal. But just something to remember, during youth season it is required for all youth hunters to have an adult with them.


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## Mad-Eye Moody (May 27, 2008)

I thought you had to have an adult with you regardless of season until you were 15 or 16?


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

I grew up in tenn and it was normal for teenage boys to hunt alone. but I did most of my hunting with my best friend. I was rabbit hunting with him before I was a teenager.

when I started my boys deer hunting at age 10 I hunted with them for the 1st few yrs then moved them off about 150 yrds to start with then by the time they were 16 they were hunting on there own. I also taught the gun safety at the range and for hunting before I took them hunting.

if you have been taught gun safety and to keep the safety on until you are ready to shoot and never point your gun until you are sure of your target and never point any gun at another person even if you think the gun is empty. and many other safety things you need to know. I always told my boys the most important thing you take in the woods is safety, then its charmin toilet paper, LOL.

I would say if you have been hunting with someone for awhile and you know gun safety and hunting safety you should be ready to hunt by yourself. but I would recommend you carry a compass with you at all times and remember what direction you entered the woods. its very easy to get turned around when tracking a wounded deer.
sherman


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## Bonemann (Jan 28, 2008)

I like others here grew up in a different time and place.

At 11 or 12 would walk down the street with my shotgun 
over my shoulder going to my buddy's house and then to
the fields for hunting.

Not all my friends at that time (1968) were allowed to do
it but we had a small group 5 or so that were.

The cops and neighbors didn't mind. I'm sure there are some
young folks out there now that are responsible enough to
do the same but times have changed.


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## buckeye dan (Jan 31, 2012)

The law says:

1501:31-15-02 General hunting and trapping provisions.


> (U) It shall be unlawful for the responsible, non-hunting adult, eighteen years of age or older, to allow a youth to hunt unaccompanied during any youth hunting season.
> 
> (V) It shall be unlawful for the responsible adult, eighteen years of age or older, to allow a youth hunter aged fifteen or under to hunt unaccompanied during any hunting season.


1501:31-15-02 General hunting and trapping provisions.


> (BBB) "Accompany" means to go along with another person while staying within a distance from the person that enables uninterrupted, unaided visual and auditory communication.


I was hunting solo by age 10. I am not sure what the law said 35+ years ago but like others have stated, "it was a different world back then."


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## Mad-Eye Moody (May 27, 2008)

So it still reads 15 and under must have an adult present. A lot of states still have age minimums to hunt in any situation.


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## hopintocash2 (Aug 14, 2011)

i too hunted as a youth, early 80's my brother and i would get off the bus, throw on our hunting stuff, grab the dog and go rabbit hunting. we did this almost every day after school. times are different now, that's for sure.


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## fishguy 888 (Aug 8, 2012)

A game warden told me you must be 16 to hunt small game by yourself and 18 to hunt deer.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

i think youll be fine alone out in the woods. but a quick call to your local warden. ask him and youll have a solid answer, maybe even let him know where you plan on hunting.


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## Fishingisfun (Jul 19, 2012)

It sound like a good many here went solo hunting when we were very young. It was not unusual to had grown up hunting early back in the 60's hunting. Many of us were taken along hunting when we were small. I made a good substitute for a beagle being sent into brush to flush rabbits out for my Family. By age 11 I hunted solo for small game. The hunter in me would hate to see you miss out going but the old guy says ask the people that enforce the laws. 
Best advice is call for information at ODNR to be sure where they view you privileges. Don't want to have a misunderstanding with a warden when you got your coat full of squirrels and you air rifle in your hand. Good luck. Hope you get out and collect plenty of squirrel tails as trophies. Better yet sell them to Mepps for fishing lures.


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## jonnythfisherteen2 (Mar 5, 2011)

Ah yes, I also forgot to mention that I will be going sometimes with my 20 gauge shotgun.
I will give the game warden (whoever that may be) a call and verify. Otherwise, besides getting there, I should be good.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

You're safer out in the woods than you are walking the streets of Akron. I grew up walking those same streets and I always felt safer in the woods! I am still always on alert when walking up to strangers in a public hunting area, especially during deer gun season, but I've never had any problems in 20 years of hunting. 

Worst problem I had hunting alone was getting temporarily lost in a big hunting area at West Branch. It made for a much longer walk than I anticipated!


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

As a younger man in Findlay I used to walk to the edge of town for hunting all season long. My son is 29 now and in his youth around 13 he went hunting behind the house. The Game Warden brought him home saying he is not allowed to hunt alone, the next year the same thing happened but he was going to give me a citation, for allowing this. The ticket writing came to a stop when his hunting license stated Adult hunting license and I stuck that in the Game Wardens face. The next year the words Adult hunting license were not on the document.


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