Age to Start Kids Hunting in Africa

I have a big and young family. We cannot hunt Big Game in the USA until at least 12, and the hunting can be tough. Not as many animals are seen and the shooing can be quick and difficult and if the chance is blown, it coud b a while before anyting else comes up.

What age do you recommend starting hunters out in Africa. Game like impala etc. Does RSA or Namibia have a minimum age?

This assumes as a parent I know when my kids are ready, meaning that they have the had the time to practice and become proficient with the hunt they will need to take the animals of choice. It is still a few years out but curiosity is starting to come upon me, kids grow up SO FAST!

Any thoughts are appreciated.

There is a minimum age in RSA to handle a firearm as I had a police officer get all over me because I let my 14 year old son carry a gun case. That being said, once you are out on the farm hunting you do not have to worry about it. If your child can shoot there should be no problem with taking game in most areas. I had actually discussed this with my PH before coming over and he had some good advice. My son had taken quite a few deer, turkeys, and wild boar before we went to Africa the first time so he had some experience. Your best bet is to talk it over with our PH before you go.

There are very little children that i know being on farms / hunting / outdoor that don't start hunting at a young age. My son started only this year an he is only 8 years old.

To own a weapon in S.A today a min. age of 21 do apply. There shouldn't be any problems if your PH knows about it, he himself probably started hunting also at a very young age...

Cleathorn,
I have seen kids as young as 9 come and hunt with their parents in Namibia and South Africa... On the young side I would say somewhere around 8 to 10 years old depending on the kid and his experience and maturity... You will know when the moment will be right to bring your kids hunting with you.

Gun laws in the United States vary from state to state and are generally independent of federal firearms laws, though in general a person must be 18 years of age to possess a firearm so this would be applicable as well to traveling with one.

In South Africa, a temporary firearms and ammunition importation permit will only be issued at the port of entry if the applicant is twenty one (21) years of age or older.

In Namibia, I believe that a temporary firearms and ammunition importation permit will only be issued at the port of entry if the applicant is eighteen (18) years of age or older. For some reason I cannot find confirmation on this, maybe someone can confirm.

Please make sure to not only look at the age limit for importation into the country in Africa where you will be hunting but it is also very important to look at the countries that you may be transiting through as they have their own laws, regulations and procedures that you will have to adhere to. Some airlines may also have their own rules...

What all that mean is that your kid cannot carry or import their own firearm, all of this has to be done under your name.

Cleathorn,
In Texas there is no age restrictions on hunting. My son started shooting hogs with a 22 minibolt at age 4. He is now shooting a 222 and is ready to start shooting does and maybe a cull buck nesxt season. I have a Namibia hunt booked for sept 2010 and I concidered taking him(he would be 6 at that time), but being it is my first trip to africa I would wait a few more years. I plan to take him on plains game hunt when he is 10 and his younger brother will be 7. If they have the desire I am all for starting them young. I attached a few pictures of his first couple of hogs when he was 4. You might consider coming down to Texas to break them in.

My girls are very young - Klancy will be 2 in April and Melita is just 2 weeks old. I just collected a Savage scaled down single shot .22 rimfire for them to share.

Klancy was in Africa with me a few months ago and she loved it. She knows more of her African game than a lot of hunters I meet over there. She would walk around and handle all the game we shot and together we would spend hours at the skinning shed.

I had her in a backpack out pig and deer hunting from 6 months. I expect she'll be shooting tin cans later this year, but it will be some time before I give her the opportunity to hunt; I think they need to appreciate what they are doing.

If we forget about legislation for just a minute, I think that kids need to be involved very early so that hunting becomes a normal part of their everyday lives; I reckon that as they grow the desire to hunt will to come to them and if they want to hunt, and they can shoot, then just do it! If you are hunting in South Africa or Namibia then you have the perfect opportunity for a relaxed and enjoyable hunt with your child. We would ride up in the bakkie together, spot and name the animals and handle and talk about any animal that was on the ground.

There's nothing better after a long day than when your little girl asks to go to the gunroom before bed to say goodnight to piggy, Freddy fallow, Roger rusa, Ian impala and the rest of the gang!

I like the picture of the little hunter with little hog. Pretty cool!