They both started to turkey and deer gun hunt with me at age 3 I took a buck with both of them hunting with me at a 3 and a nice tom with my daughter when she was 3 my son is 9 and has had his licence since he was 6 and took his first deer with a gun at 7. My daughter is 6 and is studying for her hunter ed test coming up in april she is pump, they are both safe in the handling of firearms and even remind me of my mistakes they love to shoot 22's, my sons his.243 and 30-30 and my daughter her .223 they both shoot compounds and trad bows they love them both, my boy started bowhuntin at 8 with a compound and hope to pull a recurve with enough power to hunt with in another year. Hunting means more now than it ever has to me, and both have seen me shoot a deer with a bow from the ground and a tree. there never to young to go and each child will show the maturity to hunt at a different age, I belive they will be ready earlier if they are envolved from a early age, and there mentor will know when they are ready.