Hunting help: How old do yo have to be to go hunting in the state of Texas? - Help.com

Well, that is pretty easy. Go to Academy or some other sporting goods store and they will be able to tell you the basics. They will almost certainly have a booklet with all the details. If worse comes down to worse just go with a friend and let him hold the rifle the whole time. Also take a .22 out there with you just in case you never actually get a deer in your sights. That way if you don’t down a deer you can still have some fun plinking.

Yes everyone needs a license to shoot anything… you probably also have to take a hunter safety course in order to even buy a license. I think every state requires the hunter safety course now, most of them anyway.

Not Texas, I got my hunting license and I never went through any sort of safety course. And, I don’t mean to be nit picky, but you don’t need a license to shoot. You can go out on private property easily enough and shoot cans. That requires no license whatsoever in Texas. Not sure about other states, but that is where I live and that is where the poster lives.

Texas Parks and Wildlife web site says every hunter born after 1971 must complete the hunter safety course Cody. And you have to be 9 years old or older. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/…

Oh my, more fees. Well, that may be the law, but my personal experience says otherwise. That or someone at Academy got in a lot of trouble because of me. And again all that junk can be avoided if the person taking you has a current license and holds the rifle the whole time. Just as long as his limit of deer is not exceeded no one is going to go to jail or get fined. If you want a license of your own go to a place that sells them and buy it. If they tell you that you must go through some safety course to get it than get ready to shell out some more cash. As to the timing, if you intend to get a license you should get it long before your little excursion whether or not you are forced to go to a safety course.

I have checked in deer and they never ask to see the hunter safety card. I think the only person that cares is the game warden if he catches you.