The youngest legal age for firearm deer hunting in Michigan is 14. Small game hunting is 11 and I was 11 when I started legal hunting, just with a shotgun and just for birds and rabbits.
Started shooting firearms at the age of six when I was allowed to shoot a 22LR rifle. My Dad, Uncle, and older brothers were always right by my side and made sure the rules of firearms safety were always followed. I never had to take a course but my Dad made me learn the NRA safety rules and I had to recite them without help or not be able to touch a firearm.
I think my husband was 12, when he missed that buck. But he got a doe in the same year.
I think that doe was the last animal he killed. I don’t think he really liked hunting; but he and his father continued target shooting together until his dad died a few years ago.
(He really liked fishing with his father a lot more. I think if I gave my husband a fishing rod, he’d go off and happily leave me alone for many days :-)