How old is the young boy at the opening of the story, "The Bear", and what is he waiting to do?

At the opening of the story, "The Bear", the young boy is seven-years-old waiting anxiously until he is ten-years-old, which will be old enough to accompany the men out on their hunting trips. When he finally turns ten, the young boy doesn't even imagine that he'll see the hunting dogs chase anything, but the actual event is all the young boy could have dreamed of, and more.