Tough Question ?

[Trigger50]

I have a tough issue to decide on. Do I continue to take a youngster hunting??? You might think thats an easy one but...he is mildly austistic. Its a good friends 14 yr old son. The father doesnt hunt, but the kid wants to. He passed firearm safety, but only w the instructor personally reading the questions to him. I have taken him a couple times & he has missed a shot on a deer. However last season, we went to a hunt club for pheasants & he nearly had a SERIOUS accident. I feel bad because he really wants to hunt, but I have lingering doubts @ safety. For now I have decided not to take him & I will re-evaluate when we determine if he will be able to drive a car when he turns 16. I figure that if he cant drive a car then no guns or bows. Does this sound reasonable to you? I feel bad for not taking him.

 

[NV_ARCH3R]

That is tough, but safety first. How bad would you feel if a serious accident did occur under your watchful eye. I would error towards safety myself. It's just a fact some people for whatever reason should not be in control of deadly weapons.

 

[deer_shooter]

Safety first. Always. A tough decision but a good one

 

[spook12]

You would know better than any of us.

Is there any way to find something that he is able to ''Handle'' now.
Maybe very structured range time.
Fishing.
Run a few traps together.

Be honest with him, explain that his close call is the reason that you as the adult have decided to dial back his gun time. Explain that any future hunts are based on his ability to handle safely the more basic skills.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[sweetnectar]

Take him hunting and let him shoot a camera until he grows up a bit. A lot of hunting is just being in the outdoors and learning from it. He can still learn a ton about hunting with out the dangers of a gun.
I think it is good of you to be taking him under your wing. Keep it up.

 

[kansasdad]

Totally think sweetnectar's ideas are good ones to ponder.

Recent HuntTalk thread on a similar topic: http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=255184

 

[Flatrock]

Based on what you said, I definitely wouldn't take home with a loaded gun. Personally I think the best option would be to take him and have him carry an unloaded gun. Explain that when he demonstrates that he is safe with his gun and never points it at anyone, he can start shooting.

 

[idnative1948]

Safety first for you, him and his family.

 

[whiskeydog]

pheasant hunting is a ton different than chasing deer. with pheasant he has to carry a gun, be ready to shoot at any time, and will likely be around a few people. if you take him deer hunting, you could easily make it just the two of you and carry his gun for him. once you find a deer, you could get him set up, hand him the gun, sit right next to him, and have much more control over the situation. not knowing the kid or the situation makes it tough to judge, but from my perspective, it seems you could eliminate the unsafe variables if you played it right.

 

[Muskeez]

A great blend of replies that if put together can come to a fun experience for both of you. Let him enjoy the outdoors, scout, help build groundblinds, watch other wildlife, and if you feel its safe enough have him carry an empty gun to a groundblind where you can sit side by side with him. Load the gun yourself and keep control of it until its time to put it on the sticks for him to shoot. I used to practice with my girls this way at the range and in the groundblinds. I hope it works out for both of you, but as others said, safety first so that you both can enjoy many more years afield. Hats off to you for giving your time!

 

[Duck-Slayer]

A great blend of replies that if put together can come to a fun experience for both of you. Let him enjoy the outdoors, scout, help build groundblinds, watch other wildlife, and if you feel its safe enough have him carry an empty gun to a groundblind where you can sit side by side with him. Load the gun yourself and keep control of it until its time to put it on the sticks for him to shoot. I used to practice with my girls this way at the range and in the groundblinds. I hope it works out for both of you, but as others said, safety first so that you both can enjoy many more years afield. Hats off to you for giving your time!

that right there is a great idea, i'm not a fan of the idea of completely cutting him off, of the great outdoors.....
Matt

 

[JMG]

Some good suggestions, above. I too would be doubting whether to take the young man, but I'm not sure the added stress upon yourself would make the experience fullfilling. You don't want any experience to end negatively due to safety. Tough dilemma . . . you wouldn't be judge by not taking him, so try to rest easy and not beat yourself up.

Can you ask the father to go along, too? Maybe between the two of you; you could keep a watchful eye on the boy and as things develop. It may also be an opportunity for the boy and his father to spend some quality time together with your help.

 

[LopeHunter]

Agree safety is crucial. I agree with comments pheasant/dove/quali/grouse shooting is much more challenging for safety than hunting where everyone is stationary such as a deer hunt from a stand.

One outdoor activity without a gun is geocaching. You get to use a GPS to explore and "hunt" for things. You can also cache your own item.

 

[Redwood]

Muskeez hit it on the head. There are a lot of ways for him to experience the outdoors without endangering anyone else. Dialing back his gun handling is a lot easier to do then cope with any accident. Discuss this with his parents, encourage their participation in any facet. Praise to you for sharing your experiences and time with the boy.

 

[fowladdict]

You received some really good answers Trigger. I hope you find a couple of ways to keep him involved.

 

[JWhunter]

Muskeez nailed it on the head

 

[WapitiBob]

Muskeez nailed it on the head

yep

 

[NoWiser]

Safety trumps everything. There are certain people I had to quit hunting with because they just couldn't seem to control where there muzzle was pointing. It was no fun for me, because I spent the trip ducking out of the way, hoping they'd get the hint. That said, pheasant hunting is definitely tough (but definitely not an excuse). There is something about a big rooster flushing that seems to make people forget what is around them.

I agree with what a lot of others have said. Maybe give him the gun, but you keep all ammunition in your posession. This way you can still keep an eye on him and make sure he is being safe, and when the time comes you can give him a single bullet to load and make the shot. If he makes it a couple of seasons and proves himself safe, then you can re-evaluate. Obviously you know best, but if you feel uncomfortable with the way it's been going, it's probably not a good situation for either of you to be in.