Youth safety question?

[Tom]

This is a true story. What do you think would help prevent this, how does your state deal with it?

A 14 year old who passed hunter safety was within voice distance of his young 23 year old uncle turkey hunting. The 23 year old uncle told the 14 year old, don't lift your shotgun till you see a turkey, don't shoot it till you see a beard. Instead of doing that, the 14 year old shot another hunter. The person shot had pellets taken out of organs but still has 30 some pellets in them for more surgery to go. They were helicoptered out and saved from bleeding to death by that probably and they got the helicopter with their own cell phone and one good arm left, the other arm was shot and didn't work at the time.

It was in Missouri where it happened. In Texas, from 12-16, if they pass hunter safety, they can hunt on their own. If they don't pass hunter safety, they have to be accompanied by an adult here, but that just means within voice control distance. It used to say, within arms length distance and that would help prevent this type of accident. What does your state say about this, would it be legal, etc.? A 12 year olds judgement doesn't seem too good to me, especially after learning about this story.

 

[noharleyyet]

Sounds like the uncle used bad judgement. If he knew of other hunters within shotgun range (and he surely should have), he should've been closer to his nephew than voice range.

 

[JB]

the way i read maryland law it states the the youth can hunt on his own having passed the hunter saftey course.......except on youth day when he has to hunt with an adult ........its ass backwards. the youth cant hunt with the adult unless he has already passed the test of which gives them the right to hunt by themselves

 

[TheTone]

I hunted on my own all the time when I passed hunters safety at 12. Of course I had been accompanying my dad, mom, friends and relatives in the woods for probably close to 5 years on a regular basis at that point. In this case it was a judgement thing carried out by the kid, the youth chose to shoot and it apparently wasn't at a turkey.

Also it appears to me Texas just has one more problem when it comes to hunting and laws. IMO if someone doesn't pass hunters safety then they shouldn't be hunting, with or without an adult present.

 

[Tom]

I think Texas looks at hunting with an adult as a strength, similar to what you said there TheTone. There is a recent additional exemption to hunter safety class here, also. Take a 17+ year old who hasn't hunted. They have in the past been required to have hunter safety, at that age, in order to hunt. Now, they can get a one time pass to hunt. That way, they can try it out once if some friends or relatives invite them without having to do the hunter safety first.

Nobody has a way to prevent this type of accident? That's my question besides what your state law says about it. It seems the states allow 12 year old's with hunter safety to hunt on their own so far.

The person shot told me they hold the uncle to be more responsible than the Missouri law does also, like Noharley talked about. He was within the voice distance, but that didn't stop the 14 year old, who did pass hunter savety from shooting a person.

Does anybody know of a law somewhere that would help prevent this type of accident?

 

[TheTone]

I would guess it is probably already against the law there to shoot another person and that didn't stop it from happening. I'm not sure what more regualtion could do to prevent it. As I said earlier it was a judgement typ eof thing, we all do that when we choose to pull the trigger, the kid in this case made a bad decision and shot at something that was not a turkey.

 

[snake river rufus]

It seems as though parents are having a harder time instilling "judgement" in their children than ever before.
I've started several young turkey hunters and make them sit between my feet untill they kill their first bird. Kids get excited and it seems only common sense to keep them close enough to put your hands on them at need.

 

[Tom]

That sounds great snake river rufus. Does KS law require that?

 

[snake river rufus]

It didn't when my oldest three were starting but I'll have to check when it's time for the twins start. Children must be at least 14 to use a firearm solo here.