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gettin lil man into huntin

14K views 45 replies 21 participants last post by  bigevil1 
#1 · (Edited)
ok so im trying to get my boy (6 almoast 7 yearold) into hunting, and i wana do it right. iv been bringing him on scouting trips for the last few years. last fall i brought him squril hunting and bagan teaching him hunter safty. hears a pic.



he has been doing verry well at learning the hunter safty rules, and enjoys every sec. we are in the woods. at this piont he has done well enuff for me to want to teach him how to shoot. do you guys think its too early for that? if not how do i even begin to teach marksmenship to a 6 year old?
 
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#4 ·
he clearly understands what a firearm is and what should be done to use them safly. he can state all the hunter safty rules that aply to him (i didnt bother teaching him not to mix guns with boozz , and drugs. cause hes 6 and is obveasly not drinking or doing drugs.) and on top of knowing the rules he understands why each rule is there and what can happen if the rules get broken.
 
#7 ·
I think 6 years old is still a little too young, taking him along on scouting trips and teaching him about
hunting and hunter safety at this age is great thing but at 6 years old I don't think a 6 year old has developed
the mental capacity to dertermine what it means to be a safe hunter and I don't believe a 6 year old is able to be responsible with a weapon.
You know the old saying "Don't let kids play with scissors" Why would anyone even think of putting a weapon in their hands?

 
#10 ·
My oldest is 7 and I let her shoot a pump pellet gun.. It will be awhile before I let her move up from that.. Very small she is.. Its up to the kid and the parent.. Some kids are ready faster than others.. Its a judgement call..

I probably got my first BB gun when I was 6 or 7. I remember I had to cock it by bracing it against my foot, holding the barrel with 1 hand and pullin the lever with the other. Man I musta been a weinie little brat.
 
#11 ·
You might want to start with a BB or pellet gun, teach the basics, and then work up to a .22 and progress from there. I like a Daisey and maybe it's because my all time favorite movie is"A Christmas Story"I started my grandson with a Red Ryder! Oh yeah I made sure he didn't"shoot his eye out"
Check their page out Daisy Outdoor Products
Sounds like he is off to a good start and Thank you for being a good Dad.
 
#12 ·
definetly your call, I have two daughters 11 and 13 going to hunter safety classes together this summer. They have fired an airgun, but just recently and with there grandfather who has hunted for 40 years or so. He refuses to allow the girls to come to the range and learn to shoot anything else until they complete this training. Did the same to me and I was an adult! Good luck! sounds to me like your son has an interest anyway he will wait if you chose to do so.
 
#13 ·
i would say that starting markmanship with a youth .22 is ok as long as he is fully capable of understanding the seriousness i have met 6-7-8 year olds who are very intelligent. bruce i love ya man but i gotta disagree i think it is different for all i know people who are 30 that dont need to see a gun let alone touch or shoot one. i might start with a bb/pellet gun plinking first i read an article about kids needing instant gratification and the ting of metal lets them know they did good with out you saying a word. At the same time as for marksmanship if he only knows one way then thats what he will use so find one set way and use it for a while DONT CHANGE HABITS AND TECHNIQUES he is six i teach soldiers to shoot 40 out of 40 who have never held a gun before because we teach them one way i would start him with a stable base and have him shoot off of that like a good shooting stick even if it is a pellet gun. remember hes six and comparitively week that .22 will feel like a 12 gauge to him.:boxing: go get em
 
#15 ·
Oh I totally agree, there are MANY 6, 7,& 8, year olds that are very intelligent but that doesn't mean they should be handed a high powered rifle and begin hunting just to please a parents Pride...

All I'm trying to convey is that a 6, 7, 8, year old isn't capable of fully understanding right from wrong and none of them can determine on their own what a safe shooting condition is, heck most can barely read at 6 years old let alone judge the safety of a Rifle Shot.
(what's beyond the shot?, What's between the shot and the animal?, what's too close to the shot?, is the game animal too far away?, Are there any house nearby?, is there a chance the shot could reach nearby traffic?, are there any boulders or other objects that might cause a riccochet?)
Maybe I'm just too "safe minded" a hunter BUT I don't want to risk being anything different.

If a person wants to teach their children to hunt I think that's a great thing however I don't think ANY 6, 7, or 8 year old should be hunting with anything larger than a BB gun, maybe the 8 year old would be ready to step up to the .22 caliber but for now there's no reason to push kids into hunting at such early ages...

this is just my opinion, the Law in many states allows it,,, so it all boils down to the parent as to whether their child hunts or doesn't.
 
#16 ·
beleave me im not trying to push him into anything. he probably wont be hunting till he's about 9 or ten. im just trying to get him introduced to both hunting and shooting. when he comes hunting with me i am the only one who carrys the gun. he wont even touch so much as a bb gun without being under my strickt supervision. and any safty infraction at the rainge will be corrected before any real harm can be done. he will be within arms reach at all times. as stated in my first post. i want to do this the right way.
 
#18 ·
im just trying to do the best i can for him. he is a great kid. he absoultly loves going out and being in the woods with me. the other day i took him out scouting at a place i saw 3 deer last year, for the first scouting trip of the year. i tryed to hide the disapointment on my face when we got there and the surrounding area was in the prosess of being heavaly logged. but when we found the first set of deer tracks he was so exited that i could not help but smile and take in the moment.
 
#19 ·
bruce you have very valid points i geuss its just a difference in opinion none right none wrong just different i grew up in the middle of nowhere ks and was shooting bb guns and such at 6-7-8 years old and shooting squirrels and such at 8-9 yrs old. i ment no offense to ou or your thoughts. my apoligies. :pickle:
 
#20 ·
No Apology necessary. Everyone's input is only an opinion.
No matter what I, we, or they say everyone will never agree 100% of the time This is the beauty of every individuals view.
 
#21 ·
Hunt Nh that is a great looking boy you've got. I don't have any kids so I will be of no help on this subject, but I just wanted to say how wonderful it is to see you gettin your boy started on the right foot. My dad left the family when I was four and was never around after that. My mom got me started on a bb gun around 7 or 8 and use to take me squirrel hunting when I was around 9 or ten. A few years later she would take me dove hunting. Looking back on my childhood, these are some of my fondest memories. I am sure that the times spent with your son outdoors in his early years will be some of his fondest as well. He is very lucky to have such a devoted father.
 
#24 ·
Starting with BB gun is best, IMHO. My parents were both avid bird hunters and rabbit hunters. They started me out that way, too. We have NEVER had a firearm accident. Safety and respect of firearms first.

I have helped my son learn marksmanship with his BB gun (he's 10 now) and let him shoot my AK recently. He's still too small to hold it on his own but braced on my truck bed he shoots better than me! He will be 11 before this season, and I bought him a Rossi .223 single shot youth that he can handle.

As for marksman training, BB's are not that accurate. I think a good idea would be to go to a pellet rifle after the BB gun. More accurate and you can mount a scope on it to get him used to using a scope. Also, I started him target practicing rested. Then, I would catch him while he was playing hard and had his heart going real good. Have him shoot some while breathing hard so he could learn to control his shot under stress (like when that big buck is within range). Like I said, he's now a better shot than me. LOL

Good luck to you both!
 
#25 ·
:goodposting: all good advice. thanks to everyone for giving me imput on this one. i literaly just got back from Dicks sporting goods were i just bought him his first bb gun. its a red rider. i musta heard "your gona shoot your eye out" 4 times between the register and my car. im gona teach him on that at the range, and when i am comforatable with it im gona take him squirl hunting with it and move him to a .22 when at the range. it will stay that way for a few years till he is ready for a .243 . man i am so pumped about this. ima able to give my son something my dad never gave me. the opritunity to be brought up around guns the right way insted of "your not tuching a gun till your 18 cause mom sead so."
 
#27 ·
congrats on getting him involved.I taught my nephew how to shoot a 22 at 6yrs old.we did single shot full safety gear ,speach etc.he 's 12 now can legal hunt small game his mom wont let him have his own gun but does have a pellet gun under lock and key.hes taken his bow safety class and will be taking his gun safety class this year then he gets his first license.I bought him a lifetime license when he was born.Its all in the training and upbringing.I wouldnt allow him to have access to the guns without being present but otherwise go for it.just remember they dont have the endurance of a grown man and get bored easily.you may not get to do a lot of actual hunting and cant get upset when ya got to leave.thats my 2 cents
 
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