Kids and guns/hunting

Make the range trip about just sighting in his rifle and don’t take any of your guns. As far as him doing something dumb later, that will be on his parents, but you teaching him safety can’t ever be a bad thing
 
Me and our youth pastor take kids at our church shooting and hunting quite often. Most either don’t have family that hunts/shoots and they want to learn. I am taking one next week to shoot his first deer. The family has 2 sons and a daughter. The father approached me and said his youngest son and daughter have never shot one. I explained to him that I would take the son but I didn’t feel comfortable taking his daughter by myself. I told him that he could come with us or I could put him and his daughter in a stand by themselves. Taking several youths skeet shooting and squirrel hunting in a couple weeks.
 
For lots of reasons, I will not take anyone to the range, other than an adult, unless they are with the parent. Before hand there is a safety brief with airsoft firearms, nerf, blue gun etc prior to ever making it to the range. I try to have two competent people, one for the person handling the firearm on the line and one for the other person at the table.
 
Well the sighting in and hunting I'm mostly comfortable with. His mom however said he also wants to learn.to shoot handguns and ar15's. You have an ar15 dint you? I kind of avoided the conversation at the time and steered it more toward hunting. I'll teach him safety, how to operate his 243 along with sighting it in and will take him hunting but I'm not comfortable with anything further. Was interested in hearing others take on this situation.

My kids are taught gun safety at a young age and are very familiar with firearms and firearm safety. They also know we don't talk guns with anyone either, save for the time my 3 year old daughter told her day care that: her daddy shoots cats. I'll do storyline on that another day.
 
AverageDad said:
Well the sighting in and hunting I'm mostly comfortable with. His mom however said he also wants to learn.to shoot handguns and ar15's. You have an ar15 dint you? I kind of avoided the conversation at the time and steered it more toward hunting. I'll teach him safety, how to operate his 243 along with sighting it in and will take him hunting but I'm not comfortable with anything further. Was interested in hearing others take on this situation.

My kids are taught gun safety at a young age and are very familiar with firearms and firearm safety. They also know we don't talk guns with anyone either, save for the time my 3 year old daughter told her day care that: her daddy shoots cats. I'll do storyline on that another day.
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I’d be kind of iffy on that situation also. I’ve never had someone come up to me and ask me to take their kids hunting snd shooting. Seems a little odd. I’d help him sight in the 243 but I would refer them to some shooting classes for the rest.

ALSO…. It doesn’t matter how old you are but you are supposed to take a hunter safety course before hunting. I’d start there if I was you

Someone asked my daughter what the cat says and she went pow pow. Haha 😆. Sorry to all the cat people but I am definitely not a cat person and don’t like them around my house nor on my truck.
 
It's a damn shame we even have this conversation/ question. Not that I don't get the concern. But the main reason I am so into hunting, fishing, and the outdoors is because of someone else's dad. Mine started it but didn't stick around to do much. I got drug along to hunt, fish, and run around the woods by my friends dad. We got turned loose on 100 acres to hunt or dropped off a couple miles down stream to fish back up to the property. It was an awesome time.
 
Take the damn kid to a rimfire match and he will meet kids his own age and mimic their behavior.

Don't let him touch that 243 until he can shoot a 22lr well.
 
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JimB said:
Funny how we each see things. I’d take about anyone to the range, but I’d need to know a lot more to go out in the woods.
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That was my initial thought as well.
 
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As a former baseball/softball coach, I would NEVER...EVER...NEVERFUCKINGEVER be alone with a child. Did I say NEVER?!?! Everyone else has stressed the basics, IMO; but I'd reiterate to only take the child to the range with a parent there. The PARENT needs to learn everything just the same as the child.
 
I'm not close with this family, again friends of friends however we went to the same high-school but different grades. We're also Facebook friends. He's getting the gun for Christmas regardless, has nothing to do with me. His Mom knows I hunt and shoot and asked me all this at a grocery store. I'm really conflicted but really leaning towards avoiding the entire situation at this point. However if we never introduce kids to either sport what are we accomplishing?
 
AverageDad said:
I'm not close with this family, again friends of friends however we went to the same high-school but different grades. We're also Facebook friends. He's getting the gun for Christmas regardless, has nothing to do with me. His Mom knows I hunt and shoot and asked me all this at a grocery store. I'm really conflicted but really leaning towards avoiding the entire situation at this point. However if we never introduce kids to either sport what are we accomplishing?
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Don’t agree to the whole thing at once, and maybe it’s too late for this year’s hunting season. Agree to a range trip and see how it goes. Do you know what hardware he has? Good balance of teaching the next generation and not creating risk.

Agree to require a parent. Makes it easier to meet at the range and end things, also the other stuff. Tell the mom that you want to be sure that she understands, esp the safety stuff, so she can reinforce at home.
 
As others have said, this is a great opportunity to HELP someone, and bring them "properly" into the 2A crowd. I wouldn't pass it up. Just like when someone asks me to coach or train their kid in baseball/softball hitting dynamics. I don't know them from Adam, but they saw my daughter play and want to know how she does what she does. The only stipulation is something as simple as always having a parent present. I also want to TEACH the parent, as they're the one that's with the child 24x7. Either way, I just won't be alone with a child. I also won't be alone with any female, but that's a personal/religious belief.
 
I have taught a few folks to shoot. Always start with safety first. I have an air rifle for long gun and an airsoft pistol for handgun familiarization. Safety then basic fundamentals long before we get to shooting.

I would go to their house with training gear first. Mom and dad have to a. Approve and b. Be present.

Range with a .22 to start. If that session goes well then we can progress to their .243.

Hunting? Oh HELL no. I don't hunt with people I don't know well or who are vouched for by someone I trust with my life.

Bad experience as a teenager; since then nope.
 
You guys that won't take a kid hunting, for a new hunter why would you not be there beside them? Even if you have to make a ground blind. My kids both sat beside me until I was comfortable with them getting in and out of a stand and able to talk to them about things in the woods like shooting lanes, trials, and to be sure of your target. Only one of them went after that but I was very comfortable with how she could handle herself.
 
chiefjason said:
You guys that won't take a kid hunting, for a new hunter why would you not be there beside them? Even if you have to make a ground blind. My kids both sat beside me until I was comfortable with them getting in and out of a stand and able to talk to them about things in the woods like shooting lanes, trials, and to be sure of your target. Only one of them went after that but I was very comfortable with how she could handle herself.
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I would do that for grandkids and those who I know are responsible. Someone I don't know that well who asked me in the grocery store out of the blue? Not without the preparatory work I mentioned. I have taken my grandson out to scout locations, clear shooting lanes and set up stands, and teach him the basics. When his dad says he is ready I will take him out with either a double stand or ground blind. Just not some acquaintances kid.
 
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