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<  16ga. General Discussion  ~  Any suggestions in getting my kids into shooting?
nossman
PostPosted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 11:52 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 01 Dec 2005
Posts: 235
Location: Southern Oregon

I like the idea of BB guns, sack lunch, and hikes in the woods. That's quality time!!!

Although my step dad did not own a gun, nor hunt. He did plant the seed, buying me a BB gun when I was 10. Some of my best memories, are of my brother and I, hiking the mountains around Southern California, hunting pine cones, and the occasional rattler. We usually wandered back to camp late in the day with one or two rattlers.
I don't have kids, but do have a couple of nephews (sisters kids). I usually make sure to invite them along on 4Wheeling trips. Both have a little experience with a BB gun and the 11yr old has an Airsoft shotgun. Recently, the 11yr old asked if he could come to the range with me, and shoot a shotgun. My brother & I took him to the local range. I rented a Remington youth 1187 (20ga) for him. For a few dollars more, they supplied us with some 3/4oz #9 shells. When we left, he only had two things to say. SWEEEEET!!!!! And, when can we do this again????

Start slow and keep it fun. The kids will ask, or not, on their own.
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pudelpointer
PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:08 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 14 Jan 2006
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Location: Lancaster county, Pa

My son Wayne is 5 he has been shooting bb gun and .22 for 2 years. I hunt and shoot all available free time I have. Whenever he asks to go with me I take him.When he was 3 I took him goose hunting in the september season gave him his own layout blind and the job of flagging geese. If you involve them and let them participate there hooked. When we shoot the bb gun or .22 I set up clay birds on stands he loves breaking clay targets(so do I ). Fill up empty powder cans with water shoot them with .22 kids love that(4756 and 7625 cans work great). He has a henry .22 youth rifle when we visit my hunting poperty in norther New York I take him out in the woods to shoot at stumps and pretend we are hunting coyote's and bears. I agree with all the other posters that if you make it fun and interesting for them you will have a good safe partner forever. Kids are really sharp they remember lessons taught properly. He reminds me to put on my safety glasses and ear plugs all the time.Your passion and ethics are all you need to show the true enjoyment of the shooting sports.
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Haiwee
PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:25 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 25 Feb 2006
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Location: Boulder City, NV

My dad started me by making me his "bird dog" on his annual dove hunt when I was ten (he was between dogs at the time). He went to pains to teach me there is no "joy" in killing, and that it's proper to feel empathy for the birds he shot. At the same time, he taught me that killing is part of living, and that it's perfectly natural to feel both a sense of melancholy and a sense of happiness and accomplishment when we kill.

He never pushed me to become a hunter; he instead let me find my own way. He treated fishing the same way -- I hated fishing as a kid (I was kind of hyperactive, and fishing bored me) -- but he never forced me to go with him. Because he didn't push me, I eventually came around, and today, pushing the upper edges of middle age, I can look back with fondness at the thousands of hours I've spent fishing with my father.

Anyway, after a few sessions of chasing down his birds I was hooked. I begged him to let me hunt, but he was adamant I had to take a hunter's safety course first. I was so persistent he arranged to have a DFG agent give a course at our house -- a lot of my friends wanted to get into hunting also, so we had ten or twelve kids there. The following year I got to go hunting with my dad for the first time, and I've been at it ever since. Some kids will take to it right away, and others take time. My son's only five, and he's already pestering me when he'll be allowed to go hunting with daddy.

My sister married a wonderful man who nonetheless is terrified of guns. Yet after years of hearing of our hunting tales, my nephew surprised his mom and dad this year when he asked if he could go dove hunting with his grandpa and Uncle Sid. My brother-in-law, to my sister's surprise, gave his unequivocable approval (I told you he's a terrific guy), so this year there will be three generations of our family in the field.

So my best advice is this: if the kid shows interest, encourage him or her. If they're bored or disinterested, give them time and they'll probably come around. And whatever you do, make every effort to make it fun, and quit as soon as the kid acts as if they're getting bored.
--Sid
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DougK
PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:58 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 28 Dec 2005
Posts: 62
Location: Driftwood, TX

Tell them their mother does not want them hunting or shooting until they are 21. Laughing Then watch them want to go...
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mod11rem
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:47 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 20 Nov 2005
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Location: Jonesboro, AR

for some reason, I was just born a gun nut. I only hunted with my dad once. but he taught me safety beginning with a bb gun. My son and daughter really wanted to go duck hunting so I took them. she was too young and got too cold and he didn't really get into it until he killed his first duck on his own. We had shot enough clay birds that he learned to shoot pretty well, but school them enough so that they can have some success early on and they will like it. His first duck was a beautiful male woody. We brought it home (along with acouple of mallards) and his mom (who has never tolerated any dead animals hanging on the wall of any sort .... live with a woman 20 years and you think you know her....) thought that we should have his first duck mounted. That very next year we had one of those barrell burner dove hunts and he was hooked. The only mistake I really made was buying him a little 20 topper. I wanted him to learn to shoot with a single shot so as to make that first one count, like I did. that and safety reasons. However, that little stick kicked like a mule and was uncomfortable. He put up with it until the day we were toning up for dove season and I let him use a little Win 1000 auto 20. he was about 12, but big enough to handle it. two years ago, i watched him put 5 ducks on the water with it before I touched a feather. course, I was calling and just enjoying the moment. Now he's 18 and wants a little more power in the duck blind and has graduated up to a beautiful A-5 12 that his grandfather gave him. but he shoots a 16 on the range at the clay birds. The daughter has come back around and enjoys shooting clay birds with a slick little Zoli O/U 20. she has no interest in dead birds but likes the idea of telling her mall walking friends that she can shoot and she can. They can both play Bach and Beethoven and run 20 or so straight from behind our little trap machine. It's a life skill. Son has already figured out how to get home from college for the Labor day dove hunt. I think my daughter just wants to be able to get her picture in the paper with a gun and hunting garb on when she runs for political office and is trying for all of your votes. What ever the motivations, we make it a family outing to go and shoot clay birds together, and I would trade the days in the field with my son for all of your fancy 16 SxS's.

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If I can't throw lead from a 16, I'd just as soon throw rocks.
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mod11rem
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:50 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 20 Nov 2005
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Location: Jonesboro, AR

change that last sentence to " I wouldn't trade all.."" must be a Freudian slip on the keyboard.

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If I can't throw lead from a 16, I'd just as soon throw rocks.
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