[Towhee]

Are my husband and I the only ones who are appalled at children as young as 6 years old being allowed to hunt deer, with an adult, and shoot it???

[Chorizo]

Why do you find it appalling?

Because of state laws here I could not hunt at that age, but a lot of time I was with my father or grandfather at that age while they were hunting.

I don't particularly like hunting (pain in the butt to do in AZ, I'm sure in other places its a lot different) - but I am not against it. I don't see any reason why a child that age should not, if they have the proper supervision.

[shamrockrover]

I'm not a hunter, I have no interest in killing animals, but this is Arkansas. In fact, it's the South period. Kids hunt. I'm willing to bet most aren't forced. Get used to it. If you don't like it, do what I do, ignore it and let people do their own thing. The minute you try to tell someone that in person...well, it's not going to go well. There are worse things in this world to be appalled about.

[Huckleberry3911948]

you should not teach your kids how to grow a garden how to raise chickens and how to hunt meat.
how to protect and defend themselves. you dont owe them.
teach them everybody is nice and will take care of them.
signed
the wolf

[Nomadicus]

I think it depends on the nature and quality of the parent. Some I would find it very upsetting. Some it has been a family tradition of education and self reliance for generations. Taking a 6 year old out for hunting's sake for trophy would sicken me. To bring food in to the dinner table is a different story. It can be a life's lesson for some who live from the lands.

[RTTNFAM]

Well I personally don't want my 8 year old son anywhere near the woods during hunting season. I know plenty of people who take their kids hunting, and maybe it is fine for them, but not for me. BUT..my son does go hunting even though I do not agree with it, because his father takes him when he goes to his house. He doesn't get to shoot anything yet, but he does get to watch for the deer and what not. I figure, if my ex-husband is going to be taking him, I had better get him ready by getting him into a hunter's education course now. My current husband says he will start taking him hunting when he is around 12, and to me that is a much better age.

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by Marianinark

Are my husband and I the only ones who are appalled at children as young as 6 years old being allowed to hunt deer, with an adult, and shoot it???

Well....yeah!!!!

That's 2 years too late!

No..seriously, Marian, if the kids want to go, they go. I'm in the middle of hunter/gatherer society, and if the kids don't take an intrest, nothing is pushed.

The main rule of the land out here is, "There may be a time when you can't go to a store, or restaurant, or gas sation, so learn to do without".

Hunting goes beyond sport in a lot of this state, it's a matter of you eat or you don't. If the young'ins are denied that familiarization, that's tools they may need.

I've been cut off from electricity and escape from this hill for a full week. There are those before me that can relate much longer periods. We got together as neighbors and got through it.

It's very easy to imagine having no food unless you do go kill something, and being prepared for that.

The passion that is associated with/against hunting is just that, passion. It is formulated from non-rational non-informed emotional response that is usually formed by our upbringing/environment/societal "norms".

I'm not saying that you're being non-rational, you are formulating an emotion based on your exposure and values.

When, however, you see kids look forward to the day they can learn to hunt, that first time they can go into the woods as a participant rather than an observer, you know how important it is to them.

Ever take the grand kids fishing? They're taught to harvest fish, for food, and they enjoy it, and you enjoy them having fun.

It's no different than these folks taking their kids out for the hunt.

That's why AR has the special "youth hunts", under very, very relaxed rules.

I don't want to ruffle your feathers here, Marian, because I know you are as fond of this state as I, and I look forward to your posts, but we have segments in this state where a store bought meat is a either a luxury or extravagance that they're not going to splurge on, or something not even considered, as it was not even considered by their fathers and grandfathers.

The earth feeds us well....if we let it. These kids don't get a nintendo or playstation. The get a new shotgun, or Dad's handed down.

Kinda hard to hunt with a nintendo....I can't throw those things worth a darn.

[Towhee]

I realize there is nothing we , my husband and I, can do about this, but to me, it is very scary. My husband is a native Arkansan, and he thinks that the law in Idaho was much better. The hunters there had to be 16 and older to hunt.(I don't know if it is still that way there. I have been here over 31 years now.)
We live in the woods. Our land is all wooded, and it is very unnerving knowing there may be small children out there with guns!

BTW, we used to hunt the mule deer in Idaho. I would go with my husband, but never shot one, but it wasn't because of a disbelief in doing so. I would like to see the whitetails thinned out in our area, but not by small childern!

[tkdmom]

If you go into the woods...watch out for Dick Cheney !!!

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by Marianinark

I realize there is nothing we , my husband and I, can do about this, but to me, it is very scary. My husband is a native Arkansan, and he thinks that the law in Idaho was much better. The hunters there had to be 16 and older to hunt.(I don't know if it is still that way there. I have been here over 31 years now.)
We live in the woods. Our land is all wooded, and it is very unnerving knowing there may be small children out there with guns!

The important thing is, as you noted, "with an adult".

Safety is essential, and hopefully conveyed by a responsible person.

There are idiot hunters out there, thank goodness they're the minority, but they're going to pass on their idiocy to their kids.

I can totaly understand the outrage and shock at letting 6 year olds hunt. If I were in that position, it would totally depend on my child's ability to follow directions, desire to learn, and understanding before ever setting out that this isn't a game, it's the acquisition of a skill. It's learning to feed yourself, and others, and it's the passing on of what virtually every single kid knew 60 years ago, and is much being lost in most of society now.

What I prefer to voice outrage at is the same 6 year old kids being taught in Zimbabwe and a number of other countries to cut the arms off of villagers so they can't fight you someday.

Just one thing in a long, long line of items that made me shake my head at the world and come out here to live in my own.