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Yes, I know that squirrels and chipmunks can be nuisances and pests.....but teaching a child to kill them for sport is not how to go about controlling them. And I believe they they eat all the squirrel they kill as much as I believe in the tooth fairy.
My friend grew up in Kentucky. Squirrel was a regular on the dinner menu. He had a fondness for it that didn't quite translate to those of us living in the suburb where he ended up.
My kids were all taught to shoot a .22 by the age of 10. They go target shooting several times a year.
Then they went through the air soft gun phase as tweenagers. Then they were very interested in archery as teens.
My oldest is now very interested in hunting and in target shooting, so he's purchased several firearms for those purposes, and he both hunts small game and goes to the range at least once a month. He's also been researching CC. His brothers love to go target shooting with him several times a year. So do I!!
All kids have different maturity levels but we were taught very young, 4 or 5 and we skipped the bb guns, went straight to 'real' guns from the start, we shot at paper targets or went to shooting ranges.
We never hunted animals ourselves but deer season/hunting was a necessary thing in the Great Lakes area we grew up in. The deer herds had to be culled to prevent animals from starving to death, diseases spreading, etc. Freezers filled with venison and deer-skin coats were common, I moved away in the 1980's so that may have changed.
Gun safety and self-defense is so important, I believe kids should be taught as soon as parents feel they can understand.
Got my first 22 when I was 8. Got a 280 Remington at the age of 12. MY girls were avid shooters by the ages of 8 and 10. Both are in their thirties now and are still avid shooters. Neither have killed an animal. It's not that they have issues with killing animals, they don't have the place to process the meat. If they aren't going to eat it and it's doing no harm, they aren't going to shoot it. They fully understand that killing is not a fun thing for everybody involved, especially the animal. Shooting for sport is not the same thing as killing. If it was, they would have had to eat a lot of paper targets.
I have taught him gun safety ever since he was able to comprehend. now at age 11 he knows fully what to do when ever he handles a gun to make sure its safe and unloaded. he automatically checks any firearm he is handed and knows not to touch unattended guns like he may find at another persons house.
Checking to see if a gun is loaded is safety rule #1 and very important. Now... what have you taught him to do if he goes to a friend's house and his 11-year old friend comes out of his dad's bedroom carrying Dad's gun?
Why would your son "find" a gun at another person's house? Is he visiting houses where weapons are left where 11-year-old's can "find" them?
Last edited by DewDropInn; 07-11-2015 at 07:19 PM..
Checking to see if a gun is loaded is safety rule #1 and very important. Now... what have you taught him to do if he goes to a friend's house and his 11-year old friend comes out of his dad's bedroom carrying Dad's gun?
when my son was about 5 he got his first bb gun. had to cut the stock so he could handle it. Once he turned 8 I got him a 410 single shot, shot gun and a single shot cricket 22 rifle so we could hunt squirrels.
I have taught him gun safety ever since he was able to comprehend. now at age 11 he knows fully what to do when ever he handles a gun to make sure its safe and unloaded. he automatically checks any firearm he is handed and knows not to touch unattended guns like he may find at another persons house. I think a trained and informed child is much safer than one that has been sheltered from guns n things.
For my sons 11th birthday he wanted a browning 22cal 1911 so I cover $500 and he paid the remaining $160. I do believe you have to judge how responsible a child is but most children can learn gun safty. just the other weekend we wennt through about 1000 rounds to break in his new 22 hand gun.
So what are your thoughts and ages you let your child use guns if you have?
We don't own guns but our kids have shown an interest in shooting at the gun range. My husband took the older boys to the gun range at age 16. We have a family friend who is is familiar with guns and he went with them. The youngest is 16 and has expressed interest in going to the range.
Depends on the kids and my two boys are great examples. Oldest had a knife collection, got his first pocket knife when he was about 7. He had a lock box he kept them in. I'd travel around the world and pick him up a knife wherever I went through the years. He took a gun safety course and joined the rifle team in JROTC. He got to shoot an M16 with my military shooting team. Great shot. He's a superb role player/actor with a special forces training center. He's military now and has a Glock and his wife has something else - Ruger? Not sure.
Youngest? Never. Still leery of him with a fork in his hand.
I guess this is part of the American Gun culture? I never even had a BB gun to begin with as a child and you have kids as young as 5 target practicing? Where do you people live?
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