Well said! 
Regards,
Regards,
Inherited Guns Equals New Shooters
In the past few weeks I've read several posts to the effect that a person had inherited a gun from their dad, granddad, or uncle and had questions about the gun. Often, this person had little, if any, previous interest in guns, but now that they had granddad's shotgun they were interested in taking up hunting and target shooting.
I think that this is great. Whatever works to get more people interested in hunting and shooting is fine with me. It also gave me the idea to suggest to some of our more mature members to consider giving one of your old shotguns (or a new one) gathering dust in your safe to a grandchild (male or female) and encourage them to participate in the shooting sports with you. Nephews, nieces, cousins, or the kid down the street will do if you don't have a grandchild (or child) who might be interested in the gun. And last, when you go to that big hunting ground in the sky, instead of leaving all your guns to your wife who likely has no interest in them, give them in your will to your grandkids. Maybe that will start them hunting and shooting. :lol:
I think that this is great. Whatever works to get more people interested in hunting and shooting is fine with me. It also gave me the idea to suggest to some of our more mature members to consider giving one of your old shotguns (or a new one) gathering dust in your safe to a grandchild (male or female) and encourage them to participate in the shooting sports with you. Nephews, nieces, cousins, or the kid down the street will do if you don't have a grandchild (or child) who might be interested in the gun. And last, when you go to that big hunting ground in the sky, instead of leaving all your guns to your wife who likely has no interest in them, give them in your will to your grandkids. Maybe that will start them hunting and shooting. :lol:
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
I took my 14 year old daughter dove hunting for the first time, on the opening day of the dove hunt, and much to her protests, I might add. She didn't carry a shotgun, and she didn't shoot, but I didn't have anywhere to leave her so I made her come along with us and walk. There were three hunters: two male friends of mine, and me the mom.
She had previously expressed a lot of disgust at my hunting activities.... not being against my going, mind you, but just the idea that her own personal ethics would not allow her to shoot an animal.
So out we go, walking along a tree-lined canal next to an alfalfa field. We saw cottontails, snakes, blackbirds, antelope. Flushed a few doves and while the dove hunting was not good, each of the hunters managed to down birds. We made lots of jokes about having a "retriever" in the form of my 14 year old daughter. She didn't like that at first, but later on started laughing along with us and pretty soon she was just as interested as the rest of us in finding the doves as they fell. As long as the birds didn't look too bloody, she wanted to touch the feathers. We walked for hours, and not one complaint or whine about how tired she was, and she kept up with the group amazingly well.
Later on we went to another place, and I asked if she wanted to sit it out in the car, and she said no, and came along with us again.
On the way home, alone in the car, I asked her if she thought I was a bloody heathen for shooting birds. She shook her head, and said to me, I could never shoot a dove. I asked if that meant she wouldn't want to shoot a dove, and she said, no, it means that if she swung at one, she'd probably miss it. I started laughing.... my daughter, the anti-hunter, now wanting to hunt with us but thinking she can't because she'd miss! So I asked if she wanted me to teach her how to shoot, and she nodded... yeah, mom, let's go shoot.
So now we're going to look through my safe and see if there's a gun she can handle in there (she's almost bigger and taller than I am) and do some practice on the clays range.
Just take the kids out, let them see how much fun it is, and that a well placed shot kills quickly and humanely, and you will hook them on it! The poster who started this thread is right-on, and if we don't pass this down to the younger generations, it's going to die out.
She had previously expressed a lot of disgust at my hunting activities.... not being against my going, mind you, but just the idea that her own personal ethics would not allow her to shoot an animal.
So out we go, walking along a tree-lined canal next to an alfalfa field. We saw cottontails, snakes, blackbirds, antelope. Flushed a few doves and while the dove hunting was not good, each of the hunters managed to down birds. We made lots of jokes about having a "retriever" in the form of my 14 year old daughter. She didn't like that at first, but later on started laughing along with us and pretty soon she was just as interested as the rest of us in finding the doves as they fell. As long as the birds didn't look too bloody, she wanted to touch the feathers. We walked for hours, and not one complaint or whine about how tired she was, and she kept up with the group amazingly well.
Later on we went to another place, and I asked if she wanted to sit it out in the car, and she said no, and came along with us again.
On the way home, alone in the car, I asked her if she thought I was a bloody heathen for shooting birds. She shook her head, and said to me, I could never shoot a dove. I asked if that meant she wouldn't want to shoot a dove, and she said, no, it means that if she swung at one, she'd probably miss it. I started laughing.... my daughter, the anti-hunter, now wanting to hunt with us but thinking she can't because she'd miss! So I asked if she wanted me to teach her how to shoot, and she nodded... yeah, mom, let's go shoot.
So now we're going to look through my safe and see if there's a gun she can handle in there (she's almost bigger and taller than I am) and do some practice on the clays range.
Just take the kids out, let them see how much fun it is, and that a well placed shot kills quickly and humanely, and you will hook them on it! The poster who started this thread is right-on, and if we don't pass this down to the younger generations, it's going to die out.
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
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