I have an opportunity to introduce a 28 yr-old to hunting birds this year. I was wondering how you all might go about this.
My background is that I came from a dad who always hunted and shot smallbore and bigbore target, I was shooting a BB gun in my parents' basement at 3, got a .22 at 8, a mossberg 500 and a .308 before I was even legal to hunt, and at 12 yrs old started hunting nearly everything available in Wisconsin in the 90's. When my dad was familiarizing me with guns when I was really young, I always expected to be yelled at a little about my muzzle position and checking my muzzle and state of gun whether it was loaded or not, and when it's appropriate to have loaded gun, etc. I always felt like it was good instruction. Bottom line...I've been handling guns hunting and target shooting safely for almost 30 years.
My question is now...I'm only 32 and I can't pull older age authority on this guy. He is new to hunting but is taking a hunter's safety course and says that he'll be able to get a license early November this year. I hope that his class teaches him well. Should I take him to a trap range first and just observe his handling of a shotgun? (we're just going to be either blue grouse or sharptail hunting). Bird hunting does get a little bit intense sometimes...you've gotta know where the birds are and not swing your shotgun into your hunting buddy when you're hunting in open country.
I had a bad experience at a trap range a few years back when a trusted bird hunting friend brought one of his friends. The guy didn't have any experience with firearms and almost ended up putting some 7 1/2 birdshot through his toes. He "accidentally" pulled the trigger on a 20 ga and put a hole in the ground about three feet in front of the line.
Any experience with this? I know that I'd be domineering if it were my son, but I don't have a son...this guy is just about the same age as me. I know him through work and school, but is there any way to test him? Determine if he's qualified to handle a 12 ga around other hunters? Is hunter's safety course enough?
My background is that I came from a dad who always hunted and shot smallbore and bigbore target, I was shooting a BB gun in my parents' basement at 3, got a .22 at 8, a mossberg 500 and a .308 before I was even legal to hunt, and at 12 yrs old started hunting nearly everything available in Wisconsin in the 90's. When my dad was familiarizing me with guns when I was really young, I always expected to be yelled at a little about my muzzle position and checking my muzzle and state of gun whether it was loaded or not, and when it's appropriate to have loaded gun, etc. I always felt like it was good instruction. Bottom line...I've been handling guns hunting and target shooting safely for almost 30 years.
My question is now...I'm only 32 and I can't pull older age authority on this guy. He is new to hunting but is taking a hunter's safety course and says that he'll be able to get a license early November this year. I hope that his class teaches him well. Should I take him to a trap range first and just observe his handling of a shotgun? (we're just going to be either blue grouse or sharptail hunting). Bird hunting does get a little bit intense sometimes...you've gotta know where the birds are and not swing your shotgun into your hunting buddy when you're hunting in open country.
I had a bad experience at a trap range a few years back when a trusted bird hunting friend brought one of his friends. The guy didn't have any experience with firearms and almost ended up putting some 7 1/2 birdshot through his toes. He "accidentally" pulled the trigger on a 20 ga and put a hole in the ground about three feet in front of the line.
Any experience with this? I know that I'd be domineering if it were my son, but I don't have a son...this guy is just about the same age as me. I know him through work and school, but is there any way to test him? Determine if he's qualified to handle a 12 ga around other hunters? Is hunter's safety course enough?
Last edited:
By far the very first move, hell even attend it with him. If you are definetly going to hunt with this person, then I'd follow him through the course because you'll find out through the course if you even want to share the field with him!!! Everybody that I would hunt with at this time, has been to the course, and I've hunted alot with them. Age has a little to do with it but Saftey comes to us all if we care to LEARN IT!!!!!(no matter what age, creed or color, man or women!) Anyway the soapbox is someone else's... Happy huntin dude!!