5 Year Old Boy Kills 400+ Pound Bear

[Tiki]

ORS what if the kid enjoys shooting a gun? Maybe that's for him. Or is that not possible?

[Omaha Red Sox]

ORS what if the kid enjoys shooting a gun? Maybe that's for him. Or is that not possible?

The kid was 2. Get him a gun that makes noises and has flashy lights, not a freakin 30-06 (I don't know what caliber he used, but obviously not a small round). It's akin, almost , to getting a kid drunk for your own amusement. Why would a grown man get a 2-year old into actual firearms if not for his own amusement? Because a 2-year old passed a Hunter's Safety Course and knew and understood the responsibility that comes with handling a firearm? Please.

[Tiki]

You ever seen the movie "Enemy at the Gates"?

I dunno man I think you're looking into this too much, yeah it could be problem for most kids, but most kids could merk a bear like that. Plus, learning how to shoot a gun can teach a kid all the same things your kid is learning in Karate, or what ever form of martial arts he is taking.
I mean this was in Dewitt, Ark. Dewitt.

[scottaa1]

I had BB guns when in single digits, got my first .22 at 10. I grew up a farm boy in Ohio. Guns were just part of the landscape, at least back then.

[joelamosobadiah]

ORS what if the kid enjoys shooting a gun? Maybe that's for him. Or is that not possible?

The kid was 2. Get him a gun that makes noises and has flashy lights, not a freakin 30-06 (I don't know what caliber he used, but obviously not a small round). It's akin, almost , to getting a kid drunk for your own amusement. Why would a grown man get a 2-year old into actual firearms if not for his own amusement? Because a 2-year old passed a Hunter's Safety Course and knew and understood the responsibility that comes with handling a firearm? Please.

Actually he was five.

Anyway, I can't help but think that this story is being embellished a little bit. There is a fine line here. Can a five year old shoot a gun. Sure if he knows what hes doing and is supervised. And by supervised I mean he shouldn't be carrying the gun and probably shouldn't be shooting it by himself. I can't believe that he didn't have any help shooting that gun or something. Like I said, there is a fine line between a harmless hobby and putting your son and others around him in danger by giving somebody that young a firearm.

[Omaha Red Sox]

ORS what if the kid enjoys shooting a gun? Maybe that's for him. Or is that not possible?

The kid was 2. Get him a gun that makes noises and has flashy lights, not a freakin 30-06 (I don't know what caliber he used, but obviously not a small round). It's akin, almost , to getting a kid drunk for your own amusement. Why would a grown man get a 2-year old into actual firearms if not for his own amusement? Because a 2-year old passed a Hunter's Safety Course and knew and understood the responsibility that comes with handling a firearm? Please.

Actually he was five.

Anyway, I can't help but think that this story is being embellished a little bit. There is a fine line here. Can a five year old shoot a gun. Sure if he knows what hes doing and is supervised. And by supervised I mean he shouldn't be carrying the gun and probably shouldn't be shooting it by himself. I can't believe that he didn't have any help shooting that gun or something. Like I said, there is a fine line between a harmless hobby and putting your son and others around him in danger by giving somebody that young a firearm.

The article said he began shooting at age 2 1/2. He killed the bear at 5.

My son has fired a rifle. His first shot was when he was 6, but I was holding onto the rifle as well, and still do. A child of his age generally cannot butt up a full size rifle. The rifle in the story was a youth rifle so it was sized for him. The kid was with his grandfather in the same stand so maybe he was closely supervised. Could be. My point regarding the article was the grandfather's fascination over how young his grandson was when he killed the bear and picked up his first gun.

[Madison]

I don’t understand the obsession with kids’ achievements at young ages. As if this kid will not have this opportunity when he’s 12. What’s the big deal that he’s only 5 and why would you be proud of that? Because not every 5 year old can? Please. When that 5 year old is put up next to another 5 year old, in 15 years is it going to matter than the one killed a bear when he was 5? Besides a nice story, I don’t see the benefit and fixation on young children’s accomplishments at such young ages. As if you’re holding them back if you wait or something. Why give a 2 ½ year old a gun? A kid that age isn’t going to want to shoot a rifle. That’s the pressure of the parent. To be proud of that is to be proud of a pet. It’s childish. I didn’t let my kid shoot a gun till he knew what it was, and even still, at 8, I don’t let him hold a rifle on his own. BB gun, yeah, with me right next to him.

It’s just crazy with all these head start programs and preschools for 2-year olds and so on. Why the fascination with getting kids started so early?

I'm confused.

Unless of course you mean specifically that a 5 year old shouldn't have more gun training than most adults (as if knowing how to be responsible with a gun is a bad thing ). This kid very well could grow up to be one heck of a sniper that saves many lives...

And don't misunderstand. My boy's 9 and has never touched a real gun, so it's not like I condone or support this, just confused by what you said.

My son is not learning to be violent by taking taekwondo. He is learning valuable life lessons that expound what we teach him at home, lessons that should be taught at young ages, discipline, respect, honor, confidence, etc. The knowledge and skill of knowing how to take down someone twice your size is simply the bridge and the tool. I've taken my kid hunting. I have no problem with that. I had a problem with the father or uncle or whoever he was going on and on about him teaching him how to shoot when he was a toddler and killing such an enormous creature by 5.

I'm a gun owner Madison, you know that. I love guns to be honest, and hope my son eventually shares that love so we can go shooting together. But they're dangerous and a 2-5 year old is typically too young to have something that can kill in their arms. My son is not really into real guns right now. He loves walking around with me through the woods and loves to carry whatever smaller animal we shoot to eat later. But he hasn't been attracted to the actually firing of a rifle yet. I'm not going to buy him one, take the time to teach him how to use it, until he shows interest. I understand a grandfather's or father's desire to teach, obviously, especially a hobby that you love yourself. But we have to keep age in mind here and let them enjoy the things that kids are supposed to enjoy. Frankly, I think this man in the story is rather selfish. He's taken some childhood from this kid for his own gratification. Let the kid play in the dirt or something. Is there something wrong with that? I guess that's not something he can brag about in the papers though.

What I was pointing out is that your comments didn't make sense. If you're going to bash and insult people....how did you put it....

That’s the pressure of the parent. To be proud of that is to be proud of a pet. It’s childish.

While saying:

I don’t understand the obsession with kids’ achievements at young ages.

Not once, but twice, then you're shooting yourself in the foot as you fall into that category (EDIT: We all do). Now if the problem is that you don't think a 5 year old, who's parents own guns and is around guns, should have any idea how to behave around firearms, then just say it. Using a broad brush like you did doesn't really work or make sense.

Not to mention that the lessons you mentioned:

lessons that should be taught at young ages, discipline, respect, honor, confidence, etc.

Are the exact same lessons one is taught as a child when being around firearms.

And did it say somewhere that this guy went out and tracked down papers to get this story printed? I must have missed that part... and I didn't see him go "on and on" as you said. The article was quite short.

And again, I'm not saying that the father was right to teach his child how to behave around firearms, but I won't burn him at the stake for it either as if guns are present, it's best to know how to behave. You wouldn't build a swimming pool in your back yard and not teach your kids how to swim, would you? Locks, gates, etc, do no good, and as a parent, I'm sure you know that, so teaching is always better than just "hoping" nothing bad happens. I have no clue if this kid was ready to learn when he did, but obviously he did learn it, so it might not have been too early for this particular kid.

[Sandrock]

I started shooting guns around 5 years old. Then again, I lived in a small town and that was just part of growing up. To each his own I suppose.

[Omaha Red Sox]

Not once, but twice, then you're shooting yourself in the foot as you fall into that category (EDIT: We all do). Now if the problem is that you don't think a 5 year old, who's parents own guns and is around guns, should have any idea how to behave around firearms, then just say it. Using a broad brush like you did doesn't really work or make sense.

I will admit, I used a broad brush. The part of the article where the grandfather found it necessary to point out that his son began shooting at 2 1/2 is where I became agitated. And I'm generalizing, as we do a lot here, and as Joel pointed out. I see too many of these parents wanting their kids to act too grown up and accomplish as much as possible at such young ages.

lessons that should be taught at young ages, discipline, respect, honor, confidence, etc.

Are the exact same lessons one is taught as a child when being around firearms.

I will have to adamantly disagree with you there. Yes, you learn some of these qualities when learning to operate a firearm, but not nearly to the extent that years and years of martial arts training gives you.

That’s the pressure of the parent. To be proud of that is to be proud of a pet. It’s childish.

While saying:

I don’t understand the obsession with kids’ achievements at young ages.

I believe I'm missing the point you're trying to show me here. How do these contradict each other? I think they're quite balanced. If you're referring to my being proud of my own kid I'll defend myself by pointing out the differences. Martial arts should be taught at young ages because the tools they are learning are those that should be taught basically at birth. Proper gun ownership should be taught young, but at 2? And to gush about this achievement because the kid was only 5 when he killed the bear just comes across to me as immature and reckless. I admitted, after Joel's post, that it is quite possible that the grandfather used the necessary precautions when hunting with his grandson, and I'm not "attacking" that aspect of the story. The parts of the story that perturbed me were where it was important to point out how young the kid was when he accomplished these rather grown-up feats. If you're referring to my comments regarding my own son's age(s) while in martial arts, it's simply a measuring stick for me. It's not a leg up on the competition like this guy seems to imply.

It's ironic that you're disagreeing with me of all people on this. Normally I'd be on your side completely on an issue revolving around a child learning to hunt. But I just can't get by the parts of the article where they seem to glamourize how incredibly young this boy was when he learned to shoot and eventually killed this bear.

[josebach]

A 4 year old doesn't understand what death is or the finality of it. I've got nothing against people who like to hunt, but personally I get no satisfaction at all from killing wild animals as that's not how I like to enjoy nature. I'm not saying I'm right or I'm wrong, but rather it's just a choice I make because it's what feels right to me. This 5 year old is having this choice made for him... and for what? So his dumbass grandfather can brag about him? So he can turn him into a man? It's bulls@#t.