The idea of hunting never occurred to me until I was 16 and my husband introduced me to it. But I don't think kids should have to wait until 12 to hunt with a gun. I don't know that a four-year old is really capable of understanding what a gun is capable of doing though.

Lookiing back at my childhood, which wasn't that long ago, I'm 19, I think I would have been responsible enough at seven or eight to hunt with a gun. But I've always been very bright and extremely responsible. But even bright and responsible kids like I was still need close adult supervision.

I'm tempted to say that a parent should be the one to determine whether a child is mature enough, but not all parents are mature enough themselves. I've read some rather bizarre comments from parents about their kids and guns. Unfortunately, that's why we have arbitrary rules imposed on us.


May The Sheep Be With You