Matt / PA I did notice you never called that kid that killed a deer with his crossbow a lazy slob bowhunter wannabe or anything like that. I noticed you didn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
Nope, just a product of the imaginary "Have to have success immediately or we'll lose interest and give up generation"
IMO he should have learned like most of us did........shooting a fiberglass bow at an early age, maybe join the cub scouts, practice practice practice with your real bow and arrows dreaming of the day when you are really old enough and responsible enough to be hunting with adults. Of course that involves work and time and guidance, all of which seem to be at a premium these days with many parents and kids.
Lets make everything as easy as we can for kids........god knows they'll just go find something else to do without immediate success.
Maybe you can speak with the now 12yr old grandson of a co-worker who I have been tutoring in archery since he was 10.....who is so excited to take his hunter safety exam and shoot his bow any chance he gets. The same kid who I have provided with bows , arrows, and my time and knowledge.
Give the kids the right guidance and teaching, helping them learn as they grow and wait their chance to hunt along side us when they are a little more mature mentally to understand what taking a life really is.
If you feel the savior to hunting is throwing a 5 or 7 yr old kid in a box blind with a crossbow or a rifle just so he can kill something to keep his interest away from his Playstation or Spongebob movies, your views on the future of hunting and the role our youth will play is criminally sad.
I feel much better about handing the reigns to my 12yr old friend than the kid who's picture you posted........I may be wrong, but I like my chances of this thing actually STICKING and becoming a lifelong pursuit with it done the right way rather than handing a kid the power to kill combined with instant success at an age where their heros and role models are still little purple and yellow characters.