Look at this Face!

[ratwood]

Last Februrary I took my 9 year old son rabbit hunting. This was his first hunting trip carrying a shotgun and he made an Annie Oakley shot on a running rabbit at 30 yards with a 410. It was the first animal he has ever harvested and I was so proud. I think he may be a chip off the old block but a better shot.

The gun in the picture is an old J.C. Higgins .410 that belongs to my dad and is the first gun I was allowed to carry over 30 years ago when I was about his age. I thought some of you parents out there would enjoy sharing my favorite hunting memory to date.

[moronehead]

Thats awesome. I'll never forget my first kill. I'd been hunting with my dad and brother several times. One Saturday I wanted to go but nobody else could. It was time to do it myself. He dropped me off with my 20 ga Mossberg bolt near Davidsonville in some ol abondoned tobacco farms, musta been about 1973. He told me he'd pick me up on 301 a couple hrs later. I got a bunny pretty quick and missed on several coveys of quail (used to be loaded with em). He picked me up and we went back and fried him up. I could go back to that hillside to this day (now houses) and know exactly where I got him. You'll never forget your first.

[h2oboss]

Congratutions.................there's an old saying. If you teach your children to hunt, you won't have to hunt for your children. I help a good freind harvest his first deer last year, and let me tell ya I was more excited than he was. While I have no children, I've got to imagine it's a very powerful emotion. thanks for sharing.

[choptankcrabber]

Congratulations to your son- my six year old gets to go along, and he is itching to carry himself but I'm thinking 9 y/o is plenty early. Gonna be a long 3 years, though!

[slacktide]

Here is my seven year old son with a duck he "helped" me shoot with his BB gun.... he went with me quite a few times last season carrying the BB gun as if it were a shotgun... Iwas very proud.... We are going to take the Hunter Safety Course this fall, and who knows what next... I am more excited than he is sometimes!

[mwoolford]

Great posts!

[Ricky]

Awesome, awesome stuff. I am the very proud owner of a Remington model 722 .257 Roberts that I received from my father when I shot my first deer with it. He got it when his father did the same to him when he was young. We were just talking about it early. I mentioned I saw one go on Gunbroker.com (ebay for guns) for over $700. He said "I wouldn't sell that gun for $1,000,000". Me - "Me either".

[MeOff]

Thanks for the post!! It brought a smile to my face thinking about my two boys and their first kills; it is a very special day you will NEVER forget and I can promise you'll yearn for more when he gets to the chick chasing thing but don't worry he'll come back one day and be your hunting partner again as mine have finally done. CONGRATS TO YOUR SON!