"3-Year-Old Shoots and Wounds 2 During Wisconsin Youth Turkey Hunt" - US

https://Immersive-optics.com/
markj1

markj1

Well-Known Member
gearjunkie.com

3-Year-Old Shoots and Wounds 2 During Wisconsin Youth Turkey Hunt

Wisconsin DNR is investigating a shooting during the state’s youth turkey season after a reported shot from a 3-year-old injured two people.
gearjunkie.com gearjunkie.com

"The shooting happened on state forest land at Honey Creek Wildlife Area in Racine County. According to Thok, a 34-year-old male mentor said he saw what appeared to be a turkey fan and movement in the woods. The mentor then knelt and helped the 3-year-old stand in front of him, aim, and pull the trigger.

Instead of hitting a turkey, the 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun blast struck a 40-year-old male turkey hunter and the hunter’s 7-year-old child. Both victims suffered pellet wounds to the back, hand, and head. Both were admitted to the hospital, and their injuries did not appear life-threatening at the time of the report."

Why the alarmist headline?

From the description, the outcome would not have been any different if the 3-years old wasn't there.

Personally, I think that a 3 years old shouldn't be anywhere near a firearms, it is way to early to start training children, however at the same time I really don't see how this was a factor in this particular incident .
 
That is starting them out young! I'm guessing that the only role that the 3 year old played was to just pull the trigger as his dad aimed and shouldered the shotgun. Heavy turkey loads have the most recoil of any type of shotgun shell that I shoot. The old rules still apply, Identify Your Target: Never fire at noise, movement, or color alone!

A lucky accident as it sounds like everyone will recover.
 
Youth hunts are great in the US however I do feel like deer and turkey should have a minimum age 5 Is a good all rounder, Kid cant really be blamed in this situation adult is completely at fault.

I do think the youth deer seasons should be doe only for most states, having a significant amount of mature bucks taken outright with rifles Is always pretty disheartening, not too mention so so so many people fetch there kids along so the adults can get a chance at a rifle buck without being caught.

Its always crazy scrolling the pages and seeing spotted fawns being shot too I know in theory legal here now too, but Its wild any adult would allow kids too shoot them.
 
Sol said:
Youth hunts are great in the US however I do feel like deer and turkey should have a minimum age 5 Is a good all rounder, Kid cant really be blamed in this situation adult is completely at fault.
Click to expand...
I thought the same. My kids were barely able to care for a puppy at three let alone shoot a gun safely. I did buy them both a youth .22 at 6 or 7 and that seemed about right.


Scott
 
The other hunters might have been injured just the same if the child had not been present, but presumably the father's eagerness to induct his son into hunting played a part.
Regardless of the seriousness of the physical injuries sustained by those shot, the psychological impact on the children has to be significant.
Of course, taking the children hunting was meant to influence their psychological development, but by building trust in their fathers rather than by eroding it, and by instilling a sense of agency through a successful shot that killed a quarry animal, rather than - in the case of the three-year-old - a sense of "borrowed" guilt through a reckless shot that wounded another father and son.
I don't know how either a three-year-old or a seven-year-old would process all this, though they would certainly do so differently given their different developmental stages, but, crucially, their fathers seem not to have given it any serious thought.
It's hard to see how any risk assessment of such an outing could see it going ahead. The shot itself seems to have been just the bottom of an incident pit of reckless impatience.
 
Mountain Bug said:
I thought the same. My kids were barely able to care for a puppy at three let alone shoot a gun safely. I did buy them both a youth .22 at 6 or 7 and that seemed about right.


Scott
Click to expand...

Are airguns common in the US?
7 or 8 is not a bad age to start with an argun, I'd prob be using 1 unsupervised not a lot older.
Possibly I wouldn't be just as keen with a 22lr, but atleast a nice recoil and quiet for kids hearing too.

Bloody crazy to let a 3yr old fire a 12ga, especially if a heavy load, possibly the SA would take the worst off the kick out it.
But more likely to scare a kid off at that age.
I seen a clip once teaching a very young kid to shoot and 1st shots were with a 3006 ( no mod) so decent recoil, the poor kid was in tears.
 
How do u hunt turkey on hunt like this?

I'm guessing the shot hunters set up a hide in a bush and had a turkey fan or decoy turkey set up and a caller.
And the other hunters shot the decoy

Is their rules or etiquette how close u set up to nieghbours?
I take it hunters themselves would be wearing hi via?
But not much good behind a hide.
 
As I understand from the reporting, only bearded toms were lawful quarry, so merely seeing a tail would not have justified a shot. I also read that hunters often take advantage of father-child initiatives to shoot quarry themselves, instrumentalising their children for their own benefit. This looks like an instance of precisely this kind of manipulative instrumentalisation. The child pulls the trigger simply to satisfy the law on the father's behalf.
 
I thought American hunters were obliged to wear x number inches of Blaze orange clothing when out hunting?
KB.
 
kenbro said:
I thought American hunters were obliged to wear x number inches of Blaze orange clothing when out hunting?
KB.
Click to expand...
Completely depends on state, seasons and vice versa
Mr. Gain said:
As I understand from the reporting, only bearded toms were lawful quarry, so merely seeing a tail would not have justified a shot. I also read that hunters often take advantage of father-child initiatives to shoot quarry themselves, instrumentalising their children for their own benefit. This looks like an instance of precisely this kind of manipulative instrumentalisation. The child pulls the trigger simply to satisfy the law on the father's behalf.
Click to expand...
I have too wonder if whoever they seen was fanning/reaping only a male turkey for the most part displays his tail upright, a hunter can walk with a dried out tail fan or decoy and effectively fool the bird and get within meters however whilst not illegal Its renowned as an extremely dangerous subject to do, I have too imagine this is the case here.

Turkeys are very tough too bring down hence why TSS loads are popular now and at least 3" shells are the normal, most hunters wont even shoot a strutting turkey because the pointed outward feathers seems almost like a shield, so Its very dumb regardless too fire whilly nilly into a tail.

As we speak best friend Is out turkey hunting right this second.

1776679803392.webp
 
Sol said:
Completely depends on state, seasons and vice versa

I have too wonder if whoever they seen was fanning/reaping only a male turkey for the most part displays his tail upright, a hunter can walk with a dried out tail fan or decoy and effectively fool the bird and get within meters however whilst not illegal Its renowned as an extremely dangerous subject to do, I have too imagine this is the case here.

Turkeys are very tough too bring down hence why TSS loads are popular now and at least 3" shells are the normal, most hunters wont even shoot a strutting turkey because the pointed outward feathers seems almost like a shield, so Its very dumb regardless too fire whilly nilly into a tail.

As we speak best friend Is out turkey hunting right this second.

View attachment 471288
Click to expand...
Turkey hunting tactics are interesting in their own right, but my point as regards this incident is that the person responsible for the shooting appears to have been actively criminal as well as generally reckless - not just disregarding the welfare of his own child and other hunters, but also flouting the hunting regulations in force.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sol
I know I will sound like a p#ssy.
But I always worry about the kids hearing.
Even with my dogs I'm very careful with young dogs and shots.

To be fair in the uk when u see young kids shooting they normally are wearing hearing protection.
Which is a good thing.
 
Another pertinent point is that when introducing children to firearms, hunting isn't the ideal starting point. Training should start with dry runs, followed by shooting at the range. Any form of participating in a hunt (operating the firearm in any capacity) should only take place after the child reached adequate competency in the use of firearms. Of course no harm in introducing children to hunting excluding operating the firearm, obviously. But we should keep in mind that being able to competently handle a firearm involves more than aiming and pulling the trigger. In this particular incident, I doubt that the 3 years old was their to learn anything about hunting or firearms, it was - in my view - just 'a bit of fun' from the perspective of the adult (it is not stated if the the adult was the child's parent).

Mr. Gain said:
...I also read that hunters often take advantage of father-child initiatives to shoot quarry themselves, instrumentalising their children for their own benefit...
Click to expand...

^^^^^^
This is certainly a possibility.

As for age... I would say that 8 is in my view when children can shoot on their own (fully supervised, obviously) on the range. But it differs from one child to another.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

16 year old and firearms.
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
gixer1
gixer1
  • Article Article
Red stag season in Romania 2025
Replies
17
Views
2K
kieran222
kieran222
Wanted: Stalking Opportunities and/or Mentor Required (Kent / South East)
Replies
4
Views
872
bottletopbill
bottletopbill
Yet another post looking to steal your permissions - Herts/Beds/Bucks/Essex
Replies
9
Views
4K
Brad93
Brad93
Types of driven hunt
2
Replies
24
Views
4K
Swmac
S
Leica Geovid Pro - Green
Back
Top