On Line Gun Safety for kids

[harvey lee]

I guess I may be old school.

I would opt for the hands on classroom instruction as I feel one may or should learn more.

I realize it all starts at home but some at home may not be that safe or as safe as they should be.

Yes, one can learn it from a book online but with any other type course, I have to believe that a hands on expierence has to be better in regards to learning.

The online course may cost less in the long run but I highly doubt that it is as good in the end.

[NIBOWMAN]

First let me say congratulations to your daughter and I wish her the best of luck on her many upcoming hunting seasons.

I am a hunter safety instuctor in the state of Iowa and I will admit that I am biasd toward the class time rather than the online course. First as stated it gives the kids a chance to ask questions face to face with the instructor. Or if the kid is to shy to ask questions they can learn from the questions asked by other kids. Second, while I agree safe gun handling and ethical hunting practices should be taught and reinforced at home. But, if some of these kids were taught by their parents or peers the rest of us would not be safe in the woods. We at least give the kids the chance to see it done the correct way. I would rather hunt with some of our students than many of thier parents.

But I do think the online classes are the way to go for an adult needing the hunter safety certificate to hunt out of state. For an older experienced hunter there is little to be gained by sitting in a class with 12yr olds.

[leech~~]

The online class really can not replace some of the hands training you get in the class room. Kids can learn all they want online or in a book but picking up each type of gun action and working it in a classroom makes a lot of difference when it comes to the real thing. All of us instructors would bring in our own guns for the kids to try working the actions and loading and unloading with dummy rounds. Just naming them on a test doesn't replace learning how to work them! As far as training starting at home I agree with but it was a bit of an eye opener as we would go around the classroom the very first day of class and ask the kids their names and why they wanted to be there and who sent them there. Most would say because they wanted to learn to hunt but there were a few that said because my Dad or Stepdad has guns in the house and my Mom wanted me to learn about guns. One girl said that her Dad would not let her play Paintball until she took a gun safety glass. Still good reasons to learn about guns but there were some kids who wanted to take it for themselves and their parents didn't want them there or to do anything with Guns! So some at home training isn't really there.

[tunrevir]

I am onboard with many of you with regards to the classroom learning versus the online training. I have to admit it had alot to do with scheduling and the state shutdown behind our reasoning to go the online route. We had some good discussions about the material she was learning. I was able show her a wide variety of actions, how to load(dummy rounds) and unload them and how to clean them and store them after using them. I think she missed out on the anecdotal stories, kids questions, and my favorite, the CO coming in and speaking. The instructor that we set up field day with insisted she come to class the last night of the course and take the written exam along with the people in the class. I liked this idea because it made my daughter study the online material so she would be ready for the written test. I want to thank all of you for you input and thank those of you that volunteer your time to instruct. The online course worked for us this time around but, schedule permitting, I will be sitting in the classroom with both my other kids when the time comes.

Tunrevir~

[Kim1212]

I know the decision is done, but I wanted to add my 2 cents. When I took gun training in 1988, we brought our guns to school and kept them in our lockers. How times have changed! We moved here a couple of years ago, and my oldest son to that point had grown up in the city, little to no gun experience but he really wanted to go hunting. The class was invaluable to him, to be able to hear experiences and stories, and ask questions. Online classes, IMO, are better as a supplement, or maybe for someone who like my husband was licensed in another state 20 years ago but needed a refresher. Not to mention at the age many kids start taking safety classes, they are starting to get to the "my parents don't know jack" stage, and hearing the rules, and ethics from others is important, I think. At least for my son it was, because clearly mom doesn't know ANYTHING about guns or hunting

[leech~~]

Well said Kim. Welcome to HSO where you can share all the "jack" you do know with us! We all kind of listen too!

[tunrevir]

Great post Kim! Thanks for the insight.

Tunrevir~