Mooselette’s Training Begins

It was a big weekend for Mooselette, #1 Granddaughter.

First off, she got Grandpa’s “This is a gun” speech. All my kids got this speech somewhere between 3 and 5.

1) Let the kid handle an unloaded firearm. Let them see that it is about as interesting as a hammer.
2) Show the kid what ammunition looks like.
3) Introduce proper handling procedures.
4) Explain what to do if they ever encounter a firearm (leave the room and tell an adult)
5) Promise that from there on out, the kid can examine any firearm at any time, but they have to come through you.

I got this speech from my Dad at age 4 around 1962. He used his Winchester Model 12, and some trap loads. Once I realized firearms were fairly boring, I had no interest in them until I got old enough to shoot them myself. It was enough to know what they were. I took my Dad up on the promise to examine his shotgun maybe twice as I was growing up, before I was taken to the range and taught to shoot trap.

Mooselette’s training continued with the trip to the big tree. There is an old box elder about 150 yards from the house. At age 4, the child is given a compass, a whistle, and a walkie-talkie and sent on their first solo hike to the big tree and back. This is a major rite of passage. The need to keep a cool head, stay on task, and learn to work on their own. I won’t say Mooselette passed the test. She

still has some work to do, but she did get all the way out and all the way back. My guess is that girls and boys develop at different rates, and she just has some growing to do.

Grandpa and Mooselette then had their first hike with firearms. I brought an unloaded single-shot shotgun. Mooselette brought her unloaded BB gun. We had a 3/4 mile hike from the house back to the campground and Mooselette got to learn the proper way to carry. At this stage of the game, it is important to just teach concepts. As a for-instance, don’t point the barrel at anyone, any time. At 4, this is a daunting task. However, if you introduce it as a puzzle and a game, it is a lot easier for the little ones to figure out. At this point, she has just the cross-body carry down. However, she has it down flat. Most importantly, she is treating the firearm with proper respect and not dragging it or swinging it. She also stayed on task and carried it the whole distance with only two rests on the way. She is years away from carrying a loaded weapon afield, but by the time she gets there, it will be second nature to her.

In the evening Mooselette got a trip out to the deer blind with Grandpa for her first good view of deer in the wild. She whined and whinged for a bit. That was until the buck showed up. Oh Boy! Her tune soon changed. He eventually came up within 40 yards of the blind. It is funny, but all that cartoon animal, Bambi loving, crapola evaporated in a split second when that kid saw a buck presenting a broadside shot. The hunter spark flared up. She saw venison. She also got to hear a couple of flocks of turkeys flying up to roost on either side of Dead Skunk Hollow. Wow! that kid is a born turkey hunter.

On Saturday Morning, Mooselette and I went squirrel hunting for the first time. If we had actually seen squirrels it would have been better. However, like the trip to the big tree, she has some growing to do. I’m sure that if we had serious contact with the squirrels, it would have been different.

This is the time of year when we get our treestands in order for firearm hunting. That entails placing camo skirts on all the shooting rails. Mooselette came along and got to climb up into a buddy stand with Big Daddy Moose. She is probably not ready for a full 15-foot climb, but the stand out at Blackberry has two sections removed. It was the perfect venue for a first climb. It also meant we could cover safety harnesses at a later date. The important concepts of keeping 3 points of contact and obeying instructions are all that matters at this point. She did a very good job.

Before going home, Mooselette got her first try shooting the BB Gun. She caught on right away and started hitting the target. She loved shooting with Daddy. Moose is a good father and a gentle teacher.

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