A couple of the discussions on Mojo decoys and safety got me to thinking about a few things....
My two boys are 9 & 6. Just as my dad did with my older brother and I, I try to have them in the woods as much as possible. My oldest has really increased his interest in hunting over the last couple of years with my youngest slowly coming around.
I understand the safety concerns with hunting, as well as any % of injuries compared to other activities. But, it is a reality that a gun related injury during hunting can be serious and fatal. Other than a few instances, I usually do not feel concerned for my personal safety while hunting. I generally don't even think about it. The main reason being, I typically try to avoid other hunters, at least to my knowledge. I leave if a situation presents itself otherwise.
However, I must admit each and every time I enter the woods with one or both of my boys, I am somewhat uneasy and concerned for their personal safety. I can control the situations we are in, but I have zero control over the actions of others. And that scares the crap out of me at times. Is that normal as a parent? Will that subside as they get older? I think at times it affects how I hunt and where we hunt. I have a few places I won't take them for that very reason.
The above doesn't deter me from taking them, nor will it ever, but I sometimes wonder how those concerns affect other parents or grandparents. I wonder if my dad felt the same? I had never thought about it until I had kids of my own. I cross paths with one or two "hunters to avoid" almost every year, so I know we all share the woods with folks that have no business with a weapon in their hand. But, the same can be said for driving down the road each and every day.
I feel for you folks that have dealt personally with hunting related deaths. I know of a few instances of people I knew, but no one closely related too or friends with.
