Learning Gun Safety the Hard Way

There was a time we all had to learn about gun safety. Some of us through educational classes with booklets and videos, some through our parents or role models who could see our desire to shoot. I am a huge fan of both methods. Education from someone you respect and look up to will stay with a person for a lifetime, and often be handed down to future generations, while a certified instructor can remind us experienced hunters of topics we'd long forgot, that weren't simply instinct.

My first solid memory on safety came with a lever action Daisy BB gun. It was purchased as a gift, and I had become quite the can slayer. I don't exactly remember what brought on the desire for my dad. Whether I had gotten bored with inanimate objects, or if he just felt it was time to teach me a valuable lesson. What I remember is that man grabbing the Daisy and saying we were going for a walk. As we strolled through the woods, he gave me the opportunity to shoot at several of nature's targets, and each leaf punctured left me feeling like a young Annie Oakley. I was a self-proclaimed crack shot. When we got to the small pond just over dad's fence there was a bullfrog soaking up some sunshine on the bank. I wanted to shoot it, and dad asked several times if I was sure. I had never been surer of anything, so I aimed, fired, and killed that frog. For a few short seconds I was proud, like puffed up chest, big head, and ego on overdrive proud. Then came words I'll hear forever. "Are you going to eat that frog?" "Was it doing anything to hurt you?" "It was probably a momma frog just watching over her babies." In those few quick statements my pride turned to an emphatic understanding of what I had just done. I had just killed a living, breathing creature with no intention other that self-satisfaction, and I had a father who was going to ensure I realized the effect of my decision. He also sat with me and held me while I cried my way through that experience.

That day affected the rest of my life, giving me a unique foundation to build my relationship with firearms from. I look forward to August 15th in Southern Indiana every year, because it kicks off my favorite hunting season. Squirrels will always be my choice, because they can be a bit of a challenge, I love watching them jump through the treetops, it's not too awful cold, and they are amazing with dumplings. I'll also go out early in the season with a cup of coffee and just watch them play. If I hunt before it's frosted, it seems they aren't always fit for a meal, and I can't fathom the thought of ending their adventure without a reason. There is a countless number of acorn fanatics who should remain thankful for that one sacrificial frog.