Got home from work and did a little shooting, put my gear away and started helping out with homework. Heard a weird sound didn't pay much attention to it until the doorbell rang. Youngster from next door wanted to know if he could retrieve an arrow from my backyard.
To be honest I thought he was talking about one of those nerf arrows. Well I was a little shocked when I saw it was a full length carbon arrow.
Now I know what it's like to be a kid, heck we are all still shooting bows and arrows right, but I've got two young one's myself, but the difference is they don't touch a bow or arrow unless I am standing right next to them.
I saw that the boy's parents were not home and let me tell you, his Mom is a real tough nut. I'm curious as hell if he is going to fess up. She has those kids on a tight leash.
I don't plan on saying anything unless I'm asked. Or if I see him aiming my way again for sure. Problem I have is the kid was using a compound bow, dang it if his parents are not raising him right.
I know it would be the Tradgang way to offer to coach the boy, but if you knew his mother, you'd respect me in minding my own business. There isn't a mother on our street that will say two words to her.
Teaching is a great gift :thumbsup: Show him the proper way to shoot weather it be long bow,recurve,or compond bow :archer2:
Keep the mother out of it. Dont scold him just review some safety rules.
At least the kid has interest in shooting a bow. If it was me, I would at least make darn sure his target/backstop is in a safe place so his stray arrows don't end up in your yard, the other neighbor's yard, or in someone's body. :scared:
Teach him the right way,cause with a mom like that he will rebel at some point(and go the wrong way,and take his anger out on animals with the bow). At least he will have the value of learning from a person who has empathy and compassion.JMHO
I don't know how well you know the young man but it took some courage to ring your door bell.
It certainly would be a good opportunity to address the safety rules of shooting. Maybe send a invitation the next time your shooting.
So many neighbor hoods don't allow any shooting even in your own yard. Many times the police would have been called in the same scenario .
The parents know I shoot and the boy shoots at a local range with an excellent kids program.
What I am afraid of is if I approach the Mom, she will probably take the bow away from the kid. In my opinion they are extremely overprotective of the child. They are they type of family that loves to report on other neighbours. Trust me if I tell you if the arrow went into the other neighbours yard, the police would of been called and a 13 year old boy would of been scarred.
When I was in the 5th-6th grade I did some doozy things with a bow that could have gotten me in lots of trouble. I had to discover on my own (Dad just didn't "get" bows), too much by trial and error what worked, was advisable and what didn't or wasn't.
I'm glad a couple of neighbors didn't rat me out. One nice lady retrieved one of my arrows from her yard and reminded me that she had a small child. I was horrified with the thought that I could have hurt someone. That was all it took to clean up my act.
I like the advice here to help the youngster out a bit with a sound backstop and shooting direction advice.
The life you save (or property) might be your own.
QuoteOriginally posted by LongStick64:
a full length carbon arrow.
Hey,see if you can cut it down and tune it to your bow,if it works out let him keep shooting them into your yard! :D
Just kidding,like someone said,at least he manned up and knocked on your door to ask. I'd show him some of the trad bows.If he seems like a good kid,you might get a shootin' buddy out of it. If his mom is that nutty,you might be doing him a favor as well. :thumbsup:
even if mom is a battle-axe, it would probably be a good move to give him a few pointers. Not a dressing-down, just some friendly tips. You might even invite him over to shoot with you. I'd probably leave mom out of it for now, I used to referree youth soccer, and there aren't many things worse than an angry mother on a rampage...
Tell the mom since you shoot and you know the boy does if it would be ok if he came and learned a few tips from you when you shoot. That way she will know he will be supervised and learn from a respectful archer.
I'd keep it between you and the kid. He did the right thing and manned up. Maybe invite him to go to a 3-D shoot with you and you'll have a friend for life. Drop a dime on him and you'll be a no good rat.
If he told you he might tell his parents too. Either way I bet he has leaned a good lesson. Ive been in his shoes. When I was 16 I was in our backyard shooting my compound. I was messing with the release trying to get a hair trigger. Well at about 3/4 draw the thing went off its self. After I recovered from my hand smacking my face, I looked up to see my arrow sticking out of my neighbors house. That was a bad walk to his front door. Ive known them my whole life but when i told him what i had done i felt like crap. He thanked me for being man enough to come to the door and tell him, insted of just jumping the fence and getting it myself. I moved my target as soon as i got home and told my parents. They were not happy but knew i had learned a great lesson! Just as im sure this kid has.
Forget about me going around the Mom to help the kid, she would call the cops on me for thinking about it.
To be honest I know the kid messed up but being a parent of 2 young children that play out back has me really thinking about saying something.
I think of it like this. My kids know that they do not point a bow in any direction other than the target. This boy needs to be careful. I'll be honest with you if my wife answered the door, the kid would of heard about it.
I guess I'll see what plays out. Thanks for all the suggestions.
When I was 6 or7 I was shooting birds off the telephone wires with my fiberglass recurve. My parents had no idea! I never had enough nerve to knock on doors, I would sneak up on peoples roofs and get my arrows back.
If someone at that time would have asked me "what would happen if you hit my kids, or dog or car or whatever", I would have thought twice. Truth of the matter is, kids dont think things through. I was darn lucky I never hurt anyone or shot a car or anything.
Dont be too hard on him. Keep Mom out of it and become a mentor.
Most life lessons arnt epic.
most of lifes lessons arnt epic..
youve made a good choice..
Cochise
oops
If you choose to do anything at all, you have to involve the parents. Otherwise, when the mom finds out, the cops will be knocking on your door asking why you want to hang out with your neighbors' kid.
Pretty minor mishap compared to the dumb thing I did when I was 10. I wanted to see what a flaming arrow looked like at night from my bow so I tied on a cottom ball to my wood arrow field tip, doused it in lighter fluid and lit it off. I shot it straight up (or so I thought) thinking that it would come back down somewhere in our back yard. Oops- slight misjudgement in trajectory. My flaming arrow flew up beautifully and then down sticking in our neighbor's roof (luckily ashphalt shingles). It burned momentarily, then died out. I was really scared at first, then relieved that it caused no damage. I told my parents and altogether we went to our neighbors for me to fess up. Our neighbors were awesome about it. He retrieved my partially burned arrow the next day and returned it to me. I learned my lesson.
Flaming arrow......now thats funny :biglaugh:
Patience is a virtue. Carbon arrows on your balcony is a real test! Handle w/care.., but handle it! You'll do fine.
Do not wait for an accident to happen, it's too late then. Just think how you would feel for not doing/saying anything. That bow is not a toy.
Say something, in a diplomatic way to the mother.
Have it down that you have made the mother aware.
The next time, should something happen again, she will say you should have let her know.
You or your kidsmay not have another chance.
I agree, dont rat the Kid out to his Momma! Sounds like he gets enough Guff as it is. Take him aside and explain to him WHY you arent going to tell, then explain to him as best you can that You are willing to Work with him, with his Parents Permission of course, be a Mentor to the poor boy since it doesnt sound like his Dad is stepping up to it.
You may have just saved Your Kids AND him too!! They ALL Gotta Learn, I agree, at least it wasnt in your Roof, or Worse for sure. If he is a Good Kid and will take Your Explaination about Your Concerns about You, Your Wife, and Your Kids getting arrowed by His Mistake, he just may never do it again anyway.
That is a Tough One. Gotta get 'em FAST!! before he does something he will Regret for Life!!
In my opinion this is not an archery question to be discussed here; it is a moral obligation question that presents its self. You sir, by virtue of shooting a bow should know it is a Weapon, not to be played with or to shoot at others, but must be respected. By virture of your handling so far you have let your obligation to your family,other neighbors,kids parents, and the community go by the wayside.Have you ever thought of why his parents are so strict, maybe they know something you don't, how would you feel if someone does get shot. Do you know this could come back on you at some time down the line.I,ve never put myself in this situation but know others, who gave the poor kid a break,who were called out after something of a serious nature happened. I'm sorry to be so annoyed about this thread but believe that we all have to help take care of our communities and help to protect others even to the extent of being a bad guy. Do what you know needs to be done,your not a rat but someone concerned!! Worry about being a "mentor" later!
You found a projectile on the deck where your kids walk around. I think you have to do something. You don't want to be trying to do something after that arrow is sticking out of your child's arm.
Talking to the boy is where I would start. Basic safety stuff. We've all been dumb, the key here is him not staying dumb. Offer to teach him, too. If mom wants to be a jerk about it, that's her shortcoming, not yours.
Do the right thing. Don't worry about whether others will do the right thing.
is she hot? is she single? lol... but really, a mentor would be the greatest gift this kid could use.
I feel that the mom has to be informed. If something like this happened again and somebody got hurt, she could be held liable. You still should offer to help him learn proper archery technique and safety, but it needs to be Mama's call. Not bringing it to her attention leaves you somewhat negligent. I don't consider it to be ratting out the kid, but, rather, its a matter of safety over all else.
If my son shot an arrow into my neighbor's house, I would expect my neighbor to let me know. I would also expect my son to tell me that my neighbor would like to see me.
A new "secret" friend who was an adult male would creep me out!
The arrow on the desk already "ratted out" this kid.
I think you have to let this kid know somehow that arrows are deadly and you cant have deadly arrows landing on the neighbors deck. I'd try to let him know personally.
"Secret Friend"? Where did THAT Paranoid Idea come from? Egads. If You are referring to My Post, READ the Whole Post Please.
Kids make mistakes. We all know that, but as a parent I would want to know if my kids had done something like this. I wouldn't be able to handle the guilt of knowing I might have been able to prevent someone being hurt. The boys mother has a right to know because she is responsible for her child's actions and could be held accountable if another accident happened. That is just my opinion of how to handle it. Maybe after talking to her you could still offer to give her son some pointers if she is willing. Good luck with a tough situation.