Boy's Death Proves Hunting & Kids Don't Mix

on October 18, 2011 at 12:59 PM

This past weekend, Connor Bartlett, 7, went on a hunting trip with some members of his family. After calling it a day, they were packing up their things when his father put a rifle in the back of the car. For some reason it discharged, and a bullet struck Connor. The second-grader died later that evening.

There are no words for how much grief this family must be experiencing. To one minute have the bright, bubbly boy out spending time with his father, and the next to have him dead because of a horrible, horrible accident. And while blame in a situation like this doesn't help anyone, learning from it can help prevent similar tragedies. The lesson: Young children and hunting just don't mix.

I don't care how much safety training there is or how many precautions are taken, letting children use a lethal weapon is just asking for trouble. Children are too impetuous, too unreliable, and just too young period. In the case of this particular accident, the bullet could have hit anyone, young or old, but hunting accidents happen more often than we'd like to think to people of all ages -- so why put a young child, who by their very nature is more at risk, in such a situation?

I don't have a problem with hunting in general. I eat meat, and I know where it comes from, even if I don't necessarily like to think about. So as long as it's being done for the right reasons -- to consume the meat and not just to collect trophies -- I'm fine with it ... unless it involves children.

I know plenty will disagree. I grew up in Nebraska where weekend hunting trips are what fathers and sons do; I even went hunting a few times with my dad. And there is a certain beauty to spending time outdoors together, forging for yourselves, and enjoying the sport. But not at 7, or 8, or 9. As children mature and enter the teenage years, then perhaps that's a good time to start, but kids still in elementary school are just too young to be around guns.

Do you think young children should be allowed to hunt? How young is too young?

Image via KREM

About the author Julie Ryan Evans

can be found writing from coffee houses wherever she may be. The quality of her days is largely influenced by the seat she nabs and whether a protein plate is available.

Filed Under: activities, boys, in the news

Comments (47)

Facebook comment from Stacey Busenbark Sanders

on Oct 18, 2011 at 1:09 PM

This accident had nothing to do with the child hunting-the child wasn't handling the gun nor was anyone hunting when it happened! The rifle was being put into the car by his father! This has everything to do with the fact you shouldn't be transporting loaded weapons-if it had struck an adult in the area this issue wouldn't have even come up....

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Doomy234

In general I dont think its a good idea for any child younger than 12 to go hunting. First of all for the obvious reasons, it is not okay to have young children around weapons such as rifles and knives. And secondly, it seems unlikely that you would be able to hunt anything. If you have children you understand the vast amount of questions a child can comprehend to ask in a day, and short attention spans mean they cant sit still for more than ten minutes, and hunting requires hours of sitting still and quiet. Neither of which a young child is capable of.

micheledo

Your conclusion, "I don't care how much safety training there is or how many precautions are taken, letting children use a lethal weapon is just asking for trouble. Children are too impetuous, too unreliable, and just too young period."

It doesn't even begin to fit the story. You say the FATHER was putting the gun in the vehicle and it discharged, killing the child. This has nothing to do with someone taking a child hunting. It isn't even really a hunting accident. The gun shouldn't have been loaded when putting it away in the vehicle. Once again we have someone not following proper safety measure and someone is killed. It has nothing to do with taking a child hunting - not really. This accident could have happened in a home, in the street, at a police station - anyone who isn't careful with their guns could cause this same accident.

Melissa042807

on Oct 18, 2011 at 1:15 PM

That father should have made sure all the weapons were unloaded before putting them in the car. His son is dead because he made a stupid mistake. I am very sorry for the family, but this was 100% preventable.

hoticedcoffee

on Oct 18, 2011 at 1:26 PM

You know, in my town a while back, a boy had his leg run over by a car, in a parking lot. He was out shopping with his mother, and while she was getting his younger brother out of the car seat, he decided to be helpful and go get a shopping cart for her - but he tripped, and as young children are known to do, sat there instead of getting right back up. Another patron couldn't see the child, and backed over his leg.

I guess, using your "logic", that means children should never go shopping with their parents, because you never know what might happen with a moving car.....

scooteroosMama

on Oct 18, 2011 at 1:55 PM

Completely agree with previous posters.

It has nothing to do with hunting. Sad as it may be, and the father will have to live with it for the rest of his life, but it was improper safety procedures that lead to this. Had the father made sure to check that the weapon was not loaded before putting it away, this would not have happened. The author says "Children are too impetuous, too unreliable, and just too young period"....why is this even a point? The child did nothing wrong, he didn't shoot himself or anyone else.

I don't think 7 is too young. Maybe some children won't sit still or be quiet long enough to hunt...some will. All children are different.

Facebook comment from Samantha Wortham

on Oct 18, 2011 at 2:01 PM

Ok, so by your logic: baseball and children don't mix, cars and children don't mix, cribs and children don't mix, pretty much life and children don't mix. Because guess what you can have an accident and DIE doing anything. Hear about that boy that got hit in the face with a baseball and died? What about the one who was playing football? Or all the kids that die in car accidents even when wearing seatbelts and their parents were obeying the rules of the road? Accidents happen.

TXMommy39

on Oct 18, 2011 at 2:14 PM

Are you freaking serious????? What a STUPID statement "Hunting & Kids Don't Mix" I agree with previous posters.......this has nothing to do with hunting. The boy was not handling the rifle...the father was! .......rifles don't just "go off" It is called being incredibley irresponsible on the Father's part. You never load a chambered/loaded weapon into a vehicle. You made such a stupid and uneducated statement. Maybe you should rethink your occupation!

Sparklecoon

on Oct 18, 2011 at 2:25 PM

When the gun discharged it could have killed anyone. The child didn't accidently shoot himself while hunting. He didn't shoot and kill someone else on accident. A gun was left loaded and discharged. It was a horrible accident. I think you need to rethink the point of your article.

Facebook comment from Chalon King

on Oct 18, 2011 at 3:02 PM

Funny...we start our kids at age 4 handling guns...no one has shot themselves yet. Let a kid see what a gun does to a pretty little bunny...then make um eat it. They will never mess around with guns.