Owning a gun is a serious responsibility. In my youth, I was a lawful gun owner. In fact, there were no laws that limited gun ownership for hunters, except for convicted felons. At the age 12, I attended a hunter safety course. On my 13th or 14th birthday, I received a .410 shotgun as a gift from my parents. It was a single shot, hinge action shotgun. After a discharge, you had to unhinge the gun, remove the previous shell, and load another. In essence, you had one shot. It had better be a good one. My father still uses the .410 for rodents around the farm.

Still today, if you want a hunting license in Wisconsin, a hunter safety course is required for anyone over the age of 12 born since 1973. There is no minimum age for getting a hunting license. The course, taught at a 6th grade reading level, concludes with a multiple-choice exam, practical exercises and a skills assessment.

Nearly 45 years after the in-person course at which I attended, I still remember the serious instructors, the respect they had for guns, and the film we watched at the beginning. The film included graphic images of people who had been shot while hunting, some by others, and some had shot themselves. I assure you that accidents can happen to the best-intentioned people. A hole in the wall of our kitchen for a while was evidence of errors made by otherwise careful people.

The state presumes that gun-owners and hunters are good-willed and well intentioned. As is stated above, I needed no license to possess my gun. If I wanted, I could travel with my unloaded gun in a vehicle. I only needed a license to hunt, both on our own property and on any land for which I had gotten permission to hunt.

Common sense and safety dictated that when I hunted with other people, I needed to be aware of their position. If an animal crossed between us, we had to refrain from shooting. We have all heard stories of hunters who shot a companion by failing to be aware of their position. In the singleminded focus on the prey, a careless hunter may shoot along the line of companion hunters and strike them. One might call this a “stray” bullet.

To be a responsible participant in an activity as serious, risky, and lethal as hunting with a gun, requires serious, mature, and trained participants. Hunter/gun safety courses are essential. I know from experience. Safe handling and respect for a gun can and must be taught. I am not sure why anyone would want a child or teenager to possess something as lethal as a gun without proper training and certification.

I am not sure why an adult would own and use a gun without training!

Peace, Fr. Andy