Outdoor news

[sbuff]

There's an article in the latest NY outdoor news about Dann Ladd getting a rifle for graduation, I wonder how many of us did back then . My dad bought me my Ruger mini 30 for my 1994 highschool graduation. To me it's the perfect big woods gun ,tried and true caliber and still dropping deer 

Do parents of today do it , I have a couple years before my oldest daughter graduates but I'm positive she won't want a hunting gun .

[nywaw]

Most kids want (some "expect") a car around that same time period.  Hoping mine want a gun instead

The first gun I got was a Daisy air rifle probably around 10 or 11 years old.  I practiced with it religiously because I knew I wanted to be ready to hunt when I was old enough!  I started hunting around 12 or 13 years old and my dad bought me a 12 gauge Remington 870 for shotgun hunting deer here in NJ and then later a .50 caliber T/C High Plains Sporter muzzleloader when I was old enough (14 was the requirement) to hunt with one.  I didn't need another gun after that for NJ hunting.  I can't even recall what I got at high school graduation, maybe nothing even (a party?).  I probably felt like I had or bought myself whatever I needed by that point as I was working since 16 years old and bought myself whatever I could afford for fishing and hunting (which wasn't much, but enough for me to do all I wanted to).

[escpen]

As a right of passage (and hopefully a tradition that will continue), I buy my kids their first firearm for their 13th birthday.  This gives them a year or so to start hunting, see what parts they like or don't like (e.g. turkey hunting -vs- squirrel / rabbit -vs- deer) so I can tailor my purchase toward their interests and give them a good "foundation" of equipment to get them started.  While this isn't a graduation gift (I haven't made it that far yet ... but I'm taking notes ), I think it has a similar purpose and affect.

That's a long way of saying that I don't think this type of tradition is dead.

[mowin]

My great nephew got a Remington semi auto 30-06 from a different uncle last week for his graduation. Same uncle gave him a Remington pump '06 for his 18th bday last yr. 

[phade]

My kids have zero desire to hunt, so I’m at a dead end in terms of carrying on the tradition. I only have one cousin who deer hunts and he is more of the traditional gun hunter and brown it’s down (nothing wrong with it). He doesn’t year round work the hobby.

I would likely have a gun in my kids hand much earlier and they’d be equipped with what they need prior to graduation. Graduation is likely more about getting them set up for adult life - college stuff, car, trade related, etc. 

[Buckmaster7600]

I got a custom model 7 “back when Remington was Remington and ran a great custom shop.” I had other deer rifles at the time but my dad knew it was my dream rifle and it was a huge surprise.

 

My daughter is 15 and has more guns than she’ll probably need in her lifetime. She’s not a big hunter but goes with me a few times a year. 
 

I bought both of my cousins daughters 22’s for their 5th birthdays and it warms my heart when I hear them plinking away. 

[sbuff]

On 6/29/2023 at 11:29 AM, Buckmaster7600 said:

I got a custom model 7 “back when Remington was Remington and ran a great custom shop.” I had other deer rifles at the time but my dad knew it was my dream rifle and it was a huge surprise.

 

My daughter is 15 and has more guns than she’ll probably need in her lifetime. She’s not a big hunter but goes with me a few times a year. 
 

I bought both of my cousins daughters 22’s for their 5th birthdays and it warms my heart when I hear them plinking away. 

In our will my gun collection goes to both my daughters, you should have seen the look on the lawyer's face when I said I have xxxxx many