• Tuesday-What'sUP November 15 - 02:54 pm

Today marks the beginning of firearm deer season here in the U.P. and across Michigan, so if you're seeing lots of folks dressed up in orange, that's why. John Sturos snapped a few shots of some young hunters on a recent outing, showing off their orange attire, along with their skills in the woods and marksmanship with a gun. It's always a good thing to get these youngsters out there and started off with proper training, from what to wear, to hunter safety when shooting a firearm.

Good luck to all the hunters (and the deer, too!). Make sure you know your target and what is beyond, before you pull the trigger.

A lot of vehicle deer hunting going on here lately!

Good Morning. I wish all of the hunters a good, but above all Safe gun hunting season 2011! Every year we hear about accidental shooting of hunters, heart attacks, and the like. I really hope none of that happens this year. Be safe, you all!

Janie, is vehicle hunting even legal? I didn't think that was legal anywhere? Are those clowns hunting at night, too, using their headlights?

PS Those kids are cute, but they look too young to be hunting, at least to me. Their guns are as big as they are.

Marianne, vehicle deer hunting as in deer running out onto roads getting hit by vehicles.

However, I have known many farmers taking guns and ammo with them in their combines while harvesting during armed deer season and bagging a buck or two in their fields.

They are likely not hunting, Marianne, but enjoying the great outdoors with their parents during hunting season. There is, that I know of, no law in Michigan or any other state that says you can't take your son or daughter with you on a hunt, they just can't "hunt". I remember going out with my Father at a very early age in autumn scouting out areas to hunt and then accompanying him during season. I believe that is an experience every young person should experience in their lives instead of endless video games, internet, and reality tv!!

Unfortunitely here in texas, everything is private ranches and such where one has to purchase a "deer lease" which can cost big time $$$ which is why I don't hunt here and go other places such as Montana, Wyoming, or New Mexico.

But I do have to agree with Marianne; the weapon in the third photo looks enormous for that little guy!! a 45/70 perhaps???

I hope UC bagged his opening-day, Uncle Chuck-Buck.

If that is a 45/70, that boy is about to get a painful lesson concerning Newton's Third Law, courtesy the School of Hard Knocks. Plus I wonder where that bullet will end up after it skips off the surface of the water?

Gosh, those kids are soooo cute! The last one looks to be 'duck-hunting'. My daddy took me squirrel hunting once when I was a wee tot (about 6)....my 'weapon' was an antique toy rifle he had as a kid. I shot a leaf off a tree once with his bolt-action 22 when I was about 12.;)

Thank you for clarifying that, Janie! I have heard of the other, the one that I referred to, and that is normally big time illegal, poaching. We have the kind you are referring to just about year around, here in mid-Michigan. Sadly, it is normally fatal for motorcyclists, and the like, even if it's just a wild turkey. Police and troopers have started telling the public to just slow down and hit the animal, because most of the severe injuries and fatalities (other than motorcyclists) are from people who swerve to try to miss the animal(s), then they lose control of their car, and end up upside down in a ditch, or something.

Everyone, please drive carefully, especially now that it is gun season and the deer are easily spooked, so they will run anywhere, road, or not. I think Michigan has the second highest vehicle-deer accident rate in the country, per insurance records, at least the last I heard.

As for the young lad aiming his 'rifle', the butt stock indicates a BB gun at the most and perhaps a popgun at the least.

Cool deer rescue story from Down State:
http://bit.ly/sTtcFx A police officer
rescues a dazed deer.

I believe you're right, Heikki, it looks just like mine, which I use in the spring to 'scare' off grackles! They're noisy, messy, and make nests in our pine trees too close to the house.

ohhh I love the photos today!!!It is so heartwarming to see children obviously being treasured- as it should be.

If that's a popgun or BB gun, those are some awful fancy looking sights on the barrel. I'm still going to stick with my original thought of a large rifle.

Maybe John will come on to clear up the mystery....

I have no clue as to what kind of gun the young man is holding, but I can tell you this and I should have put it as a disclaimer, right off the bat. These photos were all taken during an outing of the kids and their Dad's, so there was plenty of supervision and direction on gun safety, with target practice and skeet shooting, too.
With that being said, it could very well be a BB/Pellet Gun, as I know my hubby has one that looks like much more than a BB/Pellet Gun, with a scope and all. Looking at the large file of the photo, there's some type of writing on the butt stock of that gun in the photo, like an autograph or signature of some type.

Like the Capt. said, we'll have to wait to hear the scoop from John if he logs in. :-)

Take a look at the narrow wooden stock and the stamped metal band over the forearm-----that gun is definitely a Daisy "Red Rider" BB Gun!

Hubby says the barrel is a bit large for a BB gun, he's saying a 20 gauge, or maybe a 12 gauge. And the guesses keep adding.......

My BB gun has a larger barrel than my air-rifle, but they both have 'fancy looking' sights. Anybody know John's phone number? ;)

After viewing high rez photo with some enhancement, 'Red Ryder' is inscribed in the butt stock. Definitely a BB gun.

Compare with this:

http://www.daisy.com/shopping/customer/product.php?productid=16141

I think you are on to it...I got some high power cheater readers and you can see something inscribed on the butt stock. You'll shoot your eye out! I never learned on a BB gun, always wanted one, but I was taught how to use a gun with a 22. Hubby has a M-16 with a scope, tried that a few times, almost sat me down on my butt.

It sure does look like a Red Ryder BB gun. Be careful, "You'll shoot your eye out". :)


Here's a great link on the young hunting;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/michigan-deer-hunting-season-2011_n_1095200.html

Ok, I'll take everyone's word for it!! J

I never owned a Red Ryder or any other BB gun for that matter. I was trained by my Father on a Stevens Crackshot in .22 short, and never looked back from there.....

Janie T., I shot a double-barrel 38 derringer one time and had about the same experience.....plus my ears rang for the rest of the day.:D

It is a Red Ryder BB gun. We all enjoyed a great day out in the U.P. woods with our boys.

Nice pictures, John. And Mary, you're the best.

Thank you JohnS for taking your boys out in the woods and helping to keep OUR heritage alive and well! Hunting is a UP tradition and should be protected and our youngsters should be taught proper firearm safety and use. I am so tired of the treehuggers on this site who seem to think that the UP is one big nature preserve. If it wasn't for hunters and fisherman, many of the programs that their license dollars support would be lost, not to mention the many businesses that benefit from them. Now hunters, go out and get that BIG BUCK!!

Mystery solved!!
Thanks John.