How would you have reacted?

[RidgeRunner]

You handled it right in my opinion. In the eyes of the law, If you lay a hand on the 17 yr old you are in the wrong. You really should have called the police. They would have started a turdstorm that the ungrateful youth and his mother would not soon forget.

Protect your family, whatever it takes.

The mother of the 17 yr old has no idea how serious this is, or could have been. She should have been begging you not to call the police, made her son apologize after admitting what he did and taken away his rifle on the spot. What is wrong with these people?

[reelapeelin]

Originally Posted by RidgeRunner

What is wrong with these people?

Ignernt!...

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Well, put it this way, you acted more classy that i would ever act. Just make sure don't leave any bruises.

[Chalupa V]

@ nipper: Oh yeah. Mythbusters did an episode of just that. If the angle is just right, it's no different than skipping a rock. Also, a gators hide is very tough, and as far away as they were with a .22 it's very feasible that it hit the gator and bounced back in any given direction.

@ ridge: That ideaology just doesn't exist anymore, at least since the late 50's it seems. I'm only 28, but I was raised with a lot more common sense than that. I've been trusted with a gun alone since I was about 7, but I had to earn that trust and keep it. I have kids, and they would learn the true meaning of a$$whoopin from me if they EVER pull a stupid stunt like that! That is, after they appologize to the victim, fix any damage, and relinquish any and all priviledges to firearms!


Sorry to hear that ferm and good luck to ya with that situation!

[THEFERMANATOR]

The kid did apoligize to my mom at least, but I'm still pretty pissed about the whole deal myself. Things have been alot quieter over there after the neighbor came up and talked to me.

[randlemanboater]

Sounds like you handled it the right way Ferm......its just like in sports, the ref never sees the first foul and the guy retaliating gets in trouble, had you beat the kid up, you risked getting jammed up.

If I were you, I would make a few notes on the incident in case something else comes up, even get a picture of the damage if there is any.

That way if need be, you can report the kid to Wildlife and let them deal with him.

[Jack]

Well Ferm, i just happen to be 17. If that would have been me i would have expected to get a major whoopin. I have been shooting guns since i was 4 years old and i know not to shoot at the water like that. I feel if he was dumb enough to pick up the gun and do something so ignorant he should have gotten what he had coming to him.

[Hammerhead]

You did right by your family and the boy too. He HAD to learn something.

Biggest azzwhuppin' my Pop ever gave me was when I was 8 ( 1960 ), I stayed home sick from school. When everyone left I took my winchester .22 pump Pop jus gave me out back and shot at ducks in the lake behind our house. After about 15 minutes Pop showed up ( neighbor called'm at work ) and gave me a well deserved session with the belt.

He took the .22 and nailed it to the wall over the fireplace for 2 years before it was mine again.

I dunno why firearms safety isn't taught as SOP in school. It should.

[phatdaddy]

HH, reminds me of a story a friend of mine tells. he got one of his dads guns when all were gone and was "pretend" hunting Zebra while Wild Kingdom was on TV. you guessed it, it was loaded and the family came home to a freshly killed RCA...