How young to throw a tomahawk?

The comment wasn't towards you, if that is what you thought.

We hold a living history rendezvous every year. The public comes out and participates in shooting, fire-starting, throwing, etc. Kids have to have a parent sign to allow the use of weapons.

No incidents so far but I gotta tell ya, the hawk throwing scares me more than the shooting. We are right there on the rifle range to make sure the muzzles stay pointed downrange. But if a kid, or parent decides to scalp himself while throwing the hawk at a target, there's not much you can do about it.

GW

No, did not, flyfisher. You made some valid points. Just throwing out (pun intended) my thoughts on this, too.

We have a Public Day this weekend. We allow hawk throwing--mouse hawks I believe. But--and this is the important part--WE MAKE THEM WEAR BATTING HELMETS!!

Yes, we have an Umbrella Policy, GREAT supervision, etc. The Batting Helmets do the trick!

TexiKan said:

No, did not, flyfisher. You made some valid points. Just throwing out (pun intended) my thoughts on this, too.

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Gotcha, we do have a 4th of July event for the kids and hawk throwing is one of them.

Just an update: NOBODY got scalped & the batting helmets did well! Over 1K throws at the fundraiser!

Crickets...........

It sounds like the batting helmets was a solution that made your event easier to do. Because you use them, I assume you have had a reason or are you doing it as a cautionary measure? And because you use those helmets, has that changed the age or size level you allow to throw?

TexiKan said:

It sounds like the batting helmets was a solution that made your event easier to do. Because you use them, I assume you have had a reason or are you doing it as a cautionary measure? And because you use those helmets, has that changed the age or size level you allow to throw?

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We've used the batting helmets for YEARS! It solves all sorts of problems and PREVENTS the big problem! We instituted there use PRIOR to ever allowing the public to throw hawks. As to age, I believe I saw some 6 or 7 year olds using mouse hawks. Great, great Grannies like to throw too. If they hit a playing card we give them some candy we bought in bulk. Some will spend $5 trying to get .25 worth of candy........

I was really busy letting folks fire a blank 50 gr. charge on my 10 ga. scattergun--did this HUNDREDS of times at a buck a BANG! Sometimes the line is 20 people deep! So I didn't actually do the Hawk Throw, although I was within sight of it!

Dave

You have to be careful about those helmets - someone will try to sue you, saying their kid got head lice from wearing the helmet! :stir:

Seriously, I'm glad your program went well. Our society seems to have traded suits of armor for lawsuits of armor, for cradle to grave protection from Life.

Smokin, it sounds like you, too, have discovered people become more interested if they get to participate. I could watch someone throw a hawk and fire a muzzleloader but when *I* get the opportunity to do it, that made the difference.

Helmet lice??!! Needs a "sanitized for your protection" regime!

My step son started at 10,by the end of his first day he was holding his own at handles with adults. After reading some of the real concerns on this post I dont think our country can survive

Knock on wood, we haven't been the victim of THAT yet! (Lice). We spray them every-so-often, and our general liability policy covers such things--although you really don't want to ever HAVE TO use it!

Program went very well. About 8700 in attendance for the weekend at the Wildlife Mgt. Area. Not everyone walked through our Encampment, but the 5 Pound Cannon Firings every two hours sure brought them out in droves! My Shotgun Shooting Station was right next to the Cannon, so immediately after the Cannon was made safe, the line to shoot a black powder shotgun blank was 20 or so people deep!

It's a lot of work and a lot of fun too!

Hands-on participation is what we're all about! Have to "infect" the little ones so they carry the Torch when we can't any longer....and from looking at the ear-to-ear smiles, I'd say we did just that, lol!

As long as being SAFE comes first (stuff like helmets for hawk throwing and wearing muffs & safety glasses for blank firings), from my view, I don't think we'll ever be in danger of having this taken away!

Point of fact is that the NJDEP runs the event, and they have an Exit Survey. Our Group tops the survey EVERY year, so the State DEP keeps asking us to come back year after year!

Back to Hawk Throwing: IMHO it isn't all about the age of the kid, it's about the ability to listen to instructions. Mouse Hawks are great for the little ones, and some kids are "big for their age". It's a judgement call, and the Parents are usually the ones making the decision. If the Parents feel the kid is too young to throw a hawk, they can still shoot the shotgun (I hold it for them, all they do is pull the trigger) or use a tiny Longbow with one of our members holding it while on their knees.

Participation is where it's AT!

GOD Bless America!

Dave

I will add a couple of mouse hawks and see how that goes. We will have over 700 school kids this next weekend but I choose only one from each class.(And it is usually one of the first kids who is paying attention and answers my general questions) The word spreads quickly, too! Nearly all stick the hawk and we take a photo of them with the stick. They are beaming from ear to ear and the kids are pretty happy.

Making the kids happy and getting them interested is the KEY! When we're gone, we need someone to carry-on the traditions. So education is a very valuable resource! Glad you have a nice time doing it too!

Dave

Size, Strength, and Maturity Between the EARS so that the Young Want to be Hawk Thrower, understands this is not a TOY, Can Cause Harm, and Can Hurt Self or Someone Slse SERIOUSLY if the Hawk is not respected.

JMHO

Now to make my point, a local Cops when I was growing up, and just learning to ride motorcycles, stopped me and gave me a BAD DRIVING AWARD on his motorcycle.

Howard S. was the father of a classmate, who also told me I had ZERO RESPECT for my motorcycle, and if I continued to ride the big with out fear, I could expect to be seriously injured, or die on the motorcycle.

HE STRESSED He was afraid & respected his Police Harley V Twin Cop Bike, and if the day came he had no fear, or respect he would return to patrol in a car.

Many years later I was qualifying for my department on his departments range, and who show up Howard. We talk, and I ask if he is still on the Harley, he said no made Detective, and I told him his story back. How he warned me, and I was still alive.

He said he did dump the Harley a couple of times, took the promotion test, got a Big Pay Raise, and Promotion. but never ever loss fear, or respect for the Cop Harley, and would have continued riding it had he not made Detective.

Yeah, I have given lots of caveats in my presentations. Begin with them and always end with them...but will stress a bit more. I am sure the kids see the fun side of it, just like we see the same for shooting black powder guns. The potential for having issues will always be there and it behoove us to use the hawks and guns with safety and respect.

Weekend activity follow up from our Rendezvous that was primarily and education demonstration for school kids. We had over 800 kids in two days and no one was hurt. As previously stated, I am careful and select only one from each class to throw the tomahawk. Had two stick it on their first throw and two on their second. Only two failed to stick within four or five throws.

Earlier I mentioned a kid came to last year's event, did not get to throw but purchased a hawk and came back to me on Saturday morning, almost in tears because he was not able to stick the hawk at home. He asked for help. I cut off a little bit of his handle and helped him with the mechanics of throwing. He soon stuck it and was happy. Fast forward to this year. He came back on Friday and said, "Do you remember me?" I did not recognize his face but he reminded me I was the one he helped. He continues to enjoy throwing the hawk, keeps it sharp and just wanted to thank me for helping him. Yeah, it makes one feel good to have that kind of impact.