Found an arrow on my deck

[LongStick64]

Got home from work and did a little shooting, put my gear away and started helping out with homework. Heard a weird sound didn't pay much attention to it until the doorbell rang. Youngster from next door wanted to know if he could retrieve an arrow from my backyard.
To be honest I thought he was talking about one of those nerf arrows. Well I was a little shocked when I saw it was a full length carbon arrow.
Now I know what it's like to be a kid, heck we are all still shooting bows and arrows right, but I've got two young one's myself, but the difference is they don't touch a bow or arrow unless I am standing right next to them.
I saw that the boy's parents were not home and let me tell you, his Mom is a real tough nut. I'm curious as hell if he is going to fess up. She has those kids on a tight leash.
I don't plan on saying anything unless I'm asked. Or if I see him aiming my way again for sure. Problem I have is the kid was using a compound bow, dang it if his parents are not raising him right.
I know it would be the Tradgang way to offer to coach the boy, but if you knew his mother, you'd respect me in minding my own business. There isn't a mother on our street that will say two words to her.

[Duker]

Teaching is a great gift     Show him the proper way to shoot weather it be long bow,recurve,or compond bow  

[bowzonly]

Keep the mother out of it.  Dont scold him just review some safety rules.

[Shedrock]

At least the kid has interest in shooting a bow. If it was me, I would at least make darn sure his target/backstop is in a safe place so his stray arrows don't end up in your yard, the other neighbor's yard, or in someone's body.  

[lpcjon2]

Teach him the right way,cause with a mom like that he will rebel at some point(and go the wrong way,and take his anger out on animals with the bow). At least he will have the value of learning from a person who has empathy and compassion.JMHO

[macbow]

I don't know how well you know the young man but it took some courage to ring your door bell.
It certainly would be a good opportunity to address the safety rules of shooting. Maybe send a invitation the next time your shooting.
So many neighbor hoods don't allow any shooting even in your own yard. Many times the police would have been called in the same scenario .

[LongStick64]

The parents know I shoot and the boy shoots at a local range with an excellent kids program.
What I am afraid of is if I approach the Mom, she will probably take the bow away from the kid. In my opinion they are extremely overprotective of the child. They are they type of family that loves to report on other neighbours. Trust me if I tell you if the arrow went into the other neighbours yard, the police would of been called and a 13 year old boy would of been scarred.

[Bowwild]

When I was in the 5th-6th grade I did some doozy things with a bow that could have gotten me in lots of trouble. I had to discover on my own (Dad just didn't "get" bows), too much by trial and error what worked, was advisable and what didn't or wasn't.  

I'm glad a couple of neighbors didn't rat me out. One nice lady retrieved one of my arrows from her yard and reminded me that she had a small child. I was horrified with the thought that I could have  hurt someone. That was all it took to clean up my act.

I like the advice here to help the youngster out a bit with a sound backstop and shooting direction advice.

The life you save (or property) might be your own.

[Goshawkin]

Originally posted by LongStick64:
a full length carbon arrow.
 

Hey,see if you can cut it down and tune it to your bow,if it works out let him keep shooting them into your yard!  :D  

Just kidding,like someone said,at least he manned up and knocked on your door to ask. I'd show him some of the trad bows.If he seems like a good kid,you might get a shootin' buddy out of it. If his mom is that nutty,you might be doing him a favor as well.  

[gringol]

even if mom is a battle-axe, it would probably be a good move to give him a few pointers.  Not a dressing-down, just some friendly tips.  You might even invite him over to shoot with you.  I'd probably leave mom out of it for now, I used to referree youth soccer, and there aren't many things worse than an angry mother on a rampage...

[lpcjon2]

Tell the mom since you shoot and you know the boy does if it would be ok if he came and learned a few tips from you when you shoot. That way she will know he will be supervised and learn from a respectful archer.

[reddogge]

I'd keep it between you and the kid. He did the right thing and manned up. Maybe invite him to go to a 3-D shoot with you and you'll have a friend for life. Drop a dime on him and you'll be a no good rat.

[sore fingers]

If he told you he might tell his parents too. Either way I bet he has leaned a good lesson. Ive been in his shoes. When I was 16 I was in our backyard shooting my compound. I was messing with the release trying to get a hair trigger. Well at about 3/4 draw the thing went off its self. After I recovered from my hand smacking my face, I looked up to see my arrow sticking out of my neighbors house. That was a bad walk to his front door. Ive known them my whole life but when i told him what i had done i felt like crap. He thanked me for being man enough to come to the door and tell him, insted of just jumping the fence and getting it myself. I moved my target as soon as i got home and told my parents. They were not happy but knew i had learned a great lesson! Just as im sure this kid has.

[LongStick64]

Forget about me going around the Mom to help the kid, she would call the cops on me for thinking about it.
To be honest I know the kid messed up but being a parent of 2 young children that play out back has me really thinking about saying something.
I think of it like this. My kids know that they do not point a bow in any direction other than the target. This boy needs to be careful. I'll be honest with you if my wife answered the door, the kid would of heard about it.
I guess I'll see what plays out. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

When I was 6 or7 I was shooting birds off the telephone wires with my fiberglass recurve.  My parents had no idea! I never had enough nerve to knock on doors, I would sneak up on peoples roofs and get my arrows back.

If someone at that time would have asked me "what would happen if you hit my kids, or dog or car or whatever", I would have thought twice. Truth of the matter is, kids dont think things through. I was darn lucky I never hurt anyone or shot a car or anything.

Dont be too hard on him. Keep Mom out of it and become a mentor.

[Cochise]

Most life lessons arnt epic.

[Cochise]

most of lifes lessons arnt epic..
youve made a good choice..
Cochise

[Cochise]

oops

[RM81]

If you choose to do anything at all, you have to involve the parents.  Otherwise, when the mom finds out, the cops will be knocking on your door asking why you want to hang out with your neighbors' kid.

[LongbowArchitect]

Pretty minor mishap compared to the dumb thing I did when I was 10.  I wanted to see what a flaming arrow looked like at night from my bow so I tied on a cottom ball to my wood arrow field tip, doused it in lighter fluid and lit it off.  I shot it straight up (or so I thought) thinking that it would come back down somewhere in our back yard.  Oops- slight misjudgement in trajectory.  My flaming arrow flew up beautifully and then down sticking in our neighbor's roof (luckily ashphalt shingles).  It burned momentarily, then died out.  I was really scared at first, then relieved that it caused no damage.  I told my parents and altogether we went to our neighbors for me to fess up.  Our neighbors were awesome about it.  He retrieved my partially burned arrow the next day and returned it to me.  I learned my lesson.