While gorging myself at the sushi bar tonight, I got to talking with Ben, the itamae, about deer hunting (Michigan’s firearm deer season opens on November 15). Turns out Ben, having grown up in Japan, has never touched, let alone fired, a real gun. Nor has he ever gone hunting. He’d really like to, though.

Well. We can do something about that.

Tonight I pulled together a big pile of reading material for him. Last year’s Shooter’s Bible, NRA’s book on personal protection in the home, pamphlets on basic gun safety and range etiquette, and Craig Boddington’s Hunter’s Handbook will all be given to him tomorrow. I also gave him directions to my favorite local range (friendly, helpful staff there; they’ll treat him well) and told him I’d be happy to let him try out any of my personal artillery.

It’s been too long since I helped out a new shooter. I’m glad to have the chance to do it again.