Broken Calvical bone

[400bull]

By 12 year old boy just broke his collar bone (shooting arm side) over the weekend while out playing. The docs say that he is going to be out of commission for at least the next 4-6 weeks. I was planning on taking him on his first muzzle loader deer hunt and rifle elk the last week in September/first week(s) in October this year. Now I am not so sure I should purchase the tags just yet. What are your thoughts? Do you thing that he will be recovered enough to go hunting by the end of September?

400bull

 

[TOPGUN]

Better listen to what you just told us the Doctor said and wait until 2012 to take him. That injury can easily be exacerbated by shooting even if things look good after 6 weeks.

 

[justr_86]

Out of all the bones I have broke my collar bone was the worst! Couldn't move without it hurting... I broke my left side, I shoot right handed and couldn't even hold up a 22 8 weeks later.... It makes me cringe to think about shooting a bigger rifle....

 

[Zigga]

I broke each collarbone twice growing up. Rub some dirt on it.

Not knowing the severity of the break or how good of a healer he is it's impossible to know. Hold off on buying tags if you can.

 

[TINEBROTHER]

I wouuld say to see how he feels... you could make something to spread the surface area. also... he might be twelve but you can still get behind him and take the impact and let him do the shooting... I wouldn't turn the tag in if that is what your implying

 

[400bull]

He currently has a general season deer tag that will allow him to hunt muzzle loader deer in September and Rifle deer in October. I was thinking about purchasing him a rifle elk tag but will more then likely hold off on that as he has a cow elk tag for Nov. Odds are he will also draw a couple sage grouse permits for Sept but we will not know for sure for a couple weeks from know. What was looking like a fun year in the field with my boy is now looking pretty bleak.

The thing that really sucks about this is he has been saving since the first of the year to purchase his first rifle. We went down Friday to pick up his rifle and was planning on getting out this next weekend to shot it. Now all he can do is look at his new investment and dream about shooting it.

400bull

 

[Gator]

Get a shoulder pad/shotgun pad(we call it a sissy pad) that we use for shooting alot of trap they work wonders on taking the recoil.I use one when I shoot my 30-378 alot. All major sporting good places will have them.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

 

[ishootaRUM300]

I think it would be better to wait and have been able to go then to have issues later because you didn't wait long enough

 

[88man]

I broke mine very bad when I was 15. The bones where an inch apart. I think he will be fine. Just don't have him shoot to a few days before the hunt and be aware of the gun position. I went bird hunting with a 20 ga 3 or 4 weeks after I broke mine. Very easy bone to break.

 

[gaetz]

That really bites. I've got 2 kids that love hunting and I know how bummed they would be. And to hear that he just got his gun is even worse.

I don't know if I'd let him shoot until he was perfectly healed because you don't want to do anymore damage to his growing/healing shoulder. Also, it may hurt him in a manner that may cause him to flinch when pulling trigger in the next few years of hunting.

We are all different though so maybe you just need to play it week to week. Start slow maybe with a .22 and move up to .20 gauge and so on and see how he tolerates it.

Hope he recovers well and doesn't rush it.

TRH

 

[one_dryboot]

I broke mine as a freshmen just a few months before hunting season. I wasnt going to let it stop me. I must of had buck fever because it never hurt during or after the shot but my arm was limited in movement. I say go for it but if its still really tender be careful

 

[400bull]

I am fine if he misses both the muzzle loader deer hunt and the rifle elk hunt the first part of September. I would like to get him out on the rifle deer hunt and his cow elk hunts late Oct. and Nov. If he is not ready by then I will turn the tags back in to get a preference point for next years draws

I don't know what would be classified as a bad break or what is just a break. But you can clearly see the break and at the time of the X-ray the doctor said that the bones are 90% displaced. Since then I know that things have shifted at least once while the doc was fitting him with a sling. They may have move back into place or displaced even more. We have made an appointment with a specialist tomorrow to verify that a sling is all that is needed.

400bull

 

[zekers]

I broke mine playing rugby in high school. 2-3 weeks sucks, but after that, he should be fine. Simms makes a good recoil pad that I use for my wife on her muzzy. You might give it a try.

 

[msy]

I say let him hunt. After its said and done the memories and good times will be worth any more pain he may feel. I bet he would think so too. I would get a pad or pillow to put between him and the gun. If its a muzzy too, you can also use less powder to get a softer kick.

 

[TOPGUN]

Sorry to hear all these Doctors telling you to go against what a real Doctor has already told you. My wife has been an RN in a major Intensive Care Unit in one of the biggest hospitals in Michigan for 30+ years. I mentioned this thread to her and she stated in no uncertain terms that a 12 year old in the growing years like he is SHOULD NOT even think about shooting a rifle or shotgun this year!!! What is one season compared to possibly screwing that youngster up for the rest of his life! +You would never forgive yourslef and he has many years ahead of him to enjoy your company.

 

[donnelley2]

like that one guy said, help him hold the muzzie with a pad, or shoot from the hip maybe?

 

[gknutson]

I broker my collar bone when i was 12. My parents wouldnt take me to the docter. they told me to toughen up. Finaly my grandmother made them take me and they said it was broken but already healing. i wore a sling off and on for a week or so and tossed it in the trash. Good as new.

P.S. My family goes by the saying "Get tough or die"

 

[tylercreek2]

4-6 weeks? must not be to bad a break? i broke mine when i was 11 was out 8 weeks ,,,, end of sept for muzz? thats 8 weeks from now more or less ,,,,, muzz kick is minimal more of a push instead of a sharp shot like rifle,,,,,,, ask him what he thinks and get the muzz tag and if it comes down to where he doesnt feel like he can do it take him out stalk a critter take a pic you eat the tag and take him next year ,,,,,,,,

 

[TOPGUN]

Let us know what the specialist says when you see him tomorrow and please listen to him as he's the MD!!!

 

[nickman]

>Let us know what the specialist
>says when you see him
>tomorrow and please listen to
>him as he's the MD!!!

And all this free medical advice you are getting is useless at this point.

My biggest concern, which I fully accept as only my opinion, is your attitude that your "season is going to be bleak".....or however you said it.

If all you and your kid gets out of a hunting trip is based on pulling the trigger, I feel sorry for both of you.

His temporary condition is just "life".....work with it!

This year he is the camp "beotch", take him anyway and make the most of a bad situation.

I know a guy on this forum, that would sell his soul to have the problem you have right now......several guys, now that I think about it!



".....but by God, I never said a word to a pig!"

 

[kingfish]

Wait, you would never want him to associate shoulder pain with shooting!!! He might develope a bad habbit of flinching if it hurts him...Just Wait!!!


Government doesn't fix anything and has spent trillions proving it!!!
Let's face it...After Monday and Tuesday, even the calender says WTF!

 

[TOPGUN]

Great post Nickman!!!

 

[PaleHorse]

I broke mine as a jr. in high school during wrestling pratice. It was one of the worst things ever!!

I had to wear one of those bra looking things for over 3 months!! The orthopedist said its not fully healing. I could push on the joint and it was still soft after 3 months.

So they went in and cut it apart. They installed 7 screws and a plate. Best move I ever made. the next day I had very little pain and almost complete mobility! It turns out I had some of the severed muscle tissue in between the two bones. it was a nasty break. when it broke the bone didn't go through the skin, but i was scratched from the inside out and just barely bleeding on the outside of the break.

If I ever broke it again I wouldn't even srew around surgery is the way to go! I can't believe the difference between healing "naturally" and some extra hardware!

 

[400bull]

Nickman,
I appreciate the comments in your post but I think that you have misunderstood the intentions of my post. This is my first experience with a broken clavicle bone. Depending on what medical advice you get it can take anywhere from 4-20 weeks to recover from a broken clavicle bone. That's a huge time difference. So I thought that I would ask hunters how long it took them to recover to give me an idea of how long it is going to take. My only reason for asking the question is to find out if I should return the tags that we currently have so that another hunter could use them or if I should hold on to the tags in hopes of being able to use them.

From what I am hearing, both from the medical experts and non-medical experts is that the hunts we have scheduled in September and the first of Oct are very questionable. More than likely I will be returning those tags. The tags we have for the end of Oct. through Dec. sounds like there is the possibility that he could go use them. I will hold onto those tags and see how he is doing the closer we get to the hunt. If he is not ready to go by then I will have no problem returning them or eating tag soup.

400bull

 

[TOPGUN]

Sounds like a good and sensible plan!

 

[habitat]

I would get one of the better pads such as a sims or trap shooting pad use a tripod and switch to the other side start small and at the first sign of problems stop then make your decision

 

[400bull]

Just got done talking with the Doc. He sounded confident that every should be good with in 6-8 weeks and that my boy should be able to have full motion/strenght by the end of Augest/first of September. Unless we have any set backs everything is still ago. We will know more when we stop in for his 3-4 week check up.

400bull

 

[ELKTAPER]

Broke mine 5 times, doing different things. I wasn't, about to not go hunting! So I just started shooting from the other side. Problem solved.

 

[400bull]

Shooting from the otherside is an opption. My boy is left eye dominate so I have taught him how to shoot lefthanded. Other then shooting he does everything right handed. I may start taking him out after a couple weeks to have him practice shooting a BB gun on a tripode with his right hand. That way if his left shoulder is not ready I will have a backup opption.

400bull

 

[huntin100]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-28-11 AT 02:47PM (MST)[p]400,

I'm an Occupational Therapist that specializes in hand, elbow, and shoulder Rehab.
A 12 year old boy, who has a clavical fx can vary on healing time. Most will have enough healing in 6 weeks to shoot a lower caliber rifle with a good kick pad. An X-ray would determine healing at that time. It may still be sore shooting, but shouldn't cause any long term problems. I would listen to your Doctors advise. I also have a 12 year old who is going to be hunting deer and lopes for the first time this year. He is practicing with his 6 mm.
Good luck.