Hunter Safety; not Just for the Young

            With the recent tragedy in South Carolina, where a nine-year-old girl and her dad were killed by some hunters driving deer, hunter safety is on my mind. If you were brought up hunting like I was then your dad or mentor should have taught you basic hunter safety. This tragedy shouldn’t have happened! How does someone mistake a man and a nine-year-old girl for a deer?

     
     My dad drove home the importance of hunter safety when I was about five. We were pheasant hunting in Connecticut, it was 1969 or 1970, we came across some black trash bags in the field. I asked my dad if I could shoot the trash. He said, “Let’s see what’s in those bags.” It was a good thing my dad was a mindful hunter, because wrapped up in those trash bags were sleeping bags with teenagers sleeping in them. If I had shot, I could have badly injured or killed someone. Throughout the rest of the hunt, my dad explained to me the importance of knowing what you are shooting at.


     Hunting is part of our heritage. Is there anything quite like watching a bird dog work, the sight of

a nice 8-point buck coming into range or the pure stillness of the forest as the sun breaks over the horizon? We as outdoorsmen need to make sure that we are the best stewards of our sport as possible. We need to show the anti-hunters, and the animal rights people that we are following the laws and acting responsibly.

     
Every state and many hunting organizations offer hunter safety courses. In over 35 states it’s the law that if you were born after June 1, 1975, you must pass a course and carry a hunter safety card with you when you hunt just like your license. Most courses are on-line and you will have to attend a field day to complete your certification. These field days consist of;

·         A classroom session

·         Outdoor shooting

·         Blood tacking

·         Tree stand skills

·         Survival skills

     The NRA’s Hunter safety course is free. In Florida the cost of the recognized hunter safety course is $28.95. The course includes videos, study guides and a host of other important information. Go to www.hunter-ed.com for hunter safety information in your state

     
     Sometimes safety in the field is just common sense. Never hunt under the influence! This may sound like a no brainer, but you might be surprised how many people think that drinking and hunting is okay, then again look at the number of drunk drivers every year. Always know what your target is. Know what or who is in your line of fire. Once you pull that trigger or let go of that arrow, you own it and the result. I’ve been peppered many times by bird shot, sometimes by the guys I was hunting with. Know your gun or bow inside out, know what to do if something goes wrong.

     
     The International Hunter Education Association’s records indicate that fewer than one thousand people are shot every year and about seventy-five end in death. Some of these fatalities are from self-inflected wounds. When people get excited, they get careless. Walking, trip and the gun fires. A hunter stops to rest and leans his gun against a tree and the gun falls. Think safety first.

     
     You have your license, a deer tag and a place to hunt, what’s next? You walk into the woods in the predawn hours and climb into your tree stand. Do you know how to properly set your stand? You think I read the directions and watched a video of course I do, but what happens when you are alone in your tree stand, it comes loose, and you hit the ground? Always know your equipment. Another important factor is how we as hunters dress. Camo is an important part of our sport, but it also makes it harder for other hunters to see. Most states have laws concerning how many inches of hunter orange you need to wear while you hunt. In Florida it’s 500 inches. Learn the laws concerning wearing blaze orange, blaze orange can save your or your dog’s life.

     
     Hunter safety isn’t just for kids, it’s for everyone who enters the woods, hunter or not. If hunters are safe, then the woods will be safer. I stopped hunting on the first day of the season many years ago, because more than once my truck or that of someone I know was shot at. Why on earth would someone shoot a shotgun at a truck on a back road?

     
     Remember, the sport of hunting is under attack from anti-hunting groups, homeowner associations, developers, the mainstream news, Washington and many other organizations. When hunting accidents happen its fodder for the antihunters. When you enter that field, swamp, woods or saltmarsh, remember someone nearby is just waiting to report a mistake or an accident to try to take our rights away. These people don’t understand that our license and tag fees pay for conservation, protection and habitat for the land and wildlife we love. Think safety first. Take you kids hunting with you, even before they are able to carry a gun. Introduce them to ethical hunting, the wonders of nature and the love of the outdoors.

Happy Hunting