Every year, at about this time, hunting seasons are running full tilt across the country.  With this number of people in the field, we usually see an apparent rash of hunting-related accidents.  Sure enough, a quick search-engine check found that there were three fatalities and a handful of incidents just over the past weekend.

In Stockton, NY, a hunter was found dead of a gunshot wound on Saturday afternoon.  No details are currently available with possible explanations (was the wound self-inflicted or from another hunter?), but from the tone of the short piece, it appears to be a hunting accident.  On the same day in Vermont, a deer hunter was trailing a wounded deer with two buddies.  For some reason (it’s unclear in the article), the hunter fired a shot and fatally hit one of the other men.  Apparently filled with remorse, the hunter turned the gun on himself and committed suicide on the spot.

Meanwhile, over in Iowa, two more hunters were injured.  One said that the gun he was carrying got tangled up in some bags and discharged, hitting him in the foot.  Another hunter was shot by one of his companions during a deer drive, when the slug passed through the deer and hit him in the leg.

And then there’s the terrifying near-miss.  In Conewango, NY, a deer hunter shot at a deer and missed.  The bullet carried over the fields for more than 500 yards before passing through the door of a school bus and lodging in the roof.  The bus was loaded with school children at the time.

So where’s all this going?  Am I going to beat you all about the head and neck with my pedantic stick and blaze on and on about safety?  Am I going to point out the obvious safety and judgement errors that lead to incidents like these?  Will I quote the International Hunter Education Association texts about being sure of your target and backstop, etc.?

I could, and honestly, I don’t think it would be a waste of time.  But I won’t.  The information is out there if you need it, but I’m fairly certain that most of you, good readers, are already aware of the rules of hunter safety.  In fact, I’d say it’s a good bet that every one of the individuals involved in these accidental shootings was equally aware, and probably just as well educated as the best of us. This isn’t a question of not knowing safe practices… it’s about not following them.

I’m pretty sure there aren’t many of you out there who haven’t heard about the Utah duck hunter who was shot in the backside by his dog.  This poor guy is sure to be the butt of many jokes around the duck marsh, even though the situation is only funny due to pure luck.  This hunter was lucky, not only that he survived, but that he wasn’t even badly hurt.  Besides the sting of 27 pellets, his pride apparently took the worst injury.

I’m not going to get all holier-than-thou about gun safety, or the safety rules this hunter should have observed.  Hell, I’ve laid my loaded gun in the back of the truck, the deck of the boat, and on the ground many times.  There, but for the grace of a dog, go I.  My guess is I’m not alone in this either.  I’m not saying it’s alright, but it is reality.  Sometimes expedience and convenience trump safety considerations… particularly when the actual risks seem so remote.  What are the odds that a dog is going to step on the safety button, and then stick his toe in the trigger guard and shoot you in the back?

For that matter, what are the odds of being involved in a hunting accident at all?

The NSSF and some other organizations will tell us that, statistically, hunting is one of the safer outdoor recreational activities.  Their calculations say that only 1 in 2000 hunters will be injured in a hunting accident.  By the numbers, you’re more likely to be injured on the golf course (1 in 662) or in the swimming pool than in the field with a deadly weapon.  And they’re right, of course.  It’s hard to argue with numbers.

But the thing about statistics is that numbers don’t have emotions.  They don’t have friends and families.  They are about as objective as you can get.  So when that one in 2000 shot comes up, as far as numbers go, it’s still just a one amidst 1999 other ones.

For us, however, for you and me, being that one in 2000 will make all the difference.

So I guess all I really wanted to say here is, “pay attention”.

And be careful out there.

 

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