Hunting Accidents

[Localqdm]

Okay, there often is discussion here about theoretical possibilities of shooting accidents and there are usually 2 crowds.  Those that aren't worried about it, say its not really likely to ever happen no matter the method of hunting; and the other crowd that often gets labeled as paranoid. 

I'll go ahead and say I'm one of the paranoid.  I hunt areas that have heavy pressure (around us--and on us when they are trespassing) deer drives, and lots of lead flinging five shot bursts.  I didn't used to be paranoid.  When I was younger I thought these were all incidents that happen to 'someone' else, statistics or a news story.  I just recently learned about one aquaintence with a disability, that his disability was a result of a shooting accident.  The person who told me also knows/has met 2 OTHER hunters who have survived an accidental shooting while hunting--and he isn't even a hunter (He is NOT against hunting though).  I also worked with a guy who won't hunt anymore because he was with a friend who was killed in an accidental shooting while goose hunting.

So I want to know how many guys here know someone hurt in a shooting accident?  People say the statistics are very safe, but how many other people know of someone personally? 

[Localqdm]

My point is, if I have one, not to stop shooting or gun hunting, but that maybe some extra consideration of weapons, methods, posting property, and hunter density is a good idea--even if they are just personal decisions we all need to make, and not new legislation. 

[First-light]

You have to remember to always put safety first. This is hard sometimes "in the moment" quick and clear thinking must prevail. I know of one person who shot himself in the foot. I think age and maturity makes you slow down and think about what type of situation you will be in. I'm with you on the paranoid side. You want to believe your in a safe situation but the fact is anything can happen at any time, be prepared.

[G-Man]

I know 1 person who was killed in a hunting accident. Putting his gun in the trunk.. I know about 34 people killed or injured in car/motor cycle accidents. I think ill keep hunting and watch the cars closer....

[ny hunter]

When I was a kid one of my dads hunting party was shot.He did survive.My dad stopped hunting after that.

[RobC]

My brother was shot and killed on thanksgiving day many many years ago by one of his bestfriends. And this year on a deer drive this kid with a semi-auto shotgun and no scope blew off about 5 rounds before he reloaded and shot 3 more times. Two bullets came so close to me I could hear the zipping noise of the bullets. Both incidents happened during deer drives. This is the only time i'm paranoid. I'm much happier when i'm in my treestand 25 ft off the ground and when I know everyone else in the area is in theirs.

[letinmfly]

My friend's BIL was shot and killed by a member of his deer hunting party.  The guy walking behind him was loading his gun and a shot went off.  Hit him square in the middle of the back.

My friend went deer hunting the following season but as the first shots rang out he snuck out of the woods and headed back to the camp.  He hasn't hunted since.

Also had another friend take some pellets in the face.  He was walking up the logging road with his brother when his dad, who was hunting turkeys, shot at a bird.  He didn't see his two sons walking up the road and the some of the pellets hit both his sons.  Luckily neither of them was hurt badly.

The father was so distraught he wanted to kill himself but luckily a friend was able to take the gun away from him.

[Doc]

Nope, I do not know anyone killed in a shooting accident. However, I have had a few close calls that easily could have gone another way.

Countless times over the years I have had to tell hunters to point their gun in a safe direction. I don't mind talking to other hunters when they come up to me, but that habit of supporting the gun in the crook of their elbow with the muzzle waving back and forth across my knees or belly has happened way too often. Some of them like to grab the barrel and support the gun on their shoulder with the barrel pointed at anybody who is standing in front of them. They all probably think I'm paranoid to because I'm usually not to calm and kind when I tell them to point that thing somewhere else.

Had another guy resting the muzzle of his shotgun on the top of his boot, while leaning on the butt.

Ran into another guy who was just able to stand up that smelled like a whiskey barrel. Kind of tough even understanding what he was trying to say. No, that wasn't a near miss (as far as I know)

I have also heard that buzz of a slug that passed near me.

While sighting in our shotguns, I had a couple of Canadians that my Brother-in-law brought down. One had the thought that he should be practicing rapid fire. The other one was fiddling with his gun while we were walking up to check the targets and accidentally touched off a shot behind us. Those two were instructed to hunt on the far hill, and my Brother-in-law was instructed never to bring any more friends.

I also watched a guy off quite a ways swinging on a deer that was running between us. I guess my orange suit must have caught his attention before he hit the trigger. Thank God for blaze orange!

I have watched all kinds of people mis-handle their weapons from a safety aspect including hunters on TV on safari that seem to think it's cool to grab the barrel and balance the rifle on top of their shoulder ....... with the muzzle pointed directly at the back of the guy in front of them. Check some of those programs out. You won't have to watch too many of them before you see that little trick.

So maybe the fact that we don't all know somebody shot during season is more a case of dumb-luck than anything else. You know.....It's not real nice to have your life counting on dumb luck. So if some people get a bit paranoid and begin to take self defense into account when they are hunting, I guess I would rather hunt with them than the guys who think that accidents never happen to them.

Over the years, I have developed some extra-special defensive maneuvers and rules for my hunting. I have no idea whether that has saved my life or avoided some life-altering wound, and I don't even care. Paranoid??? .....Maybe.

One other thing that I might mention is that quite often we hear about hunting fatalities, but seldom does the maiming accidents get widespread coverage.

[Localqdm]

Doc,

When I was a 'kid' I hunted w/a guy who walked around with his safety off.  I pointed it out to him and he said, "I know, I'm HUNTING".  I don't hunt w/him anymore.

[Elmo]

I guess I don't know enough hunter or hunted enough to personally experience hunting accidents and I hope that I never will.  I'm on the paranoid camp.  This is why I avoid Spring Turkey.

[5.9cummins]

I knew a kid in High School that blew off his big toe.

I have been shot at three times and had a buddy get shot at twice the same day as i had one of my close calls (i think by the same guy). That was on public ground opening day outside Syracuse (haven't hunted public property other than the ADKs with a firearm since).

I am very particular about who I am with and where I hunt during gun season now.

When i took my hunter safety course by buddy and I took the places of a kid in Syracuse who was killed by his buddy when they were playing with there dads 12 ga.

[growalot]

I know two dead and won't even bother with the near misses of mine family and friends on ground and in stands...you've heard many of them...paranoid left there building a long time ago...anger and fear took it's place

[wdswtr]

Last year we had a state hunter that was shot in the stomach and killed on opening day and later in the season another guy was shot in the leg by his hunting partner.  The guy that died was hunting at the bottom of a steep hill in a hunting blind while the top of the hill was being covered buy many state hunters.  One guy on top of the hill had a buck come buy below him and between the guy in the camoflauged blind.  He let every round fly in his gun and never knew the guy was down there.  Missed the deer but killed the hunter.  It was the first time I heard sirens and an ambulance crew on that hill.  Not a good sound.  My opinion on that one is both guys were at fault and it sure is a hard price to pay for not even considering safety.  When we first bought the camp we had a few guys we let in to help us finatially on it and one of them on the first day we ever gun hunted it on opening morning left a note at camp he was done hunting southern tier.  After talking to him he said he had a bullet hit the tree he was leaning against a few inches above his head.  He refused to wear blaze orange.  I personally had a scary moment and I was the shooter.  We all make a game plan as to where we are going to be and to stick to sitting when others are in the woods.  I might add this is our land as well.  We dont want another member messing up our hunts and return the favor as well.  If one wants to still hunt we plan on staying out of that area and let the guy be.  Well I was hunting up on top of a hill on a flat and east of me about 100 yards out the terrain drops pretty quick for about 12 feet.  It is a blind spot as to what is beyond that for a few yards.  I had 2 does standing between me and that drop off and I was so focused on the deer and the deer where so focused on me that neither me or them realized a camp member was belly crawling up that little ravine directly behind the does where I couldnt see him.  I was about ready to pull the trigger when he stood up and raised his gun to shoot at a doe.  I almost shit myself.  Doe ran off and some choice words prevailed he also had taken off his orange vest because he claimed he didnt want the deer to pick him out.  I never considered one of our members would be belly crawling up that ravine when he was suppose to be 300 yards away in his stand to the west of me.  Needless to say that was it and its just us family that hunt it now.  It sure makes me look more than once to see whats behind my target. 

[erussell]

It's the risk we take everytime we head into the woods. I'm not to worried about the bullet with my name on it, can't do anything about that one, its the one with whom it may concern that bothers me. Every time someone shoots in the woods during deer season that bullet could be coming toward you and in rifle country it could be from a long way away. Doesnt matter if your in a stand or on the ground if the bullet is ment for you it will find you.Thats why I like to lean up against a big tree when I stop walking and hope im on the right side of the tree. Ive had people on state land blaze away at deer when I lived down in Loiusiana. You can use semi auto and 30 round clips down there and everyone has a sks to hunt deer with. I had a deer come running between me and some other guy that was about 100 yrds away that I never even knew was there. I passed on the small buck and he opened up on it. Luckely I had employed the stop behind a big tree tactic and I heard the bullets wizzing through the trees to my right. You never really relize how loud a bullet impact is untill it is hitting things around. I started yelling at the top of my lungs and the shooting stopped. Never even saw the guy he must have beat feet. I try not to think about it to much, just keep safe and wear orange. If you think about it to much you wont have your head in the game and youll miss easy deer while your scanning 360 deg around you looking for orange.

[Doc]

Thinking about that bullet is part of what keeps me alive. Any time that I see another hunter posted near me, I move out. No arguing, no discussion, I'm just gone. Anytime I see a still hunter coming, I am completely focused on what he is doing. Send through the biggest buck in the woods, and I probably won't see him because I am zeroed in on that hunter and what he is doing. While on stand, I always have a huge tree to my back, kind of like a bullet-proof vest (for my blind side), and I am always scanning for deer, but also for oncoming hunters. One of the most important defensive maneuvers is always wearing lots of blaze orange (usually a complete blaze orange suit). I also wish NYS had a blaze orange law. I don't believe that a hunter who I can see will ever do me in. I'm too defensive minded for that and do know how to hit the dirt when I see a hunter starting to do something threatening. But these clowns that sneak around the woods in full camo do have a chance and if I can't see them, I can't defend against them.

All of these defensive hunting techniques do not spoil my hunting. They are just built in hunting techniques. It is all not a problem, it is just exercising common sense and recognizing that I am not the only one in the woods.

[First-light]

Thinking about that bullet is part of what keeps me alive. Any time that I see another hunter posted near me, I move out. No arguing, no discussion, I'm just gone. Anytime I see a still hunter coming, I am completely focused on what he is doing. Send through the biggest buck in the woods, and I probably won't see him because I am zeroed in on that hunter and what he is doing. While on stand, I always have a huge tree to my back, kind of like a bullet-proof vest (for my blind side), and I am always scanning for deer, but also for oncoming hunters. One of the most important defensive maneuvers is always wearing lots of blaze orange (usually a complete blaze orange suit). I also wish NYS had a blaze orange law. I don't believe that a hunter who I can see will ever do me in. I'm too defensive minded for that and do know how to hit the dirt when I see a hunter starting to do something threatening. But these clowns that sneak around the woods in full camo do have a chance and if I can't see them, I can't defend against them.

All of these defensive hunting techniques do not spoil my hunting. They are just built in hunting techniques. It is all not a problem, it is just exercising common sense and recognizing that I am not the only one in the woods.

Talk about clowns, it had to be 20 years ago I was on private  property and along came two local guys. My BIL tells me they have permission and won't bother us, they entered the woods with no orange visible wearing brown Carhartts!!

[fasteddie]

Reading these posts brings back some bad memories .

I hunted with my father in law on land adjacent to letchworth Park (Gibsonville Road) I heard a noise in the gully and walked over toward the edge and all hell broke loose . A doe was running up the gulley bank and a guy at the bottom started shooting (all 5 shots) . I hit the deck at the 1st shot and the doe almost ran over me . I waited and hollared down to the shooter that he missed both of us . I was wearing a bright Red hunting jacket . It was around 1967 -----pre blaze orange .

Another time I hunted at a HS classmate's property in Groveland . There was about 20 of us . We had a big breakfast and headed out . We were split into 2 teams posters and drivers and traded off after each drive . We would walk the woods about 50 yards apart so we could see each other . A buck ran toward us between myself and the guy to my left . I swung my shotgun up and over as it was going by and saw the guy to my left swinging his shotun horitontally and my heart stopped . I thiught I was going to get shot . He didn't pull the trigger . I never did deer drives after that except for a few 2 man drives with someone I knew real well .

[fasteddie]

Talk about clowns, it had to be 20 years ago I was on private  property and along came two local guys. My BIL tells me they have permission and won't bother us, they entered the woods with no orange visible wearing brown Carhartts!!

My sister in law used to were her brown Carharts hunting . I told her that she had made enough enemies that she might be mistakenly shot . I gave her my father in laws old red hunting suit .

[erussell]

I was hunting state land last yr up around Candor. I had just got out of my car and was walking down a service rd when I heard a bunch of guys doing a drive to my right. ( sounded like a bunch of monkeys the way they were yelling    ) I continued down the road since I wasn't planning on hunting the side of the road they were on and it was still quite a way to the trail I was taking. About 10 minutes into walking I realized  I was walking in the same direction the drivers were walking when I noticed some orange up ahead who I guess were the standers. Just then a loud camotion to my right broke out and just as I turned there was a fat doe running right for me. I jumped behind a tree and gritted my teeth waiting for the lead to start flying but they never shot and I didn't stand around long after that to find out if they would. Another time I had suck into a thick spot on my Grandpas land and Had set down for a short hunt. After about 20 min I noticed movement in front of me that got my attention. A brown blob was moving tword me.

When it was 50 yrds away I noticed it was a hunter in camoflage, tresspassing. I stood up and confronted him yelling he was tresspassing and he took off like a shot back the way he came. Just doesn't make sense not to wear orange during deer season and it has been my experiance that most people who do not wear orange do so, so they can take liberties with other peoples property. I'm sure the fine upstanding individuals on this site who do not wear orange don't do that but that has been my experience with the majority of people I know who do not where orange.

[Doc]

Just doesn't make sense not to wear orange during deer season and it has been my experiance that most people who do not wear orange do so, so they can take liberties with other peoples property.

I'm sure that motive does apply in some cases, but the guys that I have seen in full camo (including grease-paint on the face and hands) were in the middle of some very popular state land. So it definitely was not a tresspassing thing. Two of them were there on opening day when the hunter density is at its thickest. It's hard to imagine.

My feeling is that anyone who would be so careless about their own personal safety, probably cannot be counted on to be worrying about mine.

[erussell]

Just doesn't make sense not to wear orange during deer season and it has been my experiance that most people who do not wear orange do so, so they can take liberties with other peoples property.

I'm sure that motive does apply in some cases, but the guys that I have seen in full camo (including grease-paint on the face and hands) were in the middle of some very popular state land. So it definitely was not a tresspassing thing. Two of them were there on opening day when the hunter density is at its thickest. It's hard to imagine.

My feeling is that anyone who would be so careless about their own personal safety, probably cannot be counted on to be worrying about mine.

Very true

[WNYBuckHunter]

One time, quite a few years ago, I was sitting down in front of a tree on Hi-Tor state land, and had some jackass open up on a yearling running up the hill. One of his shots hit the tree I was sitting against, about a foot or two above my head. I was wearing an orange hat and vest. I have never returned to that particular piece of state land.

[bubba]

One time, quite a few years ago, I was sitting down in front of a tree on Hi-Tor state land, and had some jackass open up on a yearling running up the hill. One of his shots hit the tree I was sitting against, about a foot or two above my head. I was wearing an orange hat and vest. I have never returned to that particular piece of state land.

good thing you had orange on.

[WNYBuckHunter]

One time, quite a few years ago, I was sitting down in front of a tree on Hi-Tor state land, and had some jackass open up on a yearling running up the hill. One of his shots hit the tree I was sitting against, about a foot or two above my head. I was wearing an orange hat and vest. I have never returned to that particular piece of state land.

good thing you had orange on.

Right!  ;D

[erussell]

Intersting article on orange and hunting accidents.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00044112.htm