Hunting Accidents

[bubba]

so I guess they are saying hunter education works.  Mistaing a perswon for game whether they are wearing orange or not is not acceptable.  KNOW your target and well beyond, not assume your target.

[cynthiafu]

well this is a hunting accident you will love this . new neighbors moved in next door to us . the guy was a nice man . when he found out that i hunted  he laugh and said girls shouldnt hunt it was a mans sport . so he wanted to go with me opening day . i went to pick him up and he had shot himself in the foot  getting ready to go . he loaded the gun in his house and was thinking he was going to get in my truck with a loaded gun . unreal . found out from his mother later on that he had never been hunting in his life and he bought the gun 2 weeks before and never took it out of the  box till that morning . i dont go with anyone but my family now .

[SteveB]

There are few true accidents - hunting or driving. Most all are actually incidents that can and should be avoided. Statistically we are far more likely to be injured driving to our hunt then actually hunting. Like with driving, I use common sense and defensive tatics but spend little/no time worrying about "what ifs".

[Localqdm]

anyone have those stats, % chances of injury hunting/driving?

[5.9cummins]

Death Rate/100,000 Licensed Drivers 10.85

Injury Rate/100,000 Licensed Drivers 1658.55

that's from 08

http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/stats-arc.htm

[Doc]

Intersting article on orange and hunting accidents.

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

One additional safety feature of blaze orange that seldom gets mentioned or never shows up in these studies is the fact that very often it alerts hunters to the fact that they are posted too close. I cannot say how many times I have spotted somebody (or a piece of somebody) that moved in on me in a proximity that I considered far too close. It may not have bothered him to be that close to me, but I am thankful for the blaze orange that he wore that told me to get the heck out of there. Actually, my general rule is "if I can see him, he's too close" even if I can see only a piece of him. Someone in full camo might not (probably wouldn't) have caught my attention in those cases, but even a tiny piece of that B/O instantly catches my attention.

Another thing that is assisted by B/O is that it helps me spot incoming still hunters. As soon as I see someone coming in, I forget about deer and focus on what that guy is doing. I may even take the opportunity to get on the far side of a tree and watch him like a hawk. That may seem a bit extreme, but I do practice defensive hunting as best as I can ..... all the time. I think the years that I have spent on some fairly popular state land has taught me to never assume that other hunters are responsible hunters.

[huntography]

Sad to hear all the stories of family and friends being shot and/or killed while hunting. I've always had a fear of someone shooting my way while hunting, especially when on public land. I've experienced some close calls of hearing shots from all around me on public land in both Wurtsboro and in Naples NY. Not a fan of pumpkin patches.

Now I make sure to hunt or film where other hunters won't go. Getting away from the crowds takes work but the piece of mind can be priceless.

[Doc]

As long as I can see them, I can set up defensively against them.....lol. Not a problem.