Hunting creates a lot of adrenaline, especially when an animal you want to eat walks up or runs past. There’s nothing anyone can say to help you filter that adrenaline in the heat of the moment. During some hunts, I’ve seen grown men do really stupid shit trying to kill an animal…
Things that undoubtedly could have lethal consequences to the hunter. Like this [via newsplex.com]:
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries said the accident happened near Howardsville around 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
A DGIF official said a deer ran between two hunters [not shown], and when one of them tried to shoot it, he accidentally shot another hunter twice in the left arm.
The hunter was taken to the University of Virginia Health System with non-life-threatening injuries.
No charges have been filed at this time, but officials said the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The formula I use to determine what type of hunter you are: find out what type of driver you are.
If you’re prone to road racing or road rage I don’t want to be on a hunt with you. Unrestrained emotion can lead to impulsive behavior and irrationality is something you do not want holding a loaded weapon.
Same goes for inattentiveness while driving. I don’t want to hunt with someone who can’t pay attention, for both the long and short term.
Anyway, the moral of the story: keep calm, keep your eyes on the proverbial road and be aware of other hunters. You are responsible for their lives as well as your own.
not nice , but hunting is still the safest outdoor sport
Really? How many people have been hurt while curling?
Curling requires ice and skates, right?
Curling is 100% fatal to your dignity.
Or badminton?
Or park chess?
Hunting is 17 times safer than football and behind soccer, baseball, tennis even cheerleading in number of injuries to participants.
Fortunately, it was open season on hunters or the shooter would have been charged with poaching.
(thinks over the driving analogy)
Huh. You know, that’s a pretty good point. But then, do we say to a prospective hunting partner, “hey, let’s go driving around for a bit – you take the wheel”.
I mean, I agree with your assessment of the personality types involved but I just don’t know how you’d be able to analyze that person before the hunt has been planned…
ðŸ¤
I’m going hunting this week. I’ve ridden in both guys’ I’m hunting with trucks. We all have trucks because this is Texas, and that’s how all of this works. (That’s a joke about the trucks and Texas).
“I agree with your assessment of the personality types involved but I just don’t know how you’d be able to analyze that person before the hunt has been planned”
Ride around in a car with them for a bit.
Alternatively you can meet them at a bar on Friday or Saturday night and get a few drinks in them. How they react to the normal level of stupid at a bar will tell you a lot about them too.
“he accidentally shot another hunter twice in the left arm.”
Twice? Seriously?
Ok – Was he loaded with buckshot, or did he really hit the dude’s left arm TWICE?
I was wondering the same thing.
Though the forearm and through the upper arm with one bullet, as the two guys pointed their rifles at each other? That would hurt like the dickens.
IF . . . the inattentive road rage / bad driver has the hunting lease. . .
All bets are off.
Secondarily, I don’t hunt with people that whine about anything, especially my driving.
Both of those comments are great.
I had a similar experience. Years ago my left-leaning brother wanted to try hunting to see what it was like (or so he said). Long story short we walk upon a beautiful buck and he refused to take the shot at which point I took aim and told him I was going to take it. I sh!t you not, with my finger depressing the trigger on a guaranteed heart shot, my brother comes running from my left into the line of fire while waving off the deer. He is fine, the buck got away…, but we don’t hunt together anymore. Don’t get too focused out there and always be disciplined enough to call off a shot.
…wow! That was some level of stupid on his part.
Glad you held off.
Two words: Harry Whittington
My step grandfather shot at sounds. I only went out with him once and got the hell away after the first time I saw him fire at a target he couldn’t see. I was just a kid and couldn’t stop him, so fleeing seemed like the best option.
Wheres Dick Cheney?
“he formula I use to determine what type of hunter you are: find out what type of driver you are… If you’re prone to road racing or road rage I don’t want to be on a hunt with you.”
So does that mean if I end up in Texas I’d get to go hunting with you? But then when you drive a four cylinder gutless wonder you really can’t do anything too crazy. 🙂
How many times a year do hunters shoot each other???
I know this is TTAG and I’m strictly a gun hunter when/if I hunt, but it might be worthwhile for some of you avid hunters to check out archery. Only person I permit to hunt on my land does so with his own home made recurve bow. Lots of respect for him, and I never have to worry about him not being sure of his target or what is behind it.
Of course you avid hunters aren’t the problem, but you might enjoy the challenge and with less and less undeveloped land east of the Mississippi, a rifle round that is deadly at a mile isn’t as safe as it used to be.
My theory: two metrosexuals from nearby Charlottesville decide to try hunting because they’ve never killed an animal, especially one as beautiful and majestic as the gray squirrel. They get up early, gel their hair, put on their best sweater one size too small, black rimmed Drew Carey glasses and a camo scarf. Then they hop in their Mini Cooper and arrive at their location only to realize they’ve never had any formal training in firearms. Well, they’ve read enough posts from moms demand action to know everything they need to know about firearms so they proceed to look for their prey. All of a sudden a branch cracks, one of them decides to shoot at the noise because after all that’s how hunting works. He goes to find his prey only to realize he’s shot friend right through his cashmere sweater. He promptly swears off hunting and all it’s evils and makes donations to both moms demand action and peta.
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