G
Guest
Guest
DEER HUNTERS URGED TO PRACTICE SAFE HUNTING - 12/3/02
DES MOINES – Statistically speaking, deer hunting is a safe activity and is getting safer each year. In 2001, the Iowa DNR sold more than 266,000 deer hunting licenses and investigated seven non-fatal incidents and two fatal incidents. But statistics can’t comfort those people involved in those incidents.
"We know hunting is getting safer each year though our hunter education courses and through other venues, like the media and shared experiences, but the mental wounds can affect more than the shooter, it can affect the entire hunting party," said Rod Slings, recreational safety program supervisor for the DNR.
Slings, the longtime lead investigator for hunting related shootings for the DNR, says the number one cause is someone shooting at a running deer.
"I always talk to hunters about developing a hunting plan and sticking to it. That way you will know where every member of the hunt is at all times," he said. "Next I talk about identifying your target and what is beyond your target. Once you pull the trigger, you cannot call the shot back."
Another point Slings drives home is to wear plenty of blaze orange. "I’ve seen cases where someone is wearing a vest that was blaze orange at one time, but has faded so much over the years that you can barely tell it was once orange," he said. "You want to be seen. I would suggest hunters exceed the minimum requirements. The more blaze orange the better."
Wear a hat, and spend a few dollars and get something that will cover your whole torso and arms. Those disposable vests that only cover the front and back of the torso are worth about what people pay for them, he said.
"Hunting is a social activity done with family and friends. If there is going to be an incident, chances are that the shooter and the victim know each other and the mental wounds can take much longer to heal than the physical wounds," Slings said.
It is also important for hunters to keep their focus after a successful shot. Emotions can run high after someone bags the big buck or shoots their first deer and hunters need to refocus and practice safe gun handling immediately after the harvest.
Another problem conservation officers encounter is when hunters are traveling from timber to timber they need to unload their guns and store them properly in the case. "We write a lot of tickets for manner of conveyance violations, when hunters are in the back of a pickup with their guns going from point A to point B. They need to practice safety not only in the field but around the truck," said Slings.
Safety is part of the tradition of deer hunting, just like going to the breakfast at the local fire station or Izaak Walton League chapter.
"Deer hunting in Iowa is very much a tradition and part of our heritage. It spans generations and can be almost a spiritual experience for some. The definition of a great hunt varies from person to person, bagging a deer is not the ultimate goal, but it’s the camaraderie and spending time in Iowa’s great outdoors that is," Slings said.
DES MOINES – Statistically speaking, deer hunting is a safe activity and is getting safer each year. In 2001, the Iowa DNR sold more than 266,000 deer hunting licenses and investigated seven non-fatal incidents and two fatal incidents. But statistics can’t comfort those people involved in those incidents.
"We know hunting is getting safer each year though our hunter education courses and through other venues, like the media and shared experiences, but the mental wounds can affect more than the shooter, it can affect the entire hunting party," said Rod Slings, recreational safety program supervisor for the DNR.
Slings, the longtime lead investigator for hunting related shootings for the DNR, says the number one cause is someone shooting at a running deer.
"I always talk to hunters about developing a hunting plan and sticking to it. That way you will know where every member of the hunt is at all times," he said. "Next I talk about identifying your target and what is beyond your target. Once you pull the trigger, you cannot call the shot back."
Another point Slings drives home is to wear plenty of blaze orange. "I’ve seen cases where someone is wearing a vest that was blaze orange at one time, but has faded so much over the years that you can barely tell it was once orange," he said. "You want to be seen. I would suggest hunters exceed the minimum requirements. The more blaze orange the better."
Wear a hat, and spend a few dollars and get something that will cover your whole torso and arms. Those disposable vests that only cover the front and back of the torso are worth about what people pay for them, he said.
"Hunting is a social activity done with family and friends. If there is going to be an incident, chances are that the shooter and the victim know each other and the mental wounds can take much longer to heal than the physical wounds," Slings said.
It is also important for hunters to keep their focus after a successful shot. Emotions can run high after someone bags the big buck or shoots their first deer and hunters need to refocus and practice safe gun handling immediately after the harvest.
Another problem conservation officers encounter is when hunters are traveling from timber to timber they need to unload their guns and store them properly in the case. "We write a lot of tickets for manner of conveyance violations, when hunters are in the back of a pickup with their guns going from point A to point B. They need to practice safety not only in the field but around the truck," said Slings.
Safety is part of the tradition of deer hunting, just like going to the breakfast at the local fire station or Izaak Walton League chapter.
"Deer hunting in Iowa is very much a tradition and part of our heritage. It spans generations and can be almost a spiritual experience for some. The definition of a great hunt varies from person to person, bagging a deer is not the ultimate goal, but it’s the camaraderie and spending time in Iowa’s great outdoors that is," Slings said.