Well, on the heels of perhaps the safest hunting year in NYS History last year, we were all thinking it just couldn't get safer. We were wrong.
This year is proving to be the safest year on record thus far, with very few accidents and even fewer shooting accidents. In fact, the shooting accidents of note this year involved hunter stupidity resulting in self-inflicted gunshot wounds. One hunter shot his foot off because he decided to use the shotgun as a walking stick! Another guy took a finger or thumb off when the firearm discharged (again, a shotgun) with his hand atop the muzzle!
In WNY, the only treestand accident I heard of happened in Randolph, and it was a pretty serious accident, requiring Mercy Flight trip to ECMC. That accident happened on the property (or adjacent to) I hunt.
One of the big issues of safety concern was the introduction of rifles in the Southern Zone's southern tier counties. Last year, no accidents with rifles. This year.... NO accidents with rifles. It is starting to prove that the rifle is the safest hunting firearm available.
When the DEC website comes back on line, I'll pull the numbers thus far, and post. God knows when their site will come back up.
Oh yeah, and NYS does NOT have a mandatory Blaze Orange Law, yet we continue to be the leaders in hunting safety. Mandatory Blaze Orange Laws don't assure safety. Hunters using their brains and handling firearms safely keeps hunters safe.
Also heard that some meetings are to be taking place between sportsmen's groups and Spitzer's transition team. Since the DEC commissioner's position is appointed, expect a new commish shortly after Spitzer is sworn in. The gal heading the Environmental Transition team is a tree hugging moonbat, so, hunters beware.
Finally, as a plea to all NY sportsmen's club members (any club that is Federated), we urge you to please have your club implement the Buck A Member program to help raise more funding for the NYSCC. THey are hurting for funding, and with the incoming administration's track record against firearms, the NYSCC will become critical to protecting hunting and outdoor recreation. This also includes fishing, so please, for $1 per club member, we can keep the Council solvent.
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ol' Doctari
WeLoveOutdoors.com
Freelance Outdoors Writer
Rec Sec. Erie County Federation of Sportsmens Clubs
Secretary Audubon Fishing Club
thats great i'm glad it was a very safe season, i stil like ym slug gun though. Any who does this account houses and barns and other animals shot during thsi firearm season, 2 of my local farmers Cut off hunting permission b/c of damaged barns from bullets. also you have to take into effect that the Hunting population is at an all time low. I really dont think that if it were high rifles would be the problem.
a 35 year old was shot and killed in eastern NY this hunting season
Was that the incident where two hunting partners shot eachother, thinking they each were deer?
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ol' Doctari
WeLoveOutdoors.com
Freelance Outdoors Writer
Rec Sec. Erie County Federation of Sportsmens Clubs
Secretary Audubon Fishing Club
thats great i'm glad it was a very safe season, i stil like ym slug gun though. Any who does this account houses and barns and other animals shot during thsi firearm season, 2 of my local farmers Cut off hunting permission b/c of damaged barns from bullets. also you have to take into effect that the Hunting population is at an all time low. I really dont think that if it were high rifles would be the problem.
I have a list of a total of 17 reported incidents across the State. One fatality in Region 4 - Columbia County, where a hunter in a treestand shot a hunter on the ground while he was walking through the woods. Both hunters dressed in full camo. The shooter tended to the wound, administering first aid, but the wound was fatal. From what I see here on this list, of the 17 accidents, we have 9 self-inflicted gunshot wounds. 5 2-party involved accidents, 1 in R4 (fatal) 2 in R8, one in R6 and one in R7. Most of these accidents involved unsafe unloading of firearms. I see an incident in Chemung County where a shotgun slug wnet through a door of a house, resulting in a minor head injury to the occupant. I see another one which is unclear what region 8 or 9, where a hunter returned from deer hunting and discovered he had a shotgun wound to the shoulder. How do you not know you got shot by a slug?
I do not have a list of reported rifle bullets or shotgun slubs doing damage to structures. Last year, yes, we saw a couple (not in Southern Zone) but these incidents were not related to hunting.
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ol' Doctari
WeLoveOutdoors.com
Freelance Outdoors Writer
Rec Sec. Erie County Federation of Sportsmens Clubs
Secretary Audubon Fishing Club
One of the big issues of safety concern was the introduction of rifles in the Southern Zone's southern tier counties. Last year, no accidents with rifles. This year.... NO accidents with rifles. It is starting to prove that the rifle is the safest hunting firearm available.
Hope they extend it to the 4 counties it didn't quite get passed for last year. My understanding is that it passed in the senate but didn't come up for a vote in the assembly. I hope it will and I hope it finally passes into law. Anybody know the status of the bill?
I know Steuben was one of the 4 counties. I don't remember the other 3.
One of the big issues of safety concern was the introduction of rifles in the Southern Zone's southern tier counties. Last year, no accidents with rifles. This year.... NO accidents with rifles. It is starting to prove that the rifle is the safest hunting firearm available.
Hope they extend it to the 4 counties it didn't quite get passed for last year. My understanding is that it passed in the senate but didn't come up for a vote in the assembly. I hope it will and I hope it finally passes into law. Anybody know the status of the bill?
I know Steuben was one of the 4 counties. I don't remember the other 3.
Steuben, Yates, Chautauqua and one more. The Assembly didn't even bring it to the floor for a vote.. Shelly Silver blocked it because he was all huffy that his 17 gun control proposals didn't even get an audience.
Steuben has re-applied, along with 2 of the other three. This should be brought up for a vote sometime in the Spring of 2007. Those hunters looking for Rifles to be allowed in Chautauqua County can basically forget it. From what I was told, the county was ready to go, but then some serious opposition came out of Jamestown, and, basically, the issue is now a dead one. No rifles in Chautauqua County (until the folks against it die, that is, literally).
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ol' Doctari
WeLoveOutdoors.com
Freelance Outdoors Writer
Rec Sec. Erie County Federation of Sportsmens Clubs
Secretary Audubon Fishing Club
I think you guys are making up these statistics just to suit your cause. Everybody knew 2 years ago that it would be a bloodbath in the southern tier thanks to rifles. Mothers, school kids, and puppies dieing in their homes and in the streets, afterall rifle bullets carry FOREVER...
Guess the anti propaganda that was spouted from many a hunter's mouth just doesent hold true.
As far as opening new areas to rifle, I dont know for sure as spitzer wouldsign such a bill like pataki did, but he might just supprise us all, expecially with the last 2 years of safe hunting with 'dangerous, shoot forever rifles'. I think hunters who are afraid of change will be the biggest enemy in that battle.
Yes, Chemung is the other county.
The stumbling block in Chautauqua County is as you stated.... THe justification for opposing rifles is that Chautauqua County is mainly a "lake plain" and bullets will travel too far.
I know who the loudest voice against rifles is in Chautauqua County. He's a nice guy, very long in the tooth, and change scares the bejesus out of him. He has a lot of pull in that county when it comes to outdoors recreation issues
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ol' Doctari
WeLoveOutdoors.com
Freelance Outdoors Writer
Rec Sec. Erie County Federation of Sportsmens Clubs
Secretary Audubon Fishing Club
Another Record Safe Year for NY Hunters
