Apparently this happens more than it should. I just searched for fatal hunting accidents in Missouri, and found a man age 34, in 2003, who had just shot a buck and was then shot and killed while still in a tree stand 18" in the air. So anyway we both were onto different stories, but were both correct. There is no doubt that education and training are important in todays world. I got mine passed down from my father, but hunting traditions, like teaching your kids right and wrong while taking them hunting are not practiced as widely as they once were and so public education has to do the job. We all have our own opinions on how well public education works so I won't start that discussion.

I do think forums like this one are important education tools that new hunters should use, but they must decide for themselves how to use the knowledge gained. Not everything said here will be correct or desireable to some individuals, but they should get a good education anyway, even if they only learn that they don't agree with me.

EK buckmaster, no appologies needed as far as I'm concerned, you have every right to your own opinion and may say what you feel. That's what makes this country and this forum great! We can all share our feelings and experiences on a wide variety of hunting subjects and find common ground to bond. Nobody is forcing us to agree in every respect, and that is a good thing because I don't agree with everyone all the time. I am happy to see that you've become more tolerant of other folks views, but it isn't nescessary to change if you don't want to. Strong individuals standing up for what they believe in should be applauded in this country. Whether right or wrong they have a right to be.

We accept that the kkk, the natzi party, and democrats have a right to exist and speak their minds in this great Republic of ours, our Republic even uses the democratic system of voting, so why not allow hunters with differing opinions to speak?