Colorado Luckydog

Alright, I'm really getting bored and need to kill something. Just two more months.

Every time we are hunting and we have new hunters, kids or just hunters we have never hunted with, we take a couple of minutes before we start hunting to go over a few safety concerns. Like...keeping your gun on safe, no guns being knocked over in the pit by people or dogs, no shooting over peoples heads, no getting out of the pit holding your gun....and a few others. One year we had a young kid on his first goose hunt and a couple of hunters that were members of our club. They were members but I had never hunted with them. The reservation was in my name, so I was either the pit boss or it was my job to designate one. (unless you are in a group of friends that have hunted many many times together, someone has to be in charge) I chose to take the job as the pit boss because of the situation with new hunters. After the decoys were all out and it was starting to get light I told everyone to gather around for a quick safety meeting. The old timer that was a member, looked at me and said are you F!@#$%& kidding. I said no. He said he didn't need any f!@#$%& safety meeting he had been hunting in the club for years. I told him it wasn't an option. He told me what I could do to myself. Now I know it was early in the morning and easy to be grumpy (and he was) but I told him to get his stuff and to please leave. He started to apolojize and the young kid was just staring at me and waiting for my response. I felt a line was crossed and the kid should learn that safety was the most important thing about hunting. I told the guy that his apology was accepted but we would have to wait for another chance to hunt together. He picked up his stuff and left. We had a little safety meeting and had a great hunt and the kid got to kill his first goose. We shot a limit and I think the kid learned a lot. I have never hunted with the kid or the old timer again but I think I did what was right. I see the old timer every now and then and sometimes hunt in the same field with him. (not the same pit, just the same field) It's not a safety lesson he gets on those days it's a goose killing lesson. I love putting a case of goose hunting whoop ass on him. You guys that hunt in high pressure situations where separate hunting groups are in close proximity of each other know what I mean.

I don't know why I felt compelled to tell that story, I just did. I think I have a little cabin fever and can't wait for season to get here. Do you guys make sure you talk about safety enough? Any stories? Any thoughts?

fowlplayaz

Hey man good job on sticking to your guns!
You know how some old timers can be, (they done it all and know it all)!
But maybe by doing what you did, you installed a good message in that young boy, Saftey doesnt know any age limits! Accidents can happen to anyone at anytime and as hunters we need to all remember that! People can die real quick with just 1 sec. of neglagence and that looks bad for all of us! We dont need to give them damn animal rights activasts and anti hunting jerk offsany ammo towards hunters! Its just anouther angle they would try to exploit and make us look like the bad guys!
As far as the old bird go's... its just a case of wounded pride and he may or may not get over it! but at least he lived to hunt anouther day!
but in close, keep taking those young guys hunting and keepit safe!
Teaching them insures safety for all us and all of our children!
Thanks and happy hunting!
Team Fowl playaz