Mojotex

Thought some of you might be interested in this. One of my ol' buds was a game warden. He retired earlier this year. He sent me an e-mail briefing the recorded hunting accidents during the '13-14' season in the state where he worked. Man ... 7 fatalities. Hunter orange is required in this particular state.

"Shot By" - (1) Shot at a measured 652 yards. Two hunters. Life long friends. Two shooting houses each ion a crest overlooking same general area .... a draw between them. Big buck moving between them. Talking to each other on cell phone planning who had the best shot. Guy took the shot and hit low. Second shot missed too. Could not get a response from his bud. Snhot high and put a round through the shooting house. where his bud was sitting. Bullet struck his buddy upper thigh. (2) Six deer hunters conducting a "man drive" in thick cover. One guy shoots "movement". Hit the "driver" in the neck. No one in the entire group was wearing hunter orange. (3) Two hunters in the same "Hunting Club". Unknown to one another, were hunting in the same area of their lease. One shot "movement". Hit the other hunter in the neck. Neither wearing orange. Neither had used their club's "post out" protocol. (4) Guy shoots and knocks down a buck. Buck got up and stumbled off. He and his buddy searching. Heard a noise. Shot the "noise". Hit his bud in the back. Again ... neither was wearing orange. (5) Quail hunters. Hunting a so called "game reserve". Pen raised, "Throw Down" birds. Covey rise. Guy swings and fires. Hit another hunter center of the chest at 16 yards with a load of bird shot.

Drowning --- Duck hunter fell out of boat leaning over to pick up decoys. Could not swim. Not wearing a life vest.

Fall Fatality --- Report included investingating 14 falls with injury. One fatality. Fell 18'. None of these were using a fall restraint.

All so tragic and each so preventable.

WDE54

yeah, I am familiar with a couple of those; I just posted about an App that stresses safety called SmarterHunter; check it out

Game Stalker

I'm a firm believer in blaze orange. I also believe in common sense and erring on the side of caution. These traits seem hard to find in people today, that's why I'm very particular of whom I hunt with and how I hunt.
I've mentioned this before but it's very appropriate to this thread, so I'll bring it up again.
Was hunting fall turkey which overlaps w/MZ season in my area. Didn't hear hardly any shooting that day. Finally heard a MZ and wondered what they got. Next day I found out that shot was from a 16 yr. firing at movement. Killed an older hunter w/wife and 2 kids. Hunter was wearing blaze orange top to bottom. Spent a 5 days in ICU and died the following weekend. Kid was charged as an adult and got serious jail time. Lives ruined over carelessness.

Czech

a friend of mine , hunting with a solid-white handkerchief in his back pocket , was the victim of a fatal shooting whilst hunting whitetail deer .

Joot

^^Sorry but I had to laugh a little with this one...

Topgun 3006

You can't fix stupid, including anyone that would laugh a little at any of these incidents!

Oldtimr

It absolutely was not the fault of your friend that he got shot in mistake for a deer but what in Hades was he doing walking around with a white handkerchief hanging out of his pocket in the woods in deer season! While the onus is on the guy with the gun, the rest of us need to use some sense in what we do and understand the consequences. In my state in 1975 a man got killed in bear season in mistake for a bear. He was wearing a black quilted jacket and a black trooper hat, the ones that are leather or vinyl that the ear flaps fold down and have a strap with a snap on them to keep them up or tight on your ears when down. The ear flaps were half way down so they looked like black furry ears. He was walking through mt laurel when he got nailed. Orange was not mandatory and he wasn't wearing any. I saw the hat and jacket and the first thing that went through my head was how stupid can a person be.

Topgun 3006

Like I just stated above Oldtimr, you can't fix stupid!

OzarkPA

Hey guys - been a while since in the forums and saw this post. Be careful out there this weekend. 10/5/12 I had a fall when getting into a climber stand up in the tree for the first time and didn't know what I was doing. Yes, that was stupid, but the hospital had several other stupid folks like me that had falls as well. I, and my family, paid for my mistake and only by the grace of God have I recovered pretty well - but it'll be with me forever. I had a burst fracture of L3 and spinal cord injury etc etc and by grace was able to walk again and get back to work to feed my family. I did take a deer during muzzleloader later that year, but just a personal note to you all in stands to please be careful (it's our opening weekend). Good hunting!

Beard Buster

Back in probably 07 (can't remember for sure) I was hunting with my best friend for rabbits, using my beagles. My friend had been having a hard time killing rabbits with the #8 shot he had been using so I suggested that he get some #4's... Terrible idea. Thanksgiving day my best dog ran one right between us and he wasn't paying attention to where I was at. I yelled, "DON'T SHHH........" then, BANG, and I felt a searing pain in my right bicep. I'll be danged, the entire pattern went to my right with the exception of one pellet, which buried up very deep. I didn't go to the doctor because he would have lost his license, but that was far and away the most blood I have ever seen in my life. It looked like I had been hit by a Rage broadhead lol. Be safe out there, people.