Hunter Safety , Stay vigilant

Last week here in Northern California a 13 year old boy accidentally shot and killed his father while duck hunting. Don’t know the details only that it was an accidental discharge. I can’t imagine how this will screw the kid up for the rest of his life. Very very sad.
For those of you who hunt with their kids you need to go over safety with them during every single trip no matter how many times they’ve hunted. If you see them break or ignore one of the cardinal rules of gun safety they need to be taught immediately the seriousness of their action and the hunt for them is over for that day.

I use to teach hunter safety and even though gun safety was only one of many parts of the course I drilled it over and over and over. Even now before every hunt whether upland, waterfowl or big game I give a brief safety talk to those I’m hunting with and all the people I hunt with are adults. Even adults get lax some times, they need to be reminded too.

When I was teaching hunter safety during one part we would bring in several types of guns (pistols, rifles, shotguns) and after explaining each one let the group examine and handle them. The first gun I’d start with was a 22 rifle that was set up so it could only fire blanks. I’d pick out a youngster who thought he was a know it all, tell him I personally checked the gun that it was unloaded. I’d hand the gun to him and tell him to pull the trigger to see what the trigger pull was like (while pointing it at the ceiling of course) . There was a blank in the gun and when he pulled the trigger the whole class jumped when it went bang. The kids response was usually the same - but you are the instructor and you said it was unloaded. That is when I would explain for the 20th time every gun is loaded until you personally verify that it isn’t. I think the whole class learned a lesson from that they haven’t forgot.

A couple years ago a friend and hunting partner of mine was out duck hunting with his 16 y/o son. His son blew a hole in the bottom of the boat. That kid may never hunt again.
So be super careful out there and never ever get lax or take gun/hunting safety for granted.

 

I had a long time buddy shot and killed by his hunting partner.
Just unbelievable shit.
Had a guy at work trying to sell a few guns at work I was in my truck at lunch and was watching.
They had swept me with the scope a few times and jumped out and gave them shit. Well it’s not loaded was the reply.
A lot of people get shot with unloaded guns get a clue assholes.
I also suggested they redo their hunter safety course.

 

Every gun is loaded until you confirm that it is not; #1 rule of gun safety!

 

I chewed out a “firearms instructor,” teaching some old woman how to shoot a revolver at the range. Every time after she took a shot, she would start sweeping everyone with her finger on the trigger while she yakked at him. He said it’s okay since he’s only putting one cartridge in the cylinder, then the range master came over and kicked them out.

 

Timely post.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...rs-gun-related.256503/page-1530#post-29522407

 

Don't assume every gun is loaded. Do a magazine check and chamber check to make sure it's loaded before leaving the house!

 

I knew a couple that were target shooting years ago, their kid was playing hide and seek behind the hay bales that served as their backstop. You can guess the tragedy that happened there.

 

NO fn way really they let the kid play in the direction shooting.

 

So I don’t like to admit it but to show hunters safety works.
I was like 12 I’m 58 now.
Dad did his job made me take hunter safety. It was a lot for him to do he worked hard all day and took me 50 miles for a lot of nights.
My first yr hunting with him deer season unloading my gun I had a premature discharge. But my course had me pointed away and to the ground.

 

Also a very good point! The other important rule is "don't point the weapon at anything you don't intend to destroy"...

 

I'm having a hard time with family members that let their kids play cops and robbers and letting the kids point the toy guns at the adults. I tell the kids they can play cops and robbers with each other, but you point the toy gun at me and pull the trigger, the gun gets taken away.

I can't understand it, a couple of the folks are law enforcement.

I'm also not in love with the designer colors real hand guns can be found. I'm all for woman owning guns, but " it's a pretty color" just rings wrong to me.

Just my opinion.

 

This is why I'm EXTREMELY selective about who I take shooting...

Funny/semi scary story that ended well for all parties...was out one weekend night at a friends house pregaming before we were about to go out. Buddy who lives there calls me into his room somewhat seriously, says he needs my help. I walk in there, and he has his AR out on his bed, with the bolt jammed, and a live round stuck in there (he'd just built the gun, hadn't even been lubed yet)

Immediately asked him wtf he was thinking. Said he was showing someone else, I chewed him out for using a live round when there was absolutely no need. Ended up managing to get the round out with no issue, and stuck around to watch him lock up his rifle lol. Not a fun thing to deal with when you're drunk, but went as well as it could have.

 

They didn't know and assumed that the kids were playing in the house. The range was set up maybe 100 yards behind the house. There was no fencing, just a hay backstop and a natural hill behind that which served as their dirt berm, a few trees on either side. They think the kid walked the perimeter and approached from a blind angle.

I'm not sure what kind of formal instruction the kids (or for that matter, the adults) had. Also not sure exactly why the kid did what he did. 7 year old logic.

I've shot at a few country impromptu target ranges. In a weird way it was more strict than if we were at an actual range, in that a brief headcount is taken before picking up a gun, nobody walks past the line when someone is holding, and we make sure that if there are any paths that can access the backside without being seen, they're barricaded and tagged with a sign.

That last rule was the one that my circle of friends added after the fact.

 

My dad once had a misfire black powder gun and he put down on the bench but not facing down range.

He's a major major gun safety nut and made a mistake once. My uncle spotted it and shoved me out of its trajectory.

It really does take a village, and even with the most care they are very dangerous things.

This is why I like bolt action rifles in my experience, its either got a round in it or it doesn't.

 

One of the things im totally against is online hunter safety courses. In California and several other states you can take the hunter safety courses online. That is something that absolutely needs to be hands on in person. I’ve observed most online courses what ever they are people dont learn much . They take the course not to really learn but rather to pass the test. The course content is soon forgotten.
When I was teaching hunter safety I could fail a person for various reasons based on my judgement. Online courses any fool can take the course and have someone else take the test. Certain things. absolutely should be hands on in person

 

My best friend (at the time) somehow managed to accidentally shoot himself in the chest while deer hunting 32 years ago.

There's a small handful of people that I trust handling guns around me, everyone else has to earn it. The few that I trust have already earned it.

RIP Travis......

 

I used to think this. I don't trust anyone anymore. Too many peeps in my circle that have too much going on in their lives...even if they have a license to carry.

I don't carry because I don't trust myself. I like to drink and have a temper. I respect those that do, but I'm not going to and become statistic.

 

Exactly, when I hand a gun to someone and tell them "It's unloaded" and they immediately confirm it (safely) themselves; I'm not offended but reassured!

Redundancy in safety is a life saver; many of my large field projects (pipe lines, etc.) entailed tailgate safety meetings every morning before any work started. Some of you fellow geezers remember always #1 Slips, trips, falls.......

 

I used to go through this ritual every single time my younger brother and I would go out hunting or shooting. He got so sick of it that he would damn near be in tears. Guess what? We never had any ‘accidents’.

 

The month leading up to deer season is the most dangerous time at the range.

Bubba Joe who takes out his "turdy-augt-six" once a year to zero and "knows it all" since he "has been hunti'n since I could walk".

Muzzle flagging, pointing downrange when people are downrange, firing when others downrange,...you name it.