Post by "BIGTYME" on Aug 17, 2004 0:20:58 GMT -5
RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 13) — As dove season approaches, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is counting on hunters to spread the safe-hunting message.
“If you see an unsafe hunting practice, you shouldn’t be shy about telling that other person, ‘Hey, don’t put your hand over the muzzle,’ or ‘Don’t lean your gun against the truck,’” said Col. Kenneth Everhart, the state’s chief of Wildlife Enforcement. “If everybody in the group takes an active part in safety, eventually the message will be reinforced in everybody.”
Dove season opens in North Carolina this year on Sept. 4, the Saturday before Labor Day. Traditionally a group activity, dove hunts provide a rich opportunity for more experienced hunters to remind novices — or even veteran hunters having a momentary lapse of judgment — to be mindful of safety.
Low-flying birds, for example, can be all too tempting. “That’s probably our No. 1 injury around dove season — people taking a shot at low-flying birds,” Everhart said.
A close second would be accidental discharges, which can occur anytime during the hunt — from crossing a fence to congregating back at the field’s edge. Have a partner hold your gun when crossing a stream or fence. Make sure guns are unloaded at your vehicle. Never lean a gun against anything; it may fall to the ground and discharge, even if you thought it was unloaded.
Hunters should also know where their shot is falling — for courtesy’s sake as much as safety. “There are people moving into a lot of areas where hunters are used to going hunting,” Everhart said. “If there’s a house near a dove field that’s getting peppered with shot, they’re going to complain to the farmer. He doesn’t want to hear a lot of complaints, so you might end up losing your hunting spots.”
Hunting is one of the safer outdoor activities. In North Carolina, which annually issues more than 350,000 hunting licenses, a few dozen hunting accidents each year cause an average of about 40 non-fatal injuries and a handful of fatalities. Four hunters died during the 2002-2003 hunting season, three of them due to falls from tree stands.
“If you see an unsafe hunting practice, you shouldn’t be shy about telling that other person, ‘Hey, don’t put your hand over the muzzle,’ or ‘Don’t lean your gun against the truck,’” said Col. Kenneth Everhart, the state’s chief of Wildlife Enforcement. “If everybody in the group takes an active part in safety, eventually the message will be reinforced in everybody.”
Dove season opens in North Carolina this year on Sept. 4, the Saturday before Labor Day. Traditionally a group activity, dove hunts provide a rich opportunity for more experienced hunters to remind novices — or even veteran hunters having a momentary lapse of judgment — to be mindful of safety.
Low-flying birds, for example, can be all too tempting. “That’s probably our No. 1 injury around dove season — people taking a shot at low-flying birds,” Everhart said.
A close second would be accidental discharges, which can occur anytime during the hunt — from crossing a fence to congregating back at the field’s edge. Have a partner hold your gun when crossing a stream or fence. Make sure guns are unloaded at your vehicle. Never lean a gun against anything; it may fall to the ground and discharge, even if you thought it was unloaded.
Hunters should also know where their shot is falling — for courtesy’s sake as much as safety. “There are people moving into a lot of areas where hunters are used to going hunting,” Everhart said. “If there’s a house near a dove field that’s getting peppered with shot, they’re going to complain to the farmer. He doesn’t want to hear a lot of complaints, so you might end up losing your hunting spots.”
Hunting is one of the safer outdoor activities. In North Carolina, which annually issues more than 350,000 hunting licenses, a few dozen hunting accidents each year cause an average of about 40 non-fatal injuries and a handful of fatalities. Four hunters died during the 2002-2003 hunting season, three of them due to falls from tree stands.
