Thread: hunter down :(

Originally Posted by ebf

I don't think changing the agency is going to achieve anything unless there is a substantial change in the law, the regulations and the process.

The thing is that with most firearm uses outside of hunting, it is pretty much self-policing. If you join a pistol club and act like a idiot on the range, you will very quickly get told to pack your bags, and same for most other sporting codes.

With hunting you have guys going out once a year, guys hyped on buck-fever etc. No way that I can see how you can regulate it. My view is that if we had the same amount of deaths / accidents on target ranges, pistol clubs and clay fields, the relevant associations would have stepped in long ago.

Only way I can see forward is to make it mandatory to belong to something like NZDA (if your intended firearm use is hunting). For them to radically change their approach to safety training and vetting, and to make that part of the process of obtaining a hunting license. That and a huge change in attitude from the average guy going out there to hunt, where it changes from the current macho bullshit attitude to one where you are man enough to come down like a ton of bricks on any mate that does something stupid or unsafe, to make "safe" practises the rule, rather than something that is seen as girly or unnecessary.

Unfortunately I do not see this happening, and fear we will be having the same debate next year, and the year after...

Correct me if im wrong but a firearms coordinator with the the deerstalkers shot his mate two or three years ago