Rule Number 4

Well, today was nearly a balls up. Was out goat shooting today as usual. Bush foliage and ground soaking wet after the rain, approx 50mm rain previous 24 hours. Was still a bit of drizzle on and off. Anyhow, had shot a nanny and kid a bit earlier. Was making my way along a face and saw what looked to be a white goat below me. Cleared water of scope lense and worked my way down closer to get a clear shot amongst the trees and scrub. Had a look through scope and image was blurry so out with tissue and wiped lense again. Had to move a bit to regain view of animal and lined up scope. Image was still a bit crappy but I thought this doesn’t look or feel right so decided to get closer. Long story short is what I thought was a goat turned out to be a stray sheep gone bush. Was a bit pissed that I’d wasted time stalking a sheep but glad that I took the time to positively identify the target. Put it down to only expecting to see goats and nearly making a fcuk up! I’m out after goats nearly every week and this is the closest I’ve come to making a cockup in 50+ years hunting. Had a sit down and think about that one. A bit too complacent maybe. As a side note, when I rung Police to say I’d finished hunting the area for the day the call taker said I “must be getting well paid to hunt in this weather”. He couldn’t understand that hunters do it for recreation. Anyhow, rule 4: “positively identify your target” saved some embarrassment today.

stalked a few blackbirds they have one thinking- scratching around and then nah thats a F*%$#@n black bird

It’s worth keeping in mind that the overall setting / context of a situation can go towards playing little tricks on our brain. Like when you see your work mate in a cafe on the weekend, and can’t work out where you know them from.

I had an interesting experience hunting on a rainy day in the Upper Grey years ago. A dark red hind, standing facing me about 100m away, looked just like a man in an oil skin coat. I could have shot her five times and I even had + ID after she turned side on, but I just felt too spooked to do it.
I still think something that contributed to my perception that day, was the setting. Old run down west coast farmland, with rotting broken fences, regen fern, persistent drizzle and bits of fog. A man in an oil skin coat would have been totally congruent with the place and the day. Seeing something that looked like that, it was hard not to see that. I am sure that hind, had she been behind a deer fence, would have looked like a hind and nothing else.

It certainly hit home for me, that if a deer can look just like a man, it can go the other way too.

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

stalked a few blackbirds they have one thinking- scratching around and then nah thats a F*%$#@n black bird

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Yeah, later in day spent about 13 minutes looking/listening trying to figure out what was in a gut full of wild passion fruit until a Weka started calling. Stuff it, turned away and took one step only to have a goat that had come in behind sneeze at me. She soon regretted that. Weird day really. Nannies with new kids at foot, Wattle and Flowering Cherry trees out in flower. Everything is out of sync. at moment.

I was way up in the Ruahines in my younger days with a .270 Midland and saw this white thing crossing a scree slip.Had open sights thought yeah must be a goat.Pulled my shitty 10x32 binos out of my pack and got a better view, fuck it was a bloke in a white rain coat! Scared the crap out of me knowing I had him in my sights. Lesson learned!

I think the rule should be "Identify the WHOLE target"

I think if you asked anyone who caused a fatality they would all say they thought they had identified the target.

It would be a pain in the arse I know but if the entire animal had to be exposed for a legal shot to take place, it might save a couple of lives..

when I taught Firearm Safety for Mountain Safety I always taught new hunters when identifying deer get at least 3 points of identification right eg head is it a deers head 2) legs long skinny unless hunter has real weka legs deers legs are unmistakable - 3) length deer well lets say a red are 2 metres -long at least unless a damn fat hunter no mistake there so count of three things and its alive moving hope that helps- and by counting of three clear points of identification slows one down to have a damn good look

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Originally Posted by longshot

It’s worth keeping in mind that the overall setting / context of a situation can go towards playing little tricks on our brain.

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That's a big part of it I think. Your brain is wired for pattern recognition, and develops 'short cuts' to quickly recognise familiar patterns. I think it possibly why even experienced hunters aren't immune to misidentification or a hunting accident. For bush hunting especially I run on the base assumption that anything I encounter isn't a deer, forcing you to actively prove it is which I think helps reduce the risk.

Missed out on one in these conditions the other day, could see from shoulder to what looked like the creamy patch on bum. But no head or neck. Thought it was either a deer or a tree but wasn't prepared to guess. It walked off and then I realised it wasn't a tree
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Woods223
sounds like you followed the rules and got the correct outcome, great work. It would've been much easier just to blast it without making the extra effort.

Had my first encounter with another hunter in the bush today, was a good reminder that other people are out there too!

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Originally Posted by T.FOYE

I think the rule should be "Identify the WHOLE target"

I think if you asked anyone who caused a fatality they would all say they thought they had identified the target.

It would be a pain in the arse I know but if the entire animal had to be exposed for a legal shot to take place, it might save a couple of lives..

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When we have people being shot cause other hunters are not following the existing rules (shooting with thermals, at night, on public land or private land they are not permitted on) , making more rules won't solve anything except exasperate the law abiding.

Out bush hunting a couple of months ago in a steep valley in the King Country was dropping down a spur nearly at the creek. Got to the exact spot where I had shot a pig previously. Heard an animal heading my way fast chambered a round gun to shoulder. It come through an opening in the bush running I seen all the animal except the head. Medium sized ginger pig. But skinny as to skinny to shoot and carry home. It come through the next opening and it had a pink tracking collar on. What I thought was a skinny ginger pig was someone’s pig dog. Can never be to careful my mind was certain it was a pig after seeing part of the animal.