Thread: Another Hunter Killed

What am I going to do...

1st I'm going to sit Blake and Alex down again tonight and talk about this... It's mate shooting mates not some random guy shooting another hunter. These people knew there was another person on the hill that which makes it so dam much worse.

What am I going to tell them and myself ... STOP & THINK!! what am I shooting at what part am I shooting head neck shoulder heart and if I dont bloody know dont shoot. Also that there is no place for bravado or muchco crap with hunting the "if its brown its down or if it fly it dies etc bull shit has no place in hunting.

That we all have to stop and think ..my mates is out there somewhere could this possibly be him.

No snap shots from rabbits ducks goats everything eithier let it go or a 100% shot.

I ask that we as a hunting community do the same 1000 of us with the same message, we can change laws etc but like drink driving speeding drugs etc laws mean bugger all to some ,so it becomes down to us and our attiude. I'm taking this message to my son & his best friend and myself so the we do not ever end up in this situation.. not hope and pray ,I am going to make but make bloody sure that we won't.

As I've said I'm not perfect but what I can do is make sure 100%.

A tv add would be good. Get it to the masses. My kids cant learn a thing at school but stick it on tv and theyll have it memorised in minutes.

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Guys, this article provides the most information currently available to the public that I have found so far on this latest accidental shooting. Shock after accidental hunting death - National - NZ Herald News

"We" need to rise to the "challenge" set by Tussock.

One point I would make is that there is a big difference between knowing the 7 basic rules of firearm safety and actually practicing them correctly.

I think that a HUNTS course (based on articles I have read about peoples experience on them and on the premise and structure of the course) addresses the practical aspects of the "7 basics", but even then will that translate to the "real world" reality of hunting, 5 years later, with "buck fever' thrown in?

I naturally resist a call to "compulsory this or that", until there is evidence it will actually have a benefit.

Playing the devils advocate here, in the last 2 high profile bush shootings, the guy pulling the trigger is not who you would expect to make such a mistake.

#1. Christopher Dummer, a former president of the Wellington Deerstalkers' Association.
#2. Henry Worsp, an experienced hunter and fisherman who is known by the nickname "8-shot" and has more than 10 years' experience managing outdoor safety.

I believe good practical instruction on the "7 Basics", with scenario based teaching, is just ONE part of the solution. We also ALL need to practice the 7 Basics correctly, EVERY TIME we are around firearms.

This event has galvanised me to complete a HUNTS course as soon as I can.

Firearm safety starts with us. Knowing right from wrong is not enough, we need to practice the right way all the time, and ensure others around us do as well.

What do people think about a forum section devoted to firearm safety? I would envisage that it had a sticky with the seven basic rules and links to suitable literature on safely identifying your target. I would also suggest considering incorporating a HUNTS course calender with up coming courses and how to apply (obviously this would need to be agreed with by NZDA).

Finally, my thoughts on this latest shooting accident:

This is a terrible accident, tragic for all involved and a spine tingling reminder that you can't be too careful, either behind the trigger or "in front of" the barrel.

I have sympathy for the guy who pulled the trigger. That would be my worst nightmare.

Be careful out there. Sounds like the hunting community lost a real good bloke. It doesn't need to loose anymore.

Cheers, Carl

Carl, +1 about the safety section in the forum. Love it.

Originally Posted by CreepingDeath

Cant fucken believe this shits keeps happening . For some fucken venison. Wake up people , this literally was in my back yard . The access to the bush there was across my old farm. Ive taken my kids for walks in there , makes me feel fucken sick.

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Same here Creeping Death i am at the northern end of the reserve, were you down by Puaiti rd? i hunt up by the tower can get there through Mc Naulls Place but it is to steep for most people so pretty much have the place to myself, you get heaps of pig hunters along here pouching on Doc land, didnt sleep to good last night knowing i hunt this area and that just happened cant help but think what would happen to my wife and kids if i was shot while out getting a feed for the freezer, a hands on coarse for firearms licence holders is a must not one evening with the mountain safety council where you are given the answers. i would hate to see it end up restricted like your B cat licence. pop up targets in a safe bush setting with tagets of hunters in blaze orange and camo along with all your wild game targets with part animal targets. it always used to be the nonlicenced person was the demise of our sport through pinching our firearms to them using them on others, well the tide has turned now we are taking ourself out, and we will lose this privledge if we dont sort it out ourselfs. it is far to regular in the news now for it to be an accident.

everyone here gives a shit should we draft a training plan for firearms safety and bushcraft. train everyone in safe operation of a firearm and safe operation in a hunting enviroment along with bushsurvival. and send it on to the aproppriate people.

I think it is a waste of time making anyone join a club or attend safety courses until the very people who advocate these are stopped from killing our fellow hunters. The last two killings have been by people way up at the top...not newbie gunslingers.
The next time I go in the bush I am going to be wearing one of those flashing lights that cyclists use strapped to the back of my head...if some prick takes a shot at me, make sure you kill me because I'll gut shoot you if i get the chance.

Originally Posted by mucko

Same here Creeping Death i am at the northern end of the reserve, were you down by Puaiti rd? i hunt up by the tower can get there through Mc Naulls Place but it is to steep for most people so pretty much have the place to myself, you get heaps of pig hunters along here pouching on Doc land, didnt sleep to good last night knowing i hunt this area and that just happened cant help but think what would happen to my wife and kids if i was shot while out getting a feed for the freezer, a hands on coarse for firearms licence holders is a must not one evening with the mountain safety council where you are given the answers. i would hate to see it end up restricted like your B cat licence. pop up targets in a safe bush setting with tagets of hunters in blaze orange and camo along with all your wild game targets with part animal targets. it always used to be the nonlicenced person was the demise of our sport through pinching our firearms to them using them on others, well the tide has turned now we are taking ourself out, and we will lose this privledge if we dont sort it out ourselfs. it is far to regular in the news now for it to be an accident.

everyone here gives a shit should we draft a training plan for firearms safety and bushcraft. train everyone in safe operation of a firearm and safe operation in a hunting enviroment along with bushsurvival. and send it on to the aproppriate people.

The old maxwell.farm that boundries te kopia rd

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As tragic as all of this is, it is provoking alot of thought on the matter of better training for hunters. For the entrepreneurial among you there is a business opportunity in amongst this. It is just a matter of fleshing out the business plan, presenting it to the authorities for approval and piecing it together in a way that honours the unfortunate that have given rise to the need.

I dont think a compulsory hunting course is suitable for all shooters. Some of us will never hunt and only shoot targets, what benefit would they get? No this is stricktly a hunting license issue that may need to come into existance.

Being that this seems to be a psychological effect of the activity of hunting - i see no way to just 'train' your way out of it. Perhaps the way forward is to employ more technology in the field. I mean Jumbo jet pilots dont rely on their eyes to prevent mid air disasters. They use early warning systems and gps etc. Maybe we all should wear an eprb type device that a monitoring station watches over the weekend. When one blip gets within 1 km of another, that blip gets sent a text message. Couldnt an automatic server be set up to produce a simple warning when this happens?

I would just like to say ... the tone in general of the comments on here in relation to this tragedy seem reflective, concerned and empathetic, unlike some of the circus idiots venting elsewhere...

I believe the issues raised need our thoughts and require information sharing but calls for deterrent sentencing which can never work, and disturbing attitudes towards the unfortunate shooter have no place in public forums.

We have a lot more interest in Hunting and shooting than was around 20 years ago. Young people getting into it possibly don't have the traditional role models, that supposedly modelled appropriate behaviours for them, because of perhaps a missing generation of hunters from that time...

Some consideration for training may be necessary prior to the granting of DOC hunting permits, dealing with the specific risks and proceedures that are necessary for bush hunting where other people may be present. Maybe some periodic refresher as part of a club system would be a good thing.

I am usually the last person to suggest more beauraucracy for anything, but quite frankly I feel these accidents like a physical blow and it just makes me feel sick..

Originally Posted by Sidney

but quite frankly I feel these accidents like a physical blow and it just makes me feel sick..

Isn't it shit that we have to talk about this sort of thing, that is has happened in the first place (and twice so recently)

true true dougie,im taking my boy for a hunt for the weeknd next week Im not letting him miss out,you can only do for you and your family.there will be some talented people out there who will make these wishes off working to prevent these acc from happening come to fruition.Mean while im gonna do more hunting than i have to post more in the hunting threads!.

Agreed more training, thing is I feel it won't stop all the killing but just cut back on them. Trouble is no matter what we are taught there will always be mistakes. We all know what its like when you have been stalking around and then "holy shit" movement. Just in case you are wondering I always take care and identify my target beyond a doubt. We folks out there are made of all different types of DNA make up so what works in someones head may not work in others. The rules can be drummed in to you but it only takes one mistake to ruin a lot of peoples lives. So more involved training, refresher courses annually, tougher sentencing laws. Unless we take more care we are going to end up in the shit, no guns, extremely hard rules and worst of all more deaths. Rest in peace James Dodds, hunters and mountain bikers communities are thinking of you and your family.

This is a tragedy. Our thoughts are with the families and friends.
I know the bloke who got shot is a really good bloke though I have never met him.
I do know the shooter and he is an experienced hunter, a bloke with a really good level head on his shoulders; he works in the field of rescue and safety and first aid training; and is a paramedic too. This is quite out of character for him to make such a misjudgement.......he must be going through hell.

I agree to more training. This is happening too often of late.

Heading out for a hunt with a mate today; we are talking about the plan; we will stick to the plan; and will not shoot in the direction of the other -i.e if we follow a ridge line the right shooter will never shoot to the left and visa versa - even if an animal runs from right to left across the right shooters path.
Thought needs to be given as to where will this bullet go if I miss this animal too.

Originally Posted by Kakaramea

This is a tragedy. Our thoughts are with the families and friends.
I know the bloke who got shot is a really good bloke though I have never met him.
I do know the shooter and he is an experienced hunter, a bloke with a really good level head on his shoulders; he works in the field of rescue and safety and first aid training; and is a paramedic too. This is quite out of character for him to make such a misjudgement.......he must be going through hell.

I agree to more training. This is happening too often of late.

Heading out for a hunt with a mate today; we are talking about the plan; we will stick to the plan; and will not shoot in the direction of the other -i.e if we follow a ridge line the right shooter will never shoot to the left and visa versa - even if an animal runs from right to left across the right shooters path.
Thought needs to be given as to where will this bullet go if I miss this animal too.

Good on you dude.

Having this a second nature is called experience.