Every year we hear about the injuries or tragic deaths of hunters across the country due to unsafe actions in the field. Unharnessed falls from treestands, negligent firearm discharges, misidentified targets, failed fence crossings, and drownings are unfortunate perils in our sport that claim lives annually, but these incidents are mostly avoidable — and basic gun safety plays a huge role in that avoidance.
Details were recently released about the latest fatal hunting accident involving a firearm that occurred last month in Wyoming during an elk hunt. A negligent discharge resulted in a father being shot by his own rifle while hunting with his adult son on Oct. 6
According to Sheriff Steven R. Rakness, Ron Blank of California was hunting with his son, Dan (from Texas) in Washakie County. The two were headed back to their truck when they reached a ridge and had to scale a rock face. Ron left his rifle with his son, climbed the face, and had his son hand the firearms up to him. His rifle discharged in the process, and the shot hit him in the chest.
Dan rendered first aid and was able to call authorities on his cell phone, but emergency vehicles couldn’t reach their location. He then guided them in on foot by firing his handgun. Emergency personnel attempted to stabilize Ron and then carried him to a spot where a Life Flight helicopter could land.
The helicopter transported him to a hospital in Worland, where he died during surgery due to massive internal trauma and extreme blood loss.
“All, please remember to be aware of your situation and surroundings and, as always, stay safe out there,” Rakness said at the end of his statement.
According to the International Hunter Education Association, approximately 1,000 people in the US and Canada are accidentally shot by hunters every year. Just under 100 of those incidents are fatal.
Every hunter has to take a hunter safety course to legally hunt wild game in any state in the US. Since those courses began being mandated by states in the 1970s, fatal hunting accidents have declined dramatically.
“Never pull or push a loaded firearm toward yourself or another person. When in doubt, unload your gun!”
For example, there were a shocking 91 fatal hunting incidents in Colorado between 1961 and 1969. There were 45 fatalities between 1970 and 1979. After hunting safety courses became a requirement, there were 23 hunting fatalities from 1980 to 1989, 13 the following decade, and there were only 10 fatal hunting incidents from all causes in Colorado from 2000 to 2009. From 2010 to 2015, there were six fatal hunting incidents. And Americans do a lot of hunting in Colorado.
Still, every negligent discharge that results in the injury or death of a hunter is one too many. Firearm safety, be it gun or archery, makes up a substantial part of every Hunter Safety course. Unfortunately, once in the field, it’s too easy to become complacent and either shortcut safety procedures or neglect them completely — especially if good safety habits aren’t reinforced regularly from a young age.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation says gun safety must always come first when handling a firearm, whether you’re on the range or in the field.
NSSF’s 10 Rules for Safe Gun Handling states that whenever a person handles a firearm or hands it to someone else, they should always open the action and visually check the chamber, receiver, and magazine to ensure they do not contain any ammunition. The person being handed the gun should do the same. Actions should always be open (or have a chamber flag inserted) when a gun is not in use. Never assume a gun is unloaded.
Related: Colorado Hunting Accident – Muzzleloader Hunter Shoots, Kills Bowhunter
The rules further state that hunters should never cross a fence, climb a tree, or perform awkward actions while carrying a loaded gun.
“While in the field, there will be times when common sense and the basic rules of firearms safety will require you to unload your gun for maximum safety,” states the NSSF. “Never pull or push a loaded firearm toward yourself or another person. When in doubt, unload your gun!”
It’s always a good idea to brush up on gun safety when you look for any changes to your state’s hunting regs each year. And there’s no reason every hunter shouldn’t take a run through the online Hunter Education study guide every once in a while for a refresher.
Hunting is an integral part of so many Americans’ lives and the lives of their families, and it has created some of the most beloved memories and camp stories that span generations. Make sure you do your part to hand down a tradition of gun safety as well, so those stories stay positive and don’t become tales of tragedy.
Read Next: Don’t Risk Hunting Falls – How Not to Die in Your Treestand Safety Harness
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