Another hunting tragedy

[TedH]

While I didn't personally know this young man, it happened in my old stomping grounds, very near where I deer hunt now. I haven't read any offical account, but the word is he fell from his deer stand, somehow his weapon discharged and the bullet struck him and claimed his life. Very sad, and I'm sure the family can use some extra prayers.

http://www.warrencountyrecord.com/local ... f887a.html

[Chuck 100 yd]

Sad! Prayers sent.

[Blaine]

Safety harness, Guys...please. If you're going up or down, unload.....I always used a rope for my bow. I pray that every hunter does these things.....No more accidents like this would be a fitting tribute to the young man

[OldWin]

Wow, how sad. Prayers for he and his family.

[86er]

Prayers up for his family. I am obsessive about using a harness going up or down. I owe it to my family to hunt safely. I worry about my little guys and don't let them in tree stands yet (no harness is quite small enough to support them properly). This is a sad tragedy. I hope somehow his legacy is that his entire high school class, maybe the whole town will reconsider hunting safety when they take to the woods.

[Rusty]

When I went to the hunter safety course they stressed the point, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A HARNESS, DON'T USE A TREE STAND!

[Griff]

Prayers up for his family. This is a sad tragedy. I hope somehow his legacy is that his entire high school class, maybe the whole town will reconsider hunting safety when they take to the woods.

Ditto.

[Mac in Mo]

That's very sad news.


Kevin

[Pete44ru]

.

Sad........

Treestands can be killers - even the ladder stands I use.


My first ladder stand threw me to the ground as I turned around to descend the 12' ladder, when the issue dogchain folded loops attachment broke apart at one of the links after only one season's use.

I had been handgun (only) hunting from the stand, with an 8-3/8 S&W M29, but had unloaded it before placing it in my cross-chest bandollier-type holster w/flap (secured, of course).

I fortunately landed exactly between two of the huge boulders below the stand, on my back......

I was doubly fortunate that I only had the wind knocked out of me - but when I started to look around, I saw the barrel of my .44, lying on the ground next to my head & pointing at my face !
The impact of the fall had thrown the revolver out of the secured flap holster as I hit the ground, letting it slide out/upward from my chest. ( You can bet I was glad I had unloaded it)

I replaced the dogchain with a welded link chain that afternoon !

I now know to thoroughly check daily the stand I intend to use that day - for cracks in the members & tree attachment system, and to also check the tightness of every single fastner with a wrench or pliers before the start of the hunting day.

My heart goes out to the victim's family.



.

[66GTO]

Hunting accidents around here seem to be divided between tree stand accidents like this one, ATV accidents, and accidental (careless) shootings. Unfortunately we had one of the latter just up the road from me yesterday. Two friends hunting on private land, both in separate tree stands. Dark came and as they were walking out one guy shot a load of buckshot at some movement and noise without identifiying his target. You can guess the rest. No hunter orange required on private land in Florida and neither hunter was wearing any. I cannot comprehend why anyone would shoot at movement or noise without seeing what he is shooting at, regardless of the hunter safety issue, you could shoot a dog, or illegal deer. Dumb.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20131202/NEW ... dlife-says

A similar thing happened near here in the state forest during archery season a couple of years ago, but the hunter who was shot with the arrow survived. No orange required even on state land during archery season. I lease the hunting rights on some farm/timber land and I am the only one allowed to hunt there, but I always wear orange anyway, gun or archery season. And I always carry a flashlight when walking in or out in the dark.

[wvfarrier]

Just another reason why I stalk. Tragic. Prayers

[EdinCT]

Praying for his family.
I to am amazed how many people still do not wear a harness.

[AJMD429]

This is a sad tragedy. I hope somehow his legacy is that his entire high school class, maybe the whole town will reconsider hunting safety when they take to the woods.

Yep. Some dufus will say there should be less hunting and 'gun' stuff, but the REAL lesson is to teach MORE safety.

I read things like this, and always want "the details", because the problem-solver in me wants to find out exactly what things could have been done differently. Even without the details, though, it sounds like an unchambered gun and a harness would have been keys to not having it happen.

One thing I DON'T like about muzzleloaders is that you can't really unload them other than by pulling the ball/bullet or by shooting them. Removing the primer certainly makes them less dangerous, though.

[1894c]

--prayers sent-- I really don't like tree stands, I understand why others do, but it's incidents like this that make stay on the ground... :(

[SJPrice]

--prayers sent-- I really don't like tree stands, I understand why others do, but it's incidents like this that make stay on the ground...

I agree. If God wanted us to hunt from trees he would have given us tails. er uh, he would not have taken them away from us a while back.

Anyway, personally I want one of these in "Real Tree AP"

[Ysabel Kid]

Very sad. Prayers up...