Season after season, we go out and enjoy the thrill of the hunt. The gentle breeze carrying the sweet scent of pine and the other crisp smells that bring you back to your first hunt. The gentle glow as the sun rises and sets. The memories of past successful hunts that you will always cherish with friends and family. The excitement of bagging your best personal record.
You see and hear movement. Your focus becomes so concentrated that you cant feel the bugs biting. The pace of your breathing quickens, and you feel your heart pounding against your chest in excitement and anticipation. You've got this shot.... your accuracy is excellent, for you have been practicing your shots all off season..
Using your preferred sighting system, you aim your weapon, and click off the safety. You see more movement in the thick brush that lies ahead of you. What is it? A doe? That 8 point buck you were hoping to get a shot at? Wait... is that... orange? "No, couldn't be. I just saw the rear legs of a deer", you say to your self. You slowly draw the trigger back as you take your shot..... you quickly release the trigger as you see a hunter emerge hauling his buck. You quickly engage the safety and open the action. You take a deep breath as you think how tragic this hunt could have turned out. 1/16 of an inch more on the trigger, and it would have been all over. The happy memories replaced with shame and guilt. The other hunter never to return to his family.
Sometimes we can become complacent when it comes to hunter safety. However, we all must try to stay focused on keeping each other safe. Accidents happen, but are they preventable? I'm not writing this to persecute those who have been involved in hunting accidents. This is being written to remind us how important it is to hunt safe. This past fall season, we've had three hunting accidents in New England area that have made the news.
-In Massachusetts, a hunter accidentally shot and wounded his neighbor, who was walking her dogs.
-In Vermont, a hunter accidentally shot and killed his friend. He then turned his rifle on himself.
-Here in Rhode Island, a hunter was accidentally shot and killed by another.
My thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends of the victims, and the hunters who took the shots. These incidents should remind us all to look out for our and others' safety while we enjoy our hunts. Wear your orange. Keep your safeties on. Keep you weapon unloaded untill ready to fire. Identify your target and know what's beyond it. These are just some of the things to keep in mind the next time you go out, and that we should teach to future generations.
Stay safe, thanks for reading,
-Rhody
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