Hunting injuries: Here we go again

Do we really need guns for recreational hunting? I'm not so sure.

GUNS: you either hate them or love them.

With two duck hunters shot on the first day of the duck-hunting season, the issue of guns is fresh in most people's minds.

Having processed the story on the guy shot at Bideford, allegedly by someone in his own hunting party, it got me thinking about the issue.

I've always hated them. My older brothers had a pellet gun they used to shoot birds and pegs off the washing line with. There didn't seem to be issues about shooting in residential areas in those days because we never had the police calling and I can assure you hundreds of pellets were shot every weekend out of that Daisy rifle.

This led to one brother becoming an avid hunter. So much so he moved to Bay of Plenty as a 20-year-old to make the most of his recreational sport.

He soon learned real hunters don't need a gun; just a knife to stick wild boar with. Now that's a real hunter, I'd say.

Do we really need guns for recreational hunting? I'm not so sure.

The reason I say this is every hunting season someone is shot and, in many cases, it is fatal. And in every single case I've covered in court or coroner's court, it has been because the shooter failed to positively identify their target. One man mistook the LED light of a woman camping in a DoC campground and shot her in the head, killing her instantly. Sadly, a productive life snuffed out in a moment's carelessness. In another case, a mate killed his hunting company, absolutely convinced he had shot a deer.

In another case, it has been a stranger shot from another hunting party. Why are we hearing of so many accidental shootings? Because more people are taking up the sport and not adhering to 101 of the code: positively identify your target.

Then you have guns getting into the wrong hands.

Guns are dangerous even in experienced hands. Let's get it right so guns are used safely without casualties, unless it's war.

I do like Robert A Heinlein's quote though: "There are no dangerous weapons. There are only dangerous men."