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Developing safe hunting practice

A research report by Joe Green, New Zealand Police

The deer hunter stands on the open ridge and hears the roar. "I'll have a go", he thinks. Calling on his years of hunting experience he responds, not too heartily, nothing to send the big fellow below off. The roar comes back, trees shake. The hunter gives another roar, another response follows, more crashing. The big fellow approaches, eager to have a look at, and have on the interloper on his territory.

A flash of white and red in the pepperwood - here he comes! The big moment! The hunter prepares. He can feel the excitement building, his heart rate climb, breathing quicken as he gears himself up for the emergence and speedy demise of his prey. There, the red!

A hat emerges from the bush edge onto tussock, with a similarly excited hunter beneath it - holding a .308, ready to shoot the big fellow roaring above him in the tussock.

This particular event ended happily, with the two hunters, mates from way back, sitting down for a brew discussing the experience of roaring each other up, and how all too often similar incidents end in tragedy, with one hunter shooting another.

The purpose of this report is to identify patterns of behaviour apparent in those incidents that have resulted in the deaths of deer hunters, and make recommendations for strategies that might contribute to safe hunting practices. The project analyses 33 of those tragic events between 1979 and 2002 in which one deer hunter shot and killed another deer hunter.

 

Recommended behaviour for minimizing the likelihood of a hunting accident

1. A hunter must not shoot at shape, sound, movement or colour, including those that belong to a deer, without confirming that their target is a deer.
2. A wise hunter will wear clothing that contrasts with the environment, including deer in that environment.
3. When hunting together with a companion, cease hunting if visual contact with that companion is lost, and do not resume hunting until visual contact is made and confirmed.
4. A hunter must develop a self-awareness that enables them to identify buck/stag fever in themselves, and counteract it with extra care while hunting.
5. Use binocular vision to identify the target; use the scope only to place the shot.
6. Snap shooting (as defined in this paper) is to be avoided unless target identification is complete.
7. If an area is obviously heavily occupied by other hunters consider going hunting elsewhere.
8. Hunters should undergo hunter specific training.
9. Hunters should belong to a club. Club membership is most likely to be the source of training and peer guidance.
10. Hunters should agree on hunting areas ('blocks'), with a clearly defined 'no fire zone' between areas. Do not hunt outside the agreed area, including on the way back to camp.
11. If a linear boundary is agreed (for example a ridge line or creek), no shots may be fired toward or over that boundary line.
12. If it is absolutely necessary for one hunter to knowingly move into another's area, perhaps because of an emergency, do not stalk into the area. The hunter should enter in a way that it is obvious they are not a deer.
13. Do not move into the firing zone or arc of fire of a hunting companion.
14. Sight more than a single small part of the deer and confirm it as the target.
15. Minimise the likelihood of colour similar to that of a deer being visible.
16. Do not shoot when others are known to be in the firing zone.
17. When hunting together with a companion in parallel keep sight of each other, maintain an arc of fire 180 degrees away from your hunting companion with a 'no fire zone' between shooters, including forward and back.
18. When hunting together with a companion, and taking turns hunting, the non hunting companion does not resume hunting until mutually agreed.
19. Hunting is not a time to fool around. Do not behave like a deer knowing your mate is hunting nearby. He may end up hunting you.
20. If carrying a deer carcass cover it in some way so that it is clearly contrasted with the environment, including deer in that environment.

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