Officials stress hunter safety

Missouri wildlife officials are urging hunter caution during firearms deer season after 10 hunting accidents were recorded last year, including one fatality.

Half of last year’s firearms-related deer hunting accidents involved self-inflicted gunshots.

Two hunters suffered self-inflicted injuries because they violated one of the most common sense rules – never put your hand over the muzzle of a gun.

In one case, a 13-year-old hunter participating in the youth hunting season had leaned his rifle against a tree. When he picked it up, he put his hand over the muzzle while trying to secure the safety.

That mishap ended a perfect safety record for the youth hunt, which had never been marred by a shooting mishap since its inception four years earlier.

The other hand-on-muzzle incident involved a hunter who was so excited by the appearance of an 11-point buck that he grasped his pistol by the barrel with his left hand.

Two factors tied for the dubious honor of playing a part in the most deer-hunting accidents last year. Two people were injured, and one was killed during deer drives.

Deer drives can be conducted safely. The trick is to plan them so all participants know each other’s location at all times and then following the plan carefully. However, this often turns out to be more difficult in practice than it is in theory.

In last year’s deer-drive accidents, one hunter shot and killed his uncle, whom he mistook for a deer. Another victim was out of sight of the shooter but was in the line of fire when deer appeared. In the third incident, the shooter and victim lost sight of each other, and fragments from a bullet struck the victim after ricocheting off of a tree.

Another three hunters were injured while loading or unloading, cocking or uncocking firearms, or putting safeties on or off.

Loaded guns in and around vehicles is another common theme in deer hunting accidents. The lesson here is to keep firearms unloaded except when actually hunting.