Grouse Hunter Shoots Friend
Not the kind of story you like to read about, but 2 men were grouse hunting near Ottawa when one of them accidentally shot his partner. I wish a quick and full recovery to the injured man. It should also be pointed out that neither man was wearing hunter orange as required by law. The Toronto Star reports that,
“Two men had been grouse hunting on private property when one man mistook his partner for the bird and fired one shot that struck him. The man remains in hospital in serious but stable condition. “He’s not out of the woods yet,” said Milloy. His partner, who fired the shot, was not injured.” Entire Article Here
I dislike ‘the orange’ as much as anyone. However, this is a sobering reminder as to why these kind of safety laws are important.
Wear ‘The Orange’ this season people!
Mike – After I had submitted my comment with the two weeks hunting season note, I realized I should have re-worded it. However, Hunters, like you, have real jobs. This means they can’t hunt every hunting season that comes up. In my experience Deer season sees the most hunters with rifles in the bush. There are fewer bear, grouse, small game, turkey hunters in comparison. You should be able to enjoy your forests again. Are you trying to walk on public land or private land? It has no real contribution to our discussion other than it may give you a landowner for you to talk to about arranging good times for you to walk your dog etc. Or you may be trespassing. If this is the case I am not sure any of your concerns would have relevance – other than the small chance of bullets hitting your property.
Just so you know, it is illegal for hunters to shoot and waste meat. Trophy Hunting for the sake of a rack (and leaving the corpse to rot) has NEVER been legal. This is a law that is enforceable with strong fines and consequences. I assure you every effort is taken to make sure the meat hits our freezers. If you know of this happening – it called poaching. Call me or the MNR (there is a link in the top left of my blog site to directly report this) right away. If you call me I would personally like to …well…I probably should not say what I would like to do to them on my website. You better let the authorities deal with it. I have met many hunters – none were ever drunk. None ever wasted meat. I think you are working from a bad stereotype that does not exist.
I can not guarantee that there will never be inexperienced, drunk, idiots in the bush shooting guns at targets, anymore that I can guarantee you that you will not come across a drunk driver (or speeding driver) on any road or highways in Ontario. Consider the tragic car accidents this past ‘end of summer’ long weekend. There was something like 25 – 35 fatalities in ONE weekend. These are the activities you need to worry about with respect to safety and death tolls. The hunting stats (I am digging up some for the post I told you about) are low with respect to injuries and fatalities. You are making it sound like you are walking into a wall of bullets every time you head into the forest. If you feel that this is going on – Call the OPP. These are not hunters you are dealing with. Hunters will target practice, but they have ALL taken courses to do this safely as have ALL registered gun owners. Hunters will not target practice during the season because it would spoil the chances at game.
You can NOT walk into a store buy a gun or a hunting license without mandatory safety courses that require an exam and background check by the RCMP. There is a hunting course and a gun course. Both are costly. These are both reasons safety stats for hunting and shooting sports are very low.
With respect to not being able to walk your dog and other activities – I am not sure I have a solution. You have a right to be there and so does a hunter (if its public land). I have a dog. I walk my dog on my rural road. I am surrounded by land that I know holds hunters. There is 900 acres behind and across from me and easily 4 times that amount to the right of me.The property is well signed and I have seen their orange on my walks. I am confident that they will stick to what their courses have instructed them in: Identify their targets and know what lies beyond their target. I would argue you could still enjoy a walk in the bush as I do (almost every night).
I would appreciate you visiting my blog again in the next little bit as I would love your thoughts on that upcoming blog post I am working. I honestly have enjoyed ‘discussing’ this with you. Feel free to comment anytime.
I don’t think you’re being unreasonable. However, I know there are a lot of ignorant arrogant people around. I see beer cans around the forest’s trails for instance.
You feel safe, because you’re on the prowl by yourself, sneaking around the bushes, laying low. Me, us rather, and my wife actually, plus dog would like to roam the forest’s trails. When it’s all clear we’d like to let our dog run loose, because he’s indoors too much, and we’d like him to unwind. We both work too much, and really need the time in the weekend to regain our senses. The outdoors, nature, trees, birds, wildlife, photography, that’s what I like. I walk around with a tele lens hoping to capture wildlife. People trying to shoot the same wildlife as I’d like to actually take photographs of, already makes us pretty incompatible. I’d relish to get a nice photo shot of a deer, while you, and your hunter friends would like to blow its head off.
But I need to refrain from judging others in that way. I eat meat from the grocery store, which came from somewhere. I’d understand if you’d like to hunt a deer, to fill your freezer for meat for your family. Now, if you’d go around shooting a deer and left it lying around, just for the pure joy of killing it, well, then screw you, or whoever does else does that. I’m assuming you utilize your kill to the fullest, I feel it’s your responsibility. But that again, is my view, I can’t expect everyone to agree with it.
What’s really directly affecting me, is if in the weekend, I see a forest path with a parking in front of it, somewhere in, say, Osgoode somewhere, I can’t go for a walk, because I’d be endangering myself, my wife, and my dog. How do I know that every hunter is responsible? How do I know that I don’t encounter some arrogant inexperienced teenager pair laughing over some target practice while drunk?
The thought of that prevents me from enjoying the outdoors. So the weekend rolls by, without meeting my family’s needs. The dog goes back inside for week, and has to make due with the boring walks around the residential street walks.
I think it’s really unfair for the entire landscape to be owned and possessed by hunters and their guns. I may be ignorant when it comes to hunting, but we’re dealing with real guns shooting real lethal projectiles, which scares me.
I’ve seen some (just a few) numbers of how many people die from hunting accidents, and although in Ontario apparently it’s really low (2 per year?), I’d like to know how people get injured (which survive), and how many pets get shot. If one in a thousand bullets would kill, then it’d 2,000 people would get shot per year due to hunting accidents, but of course, this is just speculation, I’m probably way off.
Lastly, 2 weeks out of 52 weeks. I’ve checked the pdf files hosted by the Ontario government. It’s all over the place from September to December for various kinds like small game, to deer, to bear, and turkey. Also in the spring (turkey?). I’m not sure when is what, but they all have one thing in common: guns, and flying bullets as a result.
Mike – I don’t recall admitting to saying hunting was unsafe. Unless, you consider joggers who wear reflective tape or clothing (to improve their visibility to motorists) as admitting that jooging is unsafe. I assure you I feel perfectly safe in the bush – otherwise I would not be there. Hunters are educated with 2 primary rules – Identify your target and know what lies beyond your target. When they don’t accidents can happen. I assume you want to walk you dog on public lands. Like everyone else, we all need to find a way to share our forests with multiple use groups. I said 2 months (as the length of deer season) previously. Where I live, rifle season is only 2 weeks. Two of 52 weeks a year is far cry from anyone trying to intimidate anyone out of the bush. I am glad you voiced your opinion, as I would say your thoughts of intimidation by hunters is the last thing any hunter (I would hunt with) would want. I would like to make a blog post (using your thoughts and comments) to hopefully start some discussion from more people regarding the issues you are raising. I will also include hunting safety stats and compare them to other things people die from. The results may surprise you. Thanks again for your time in commenting. The vest offer is still on.
So you admit it isn’t safe to walk in the forest for 2 months, and that an orange vest would help make it less unsafe?
How about selecting only 50% of different forest regions for hunting, only 2 months of the year, and make it really clear with a map where it’s safe and where it’s not.
Two weeks ago, I was disgusted how my weekend was spoiled while trying to unwind by attempting to take my dog out. The entire landscape was invaded by hunters. Even people walking their dogs on the road were wearing orange. It is just ridiculous that hunters get to intimidate us like this.
Sorry to hear that Mike. Thanks for putting up with us for the other 10 months of the year we are not in the bush. You could take your dog for a walk just after dark (half-hour after sunset) when hunting is done. Or stick to the main roads and sidewalks where hunters are not allowed to hunt from or near. I would be happy to send you an orange vest if you contact me again.
Thanks to any (word edited) hunter, I don’t feel safe taking my dog for a nice forest run. Thanks a lot, (edited word).
I fully understand the safety logic of hunter orange…I just wish there could be a more ‘appealing’ color that had the same effect.
This is a sad and scary story. Not sure why you dislike the orange…especially for small game???
Well said Kristine!
Definitely always do what you can to be safe. Not because it’s the law, although it is, but because it’s the smart, and right thing to do.