In comparison to other sports, hunting can be highly safe. This is because most hunters use high-powered rifles and other weapons as equipment and protection from animals.
However, these are what lead to most hunting accidents. Here are some common hunting accidents and how to avoid them.
Shooting Hunting Accidents
People often get shot by other hunters when they go shooting prey together. However, the most interesting thing is that the injury is most likely self-inflicted.
There is a higher chance that you may injure yourself with your own weapon than hurt anyone else. For example, during your hunting trip, you may trip and fall while holding a loaded gun. Or you may drop your rifle and accidentally get shot.
Then there can be a hunting-related accident involving someone close to you. You may be out in the woods with your best friends, and one of them may get shot because you are all holding weapons.
There are ways to prevent this from happening. For instance, too many people walk closely together through a forest with loaded rifles.
Many people typically believe that if they keep their fingers away from the trigger, they will stay safe by relying solely on the rifle’s safety mechanism. You may mistakenly think that you will always be ready to take a quick shot.
This is an accident waiting to happen because now you can trip and fall with a loaded firearm. This may injure you or the person closest to you. No matter how experienced you are with a weapon’s safety feature, mechanical faults happen.
The best thing to do is never load your rifle until you are ready to shoot. This may be inconvenient because you want to take a quick shot when you spot your prey.
But safety should always come before any target. Otherwise, you may need to immediately call an accident attorney.
Ignoring Hunting Injury Prevention Rules
If you get caught up in all the excitement during a hunting trip and ignore the safety rules, you cannot prevent an accident from happening. This may be because you are carelessly walking with a firearm pointing towards another person.
Although most people do not do this deliberately, it happens quite a lot. People forget that they are holding a loaded firearm that is facing another human being. You should always treat the end of your rifle as though it is the most dangerous thing in the world.
Another common accident happens when hunters are climbing a fence or crossing obstacles while holding their weapons. This dramatically increases a person’s chances of falling or tripping with the rifle going off.
The best process is to keep your firearm down or get someone else to hold it away from everyone as you cross the tricky obstacle. After you are safe on the side you want and can walk safely again, you should grab your rifle back.
Not Being Prepared
A hunting related accident can often be prevented if people are more prepared. Check out https://www.ilearntohunt.com/florida/ to learn more about online hunter safety education courses. This is because practice makes perfect. Your first hunting trip may be nerve-wracking and careless, but you will become a pro after years of going out and keeping everyone in your group safe.
Several hunters skip the shooting range and head out into the wild. They always think they can immediately shoot like their favorite movie stars and hit an animal straight away. If you have never used a rifle before, especially at a target range, you are more likely to miss your target and have an accident.
If you are lucky, you may hit something minor like a tree or catch a finger in the weapon’s mechanism. Some unprepared hunters usually get startled by the recoil because they do not expect how powerful it can be. Even a stray bullet or misfire can happen.
Although these do not seem like a big deal, you never know who you might injure. A stray bullet can still bounce off something and strike anyone nearby.
With new guns, you should always visit your local gun range to fire some practice shots. This will make you feel more comfortable when you go hunting.
If you upgrade to a higher caliber, never take it out in the forest until you are at ease with the extra power. Even if you buy a new scope, you should sit down with it at the range to ensure it is sighted correctly.
Then you need to practice shooting from different positions because hunting is unpredictable. You will never be standing still in one place, so you need to be prepared with many practice hours at various ranges.
Unexpected Mechanical Failures
Mechanical failures often happen during a hunting trip. This is when an explosion occurs if you use the wrong ammunition or if your barrel is obstructed. You should always double-check before you fire a shot.
You need to ensure that you buy the correct type of ammunition for your rifle. No matter how much you rely on visual identification, always get an expert’s help while choosing the bullets you will fire.
This is because different caliber bullets look the same when you first lay eyes on them. They may even all fit your rifle the same way.
Firing the wrong ammunition can be a horrific experience. This will surely damage your rifle but can also seriously injure others who are standing close to you.
Always check that your barrel is not obstructed by a jammed shell or residue. If you see something blocking the barrel, unload your rifle and remove the obstruction.
It is also necessary to clean your rifle when you are not using it. A clean rifle is less likely to suffer from mechanical failures. The best rule is to clean the rifle once every few months or more if you use it a lot.
Always Stay Safe
Hunting accidents should always be taken seriously. When you are out with friends in the middle of a forest, it is easy to get carried away, especially when you spot prey.
However, always stay prepared with a clean and unobstructed rifle, and never keep it pointing at someone else when you are walking.
If you need to travel through an obstacle, always give your rifle to a friend to hold it safely until you are safely able to take it back. If you enjoyed these hunting tips, check out some of our other posts for more information.