ROD AND GUN Call For Moves To Reduce Accidents To Hunters

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30981, 10 February 1966, Page 7

ROD AND GUN Call For Moves To Reduce Accidents To Hunters

[By JAMES SIERS] The circumstances in which hunting accidents occur indicate that many of the hunters who fire the shot intentionally, or who accidentally discharged a rifle, are not fit to be in possession of a firearm. Statistics of shooting accidents in the United States indicate that most deaths occur when one member of a party accidentally shoots his friend. Having taken a close interest in shooting accidents in New Zealand over the last few years, I have noticed a similar trend. It is bad enough to shoot another hunter, but the tragedy of shooting a friend or relative makes the incident even more nerve shattering. The pattern is for a number of hunters, generally two or three, to separate. Next one of the hunters sees a deer. It runs into cover. Bushes move. Bang! Instead of a deer, a friend either lies dead or dying. Such an accident occurred at Moerangi, between Taumarunui and Tokaanu, during the Christmas holidays, and with the “roar” only two months away, many others could follow. Higher Rate Here The sad fact is, that on the basis of population, we have a higher accident rate than do hunters in the United States. Consider the fact that most of their big-game shooting is confined to a very short season when anything up to 15m. men may be in

the field, and you wm start to question why our accident rate is higher. New Zealanders are inclined to scorn the fancy yellow or red ensembles worn by American hunters. In many cases they are impractical here. But for a man going into the beech or scrub to hunt during the roar, a bright yellow jacket could prove a life-saver. Another aspect we could adopt from the Americans is pre-field training, undertaken by many clubs. At present safety work is restricted to a limited advertising campaign by the Forest Service and to instructions by various branches of the Deerstalkers’ Association. Members of the National Rifle Association and smallbore clubs are also taught safety with firearms, but this does not necessarily prepare a shooter to react in hunting conditions. New Concept Urged To reduce hunting accidents in the years to come, a whole new concept of safety education must be introduced now. To do this will require a change in the weapons registration system as it exists at present. AU that is demanded of a potential firearms owner is that he qualify first by age and second that he has no criminal record, although I have known of a case where a man with a criminal record has been able to walk into a police station and obtain a permit to purchase a firearm.

Under the present system the police are supposed to

have a quick reference to any weapon that may have been used in a crime. But as most criminal offences involving a firearm—apart from emotional cases, where the person responsible is usually obvious—are carried out either with unregistered firearms or stolen ones, it has little advantage and certainly poses its own bureaucratic problems. (I know, because 1 once tried to obtain the total figure of all the firearms registered in New Zealand and was told that this was a mighty task.) Control By Clubs One answer to the problem would be to allow for a stricter control at the club level. Assuming a youngster wanted to become a range shooter, he must automatically join either a branch club of the National Rifle Association or, if he’s going to shoot indoors, a smallbore club. If he’s going to shoot large game, he should join a branch of the Deerstalkers’ Association, for an initial period anyway, until the club captain and the executive decide that he is responsible enough to go shooting in the field. When that youngster has reached this stage, he would be recommended to the police or any other registration authority as a person suitable to possess a weapon. Another advantage of such a system would be that the club or association would necessarily have to raise its standards to meet the new responsibility. In submissions to the Statutes Revision Committee, the provisional committee of Rod and Gun sportsmen suggested a similar system. Went Further The submissions, however, went a long way further. They wanted clubs to have power to discipline in the same way as the Rugby Union disciplines players for a breach of rules. In hunting, a shooter breaking a rule would lose the right to shoot. The gravity of his offence would necessarily determine the length of his punishment. In criminal cases of negligence or the destruction of property or acts of vandalism, the club would do all it could to assist the police in making investigations.

Shooting, It must be realised, is a sport that should best be left to shooters, and it is up to the shooters to realise their responsibility.

Skating Record. Fred Maier, of Norway, yesterday set a world speed-skating record for 10,000 metres with a time of 15min 32.25ec. The previous record was 15min 33sec held by Johnny Nilsson of Sweden.—Oslo, February 7.