Thread: Hunter Shooting

When this incident first came to light and I heard all the details of it, I thought back to all the other high vis fatal shootings in NZ. I then looked at my high vis vest and thought "whats the point"? It now lives at the bottom of my closet. If your times up, its up!

I think the main problem is caused from the moment you apply for a FAL. It is just way to easy to get one. Read a book, answer some questions, interview and wamo, here you go, go and shot shit up in the bush if thats what you want to do. Far to easy.
There needs to be a course like HUNTS, or you need to attend x amount of guided hunts through the Deer Stalkers or something.

I never grew up around guns. When I got my licence i knew jack shit about how to even use a gun (removing bolt, loading correctly) let alone how to hunt or identify my target. Its just to easy to make a cock up when you have no real idea.

Be interesting to know the stats of countries shooting accidents....

We are a bit different here.... less people less regulation, our type of bush stalking is less common than other places.... bush probably thicker...

It would be interesting to have some serious research work done on it....

There is a whole raft of surrounding issues.... hi vis clothing etc....

I am back to camo now (green accent not brown) .... will put reflective vis on an animal when carrying it, but orange draws attention I reckon and can look brown in certain light in the bush...... will wear orange in open country....

I'm not sure there is any evidence to show that the licencing system is the problem, after all it seems to be the more experienced people that it happens to.

I think complacency is the problem, and self discipline is probably the only realistic answer, and not having the "It would never happen to me" attitude.

I agree, if you look at all these cases it is never the new wet behind the ears hunter that ends up shooting someone, it mostly is the old hand, experienced, and quite often highly respected member of the hunting community that accidentally shoots someone.
complacency of having done it that many times and its always been a deer, but this time it wasn't.

I know a bloke personally who has shot a mate, fortunately it was not fatal, he is a highly experienced hunter. He swears that what he shot at was a deer, no matter how many times he goes over it, he can't even tell me what would have prevented it, he was that convinced it was a deer.

I was always of the opinion that it was completely avoidable, after speaking with him i am not completely sure, has made me a shitload more aware of it though!

I don't identify my target, and it will never happen to me! How does that sound?

I identify WHERE I AM GOING TO PUT THE ROUND!, if you do that, you will never shoot anything you should not- I don't go "it's a deer" BANG!, I go "where do I need to put the round" factoring in the angle/ elevation/bullet construction ect, and have trained myself to never snap shoot, and let it go rather than not have the spot on placement. Has cost me a few animals by being slow to fire, has frustrated me (and others!) a time or two, but never a doubt or mistake.

One of the tragic things about the sentencing in this case, is the judge has given zero account to the damage done to the wife and kids, not just emotionally but financially.

He was a respected multiple farm manager taking a salary of $80k a year, a vehicle with expenses and a free house and power. Mum and the kids have had to leave and find a new home at at very little notice and with the breadwinner gone. The person responsible for this, should be making repatriation, even if it meant selling his art gallery and home.

The sentence is a travesty of justice, it should be mandatory to cover the surviving family financially for at least a year to buy some recovery time for the surviving family when that family has been financially dependant on the murder victim. The murderer gets to continue living and can rebuild his life after a financial cleanout. Try telling a six year old, "you have to get out of your house cause your daddy's not coming home".

Perhaps someone clever will jump on here and give an adequate descriptive of the meaning of "justice"

Mate the problem is that its just not that simple...

if you take from him, you also take from his family, is that justice? I agree that the victims family has suffered as a result, but if he had taken out a life insurance policy, maybe they wouldn't be?

There is no such thing as justice in terms of making it right, or making it fair. Not possible... some attempt has to be made to compensate for the harm, but to what extent?

Justice actually isn't about making it right or fair.... Justice is about accountability, answering for your actions to society and to the victims. Compensation is a different thing..... remorse can't be assessed by outsiders.....

Justice has been served here..... penalty and compensation may not have been.... that however is not for us either..

+ 1 with SNIPER there. Its all too easy. There's no real hands on training unless you do HUNTS (voluntarily) It needs to be part of the licensing, end of story.

My latest hunting adventure the weekend just been involved my mate and I. He was 3m in front of me, and maybe 2m to my left. Out pops mr piggy and I have him dead on, clear as day in front of me (He didn't). I didn't take the shot coz my mate was in front.......end of story. I'd like to think I try and make those decisions because I'm always thinking what if?......Its not a deer or he trips at that exact moment when I pull the trigger......etc etc........

The "million to one accident" happens a bit too often for my liking lads

Sadly enough I reckon I have a fair bit of knowledge on this subject.

It seems really simple aye? Trust me it's not. In my opinion, I don't even know how/ if it can be stopped.

Sticking to the 7 basics helps 1000x over, but doesn't eliminate the risk of accidentally shooting somebody. Its like saying "I don't speed, nor drink drive, I wear my seatbelt, therefore I will never kill anybody in a road accident." Ignorant logic.

Simple fact of the matter is, EVERYTHING is based on peoples judgement and People have a LONG history of fucking things up.

I am not standing up for the guy but I'd say, that to this day he swears he saw a deer. The brain simply sees what it wants. Lots of studies been done on this, you have all seen the magic guys whipping watches etc, same shit.

A lot of love and understanding from me, goes out to Adam's family and friends, but also to the guy that fucked up. All you hard cunts that want to hang the guy, just take a moment and imagine waking up every day knowing that you fucked up that bad and ended somebody's life. Anybody that has experienced something real fucking awful knows how these things don't go away, and that its not just on waking that you remember.

If he was truly a piece of shit with no remorse, then that was for the Judge to decide.

My 2c worth.

On a similar but different note, am I confused or has this guy kept his FAL?? I saw in the court news that the firearm involved was confiscated, yet no mention of revocation? (loss of FAL) If that is the case then I will be royally upset.

I completely agree with the above posts about safety being first and I am encouraged by the attitude of this forum. While I have only made a few posts myself - with this first post, the day after the sentance being handed down I almost smell a troll...

Someone sneaking under the bridge you reckon? Who would do that? Surely not a journalist, they can't handle the truth.

Originally Posted by sAsLEX

You would kind of hope they would be a bit more direct.

I wouldn't hunt with someone that I know doesn't practice safe habits, and if they decided they must come along I would go fishing instead.

How would you know? This guy probably practiced safe habits, until the terrible day that he shot someone. How do you know you wouldn't do something like this? Or your best mate? Truth is, we don't. We can only do our utmost to prevent it.

Originally Posted by Tahr

How would you know? This guy probably practiced safe habits, until the terrible day that he shot someone. How do you know you wouldn't do something like this? Or your best mate? Truth is, we don't. We can only do our utmost to prevent it.

I was more referring to lack of application of the 7 rules etc, more general unsafe practices.

As has been said in here and as @Pointer taught me earlier this year, identify sex and general age of animal and where the kill shot should be placed and you then have id'd your target and therefore can pull the trigger.