Thread: Hunter shot in Kaimai Range near Te Aroha

Originally Posted by A330driver

I would certainly agree with your point,but have you not actually answered why this is happening,those very statements are actually what is happening....or certainly contribute to this whole discussion,.....it is just “not” about identifying the target,it’s about the the “state” of the hunter,,the human factors that contribute to the demise of ones decision making abilities.......splitting hairs maybe,but the end result started with some flawed input,......stress or otherwise

Agree totally. But I have mentioned a few times in this thread as to what I believe leads to miss identification shootings......Attitude/mindset.







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for what its worth my hunting mates all really like the hunting n fishing tee we bought that is patch work in design....cant think of plurry name but it really stands out well as it has orange/blue/lime green/camo/green..... pink n purple work too but guys a bit funny about wearing it.
the tepari products hats from oamaru stick out like doggies danglies...smurf blue.

30 plus years ago one of my best mates was shot and killed by a hunter in his party, mistaken for a deer. They were hunting sika in summer my mate had ginger hair and while out hunting strayed from his intended area and was shot. It was a case of not identifying his target, at the court hearing the shooter swore 110% that he was looking at a deer but the judge said you were 110% wrong.
He was fined a $1000.
Another case I know of happened to a friend of my brother, hunting in the Kiamia Ranges many years ago. It had been raining and the guy shot was wearing a yellow rain coat ( no fancy gear back then) they ( three of them ) had been stalking an area heavy with deer sign the guy who was shot came out on a clearing and paused for a break, when the shooter came out on the bottom of the clearing and raised his rifle and let strip. The bullet hit the scope on his rifle and sent bits of bullet and scope through various parts of his upper body. Bleeding badly his brother managed to patch him up the best he could and got help and he survived. The guy shooting was convinced he was a deer. ( the mind had been made up the next thing he saw was going to be a deer due to the amount of sign about.)
It's hard to believe anyone could make that mistake especially when the one shot was wearing a yellow rain coat, but there you have it. It shouldn't happen if the safety rules are observed but it does happen. These two cases illustrate that we must be careful all the time, be safe this roar.

I stay clear of the Kaimai's during the roar to many people in there, also a lot of people that only hunt once a year out for a easy stag, i think they get impatient bashing through the thick bush and end up not identifying the target properly. there must be some way to use GPS or some kind of tech to let guys know that there is another hunter in close proximity, say 200m, may cost a few bucks but its better than shooting each other, make it compulsory on doc land along with a emergency locator beacon, just an idea

Good idea muka88 but it should be made cheaper so everyone has one, it would certainly alert you to the presence of another hunter before you see them. They did make vests that had strips on them that would let out a signal within a certain distance, the rifle had the transmitter attached. Once again good concept but every one would need to be set up for it to work.

the issue with electric gadgets muka88 and there are some out there...is you could then shoot someone without one because you KNOW they arent a person cause they arent setting off your beeper etc etc
compulsory doesnt work for poacher or indeed even a tramper/bird watcher/pig hunter.

Was just having this discussion regarding electronic solutions. http://iris.huntersafetylab.com/iris/

The problem is cost, uptake and false negatives. The cost limits uptake, which makes it pointless if you're the only one using it, and it requires the other person to be wearing one too. Shooters could be lulled into a false sense of security, where the widget hasn't detected a human, so it could work against you and reinforce the belief that it is an animal.

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Best to stick with the safety rules

I do see your point micky ,perhaps if it was as easy as downloading a free app a good level of participation could be achieved, i don't think we can ever make hunting fool proof, basic firearms safety and education is still the best way forward.

Originally Posted by Mooseman

Best to stick with the safety rules

Which is the whole problem relying on electronic shit is just another excuse not to identify your target 100% before you shoot at it might sound a bit gay or out there but how about doing some kind of blessing or prayer type of thing to whoever or what ever you believe in to take your focus off the shooting and make yourself aware of what your about to be doing may sound stupid but that's what I do I just take a quiet moment and ask that they allow me to hunt on the land and to protect me and the people in my hunting party and just run through what we intend to do this possibly might work for some people as you refocus on what your about to do and start with a calm clear mind

Another example is when you see objects in the clouds
Our brains lie to us all the time add low light, bad eyesight and exitment and well it gets a heap worse.

In my opinion people that ‘100% seen/thought it was a deer’ instilled in there mind that the next sound/movement/sight was going to be a deer, leading them to have a gun ready to pull the trigger at the first opportunity.

Which is a scary thought and makes you think twice about going hunting as you want to come home to your family. Also makes getting time to go hunting hard as your family are scared you wont come back. Shouldnt be this way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f1G6Nx5VDw

Take a look at this. I remember a course I attended decades ago which featured this picture. Different people saw it differently and we learned to look for more than a single interpretation of what we first thought we saw or assumed; including the way we perceived people and events. I am always mindful of this when hunting and in everyday life.

Originally Posted by Pointer

That's the bit I left out @Cordite, he topped himself not long after. Two families left without fathers.

@Pointer

Sure he is not the only one who has ended up doing that. We can talk about it, but who has the foggiest how it really feels? To be put beyond the reach of your friends and family and you then kill yourself too.

Originally Posted by R93

Agree totally. But I have mentioned a few times in this thread as to what I believe leads to miss identification shootings......Attitude/mindset. Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

A bit like, set out 20 mins earlier than you need to, and you'll be driving a lot safer. Getting into and staying with the right mind set.