Thread: Could it be so simple?

All hunters at one point or another think about how we can keep ourselves safe in the bush and even more so during peak times for hunting such as during the roar.

As I was sitting in the bush yesterday morning waiting out a heavy shower I gave some thought to how best we hunters could reduce the number of people being shot by others not identifying their target.

I know there are a million threads on this topic but...

Imagine if during the month of April it was prohibited to shoot hinds.

With a rule like this in place it would mean that hunters would need to slow right down and at least firstly determine the gender of the potential target. This in itself would help ensure hunters fully identify their targets and would prevent lousy pop shots aimed only at a rustling bush or piece of an animal.

Perhaps extend to prohibit the shooting of spiker stags or stags under X points during this period also which would go even further towards identification.

Some rules like this would also help increase deer numbers which is a bonus right?

Could it be so simple?

Who would police it? How would they prove it if butchered in the bush and head and dick was left behind?

Originally Posted by chewy69a

All hunters at one point or another think about how we can keep ourselves safe in the bush and even more so during peak times for hunting such as during the roar.

As I was sitting in the bush yesterday morning waiting out a heavy shower I gave some thought to how best we hunters could reduce the number of people being shot by others not identifying their target.

I know there are a million threads on this topic but...

Imagine if during the month of April it was prohibited to shoot hinds.

With a rule like this in place it would mean that hunters would need to slow right down and at least firstly determine the gender of the potential target. This in itself would help ensure hunters fully identify their targets and would prevent lousy pop shots aimed only at a rustling bush or piece of an animal.

Perhaps extend to prohibit the shooting of spiker stags or stags under X points during this period also which would go even further towards identification.

Some rules like this would also help increase deer numbers which is a bonus right?

Could it be so simple?

Its already illegal to shoot people, you would think that would be enough reason to properly identify?

My thoughts exactly.
I for the life of me don't understand why so called experienced hunters are shooting hinds and rat stags during the roar anyway.

Unless they are in a known trophy area and culling, it really baffles me to be honest.

How to imploment and enforce such a rule as no hinds and minimum points in NZ, I have no idea.

But it would be a start and it has been done and is working in some states of the US. They are also shooting better animals because of such a rule as bucks and stags are getting a bit of age on them.
Imo people that shoot other people by not identifying their target are not experienced. They are not a hunters asshole.
They are over excited and incompetent and have got away with bad habits for years.
Cognitive bias is a bullshit copout imo. It is just a scientific excuse for stupidity.




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Ever played laser maze? I haven't but have always thought some similar techo shit could be worn by all hunters as a warning system

Sent from my workbench

Agreed about the impracticality of enforcing a rule like that.

But teaching more hunters to slow down and identify the age and sex as well as the species of an animal before firing may help reduce cases of wrong target identification.

Originally Posted by smidey

Ever played laser maze? I haven't but have always thought some similar techo shit could be worn by all hunters as a warning system

Sent from my workbench

They have tried, unless all wear it its a waste of time. You buying mine?

Originally Posted by Gibo

They have tried, unless all wear it its a waste of time. You buying mine?

Regulation may see it useful, hold onto it
No way am I playing armed tramper

Sent from my workbench

Originally Posted by smidey

Ever played laser maze? I haven't but have always thought some similar techo shit could be worn by all hunters as a warning system

The idea could be useful but has its problems - not all hunters will use it (and certainly not other people like trampers), not all the units will be reliable all the time, but some hunters will forget about that and rely too much on the technology to replace their brain.

I think one of the biggest improvements in safety comes from using cognitive bias to your advantage - make your first question 'is it a person' instead of 'is it a deer'.

Originally Posted by GravelBen

The idea could be useful but has its problems - not all hunters will use it (and certainly not other people like trampers), not all the units will be reliable all the time, but some hunters will forget about that and rely too much on the technology to replace their brain.

I think one of the biggest improvements in safety comes from using cognitive bias to your advantage - make your first question 'is it a person' instead of 'is it a deer'.

but with such a device (none mentioned) surely it is encouraging you to hold your gun up at something and if no lights or sirens come back........kaboom, no need to identify as a machine does it. Dont see it working myself, infact it encourages bad behaviour

Hamish

Yes this would be hard to police but the mere introduction of such a rule would at least get everyone identifying the animal before lining up a shot.

I think any type of gizzmo that picks up the presence of other hunters is a recipe for disaster

Even if a large percentage of hunters still took hinds and the prohibited stags, I bet many of them would identify them fully before the kill and that is point here.

This wouldn't even need policing and a few appearances by the authorities at the most highly trafficked road ends would be enough to get everyone talking about it and reinforce things a bit.

Originally Posted by GWH

Its already illegal to shoot people, you would think that would be enough reason to properly identify?

Agreed but there are obviously plenty of retards out there shooting through bushes or whatever.

Do you not think a rule similar to this would make anybody safer?

I do.

Originally Posted by chewy69a

Yes this would be hard to police but the mere introduction of such a rule would at least get everyone identifying the animal before lining up a shot.

I think any type of gizzmo that picks up the presence of other hunters is a recipe for disaster

Even if a large percentage of hunters still took hinds and the prohibited stags, I bet many of them would identify them fully before the kill and that is point here.

This wouldn't even need policing and a few appearances by the authorities at the most highly trafficked road ends would be enough to get everyone talking about it and reinforce things a bit.

So someone checking it's a hind at the carpark?? How do you tell if it's boned out??

Won't work in my view, reason I hunt public land is no one tells me what I can and can't shoot it is up to me

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Originally Posted by chewy69a

Agreed but there are obviously plenty of retards out there shooting through bushes or whatever.

Do you not think a rule similar to this would make anybody safer?

I do.

The problem with any rule limiting what you can shoot is DOC. Their goal is to wipe out not manage. Maybe the only way is make a DOC permit conditional on doing a target ID course and test every 5 or so years. It could be done as a condition of obtaining a licence as well.

Originally Posted by chewy69a

Do you not think a rule similar to this would make anybody safer?

Not really, no.

Education and training usually helps, creating more rules for people who aren't following the existing rules doesn't.