Thread: How Could This Happen ?

Originally Posted by Woody

Positively identify your target. Basic stuff. It should be reported to police.

Not just that, but no shooting within 500m from any trail or hut. And it sounds like they were shooting towards the hut, so didn't ensure a clear field of fire.

I agree with @Moa Hunter, there's a distinct lack of training going into new licence holders. This spoken as someone who had no previous experience of any consequence with firearms before getting into the sport... I took it upon myself to read up as much as I could on firearm safety etc., but as someone else mentioned, this doesn't prepare you for the adrenaline hit in the heat of the moment. I think there's an obsolete expectation that firearms users have grown up being exposed to and trained in the use of firearms by older generations. I was pretty shocked when I sat my FAL test by the general ignorance of many others in the group.

I don't know if it's a funding / resourcing issue... I imagine the cost of a FAL would have to increase significantly to cover the sort of hands-on training we're talking about. No doubt there would be plenty who would volunteer their time, but then that may raise all sorts of liability issues (although the HUNTS course seems to navigate this okay).

In the absence of anything being done about it, I would strongly urge all you older & wiser blokes to take a newbie under their wing (as @Moa Hunter did for me). I appreciate it seriously compromises your hunting effectiveness, but for those who don't have someone to show them the ropes, you'll be potentially saving lives and starting a multi-generational chain of good practice.