Thread: Hunters Taking Responsibility for Safety

thanks for your frankness hamish-it would put the shits up anyone!I agree with you though ,theres always a human /s who will flout rules or even commonsense if opportunity arises.I had a run in years ago with a guy like this and in the end we told him to fuck off preferably with his flash .22 shoved right up where the sun dont shine.personally I wouldnt piss on him if he was on fire!

the idea is a good one but relies on other "playing the game" as 199P raised some good points.
I have in areas of higher use - at at timnes of higher use drawn a sketch map and left it on top of log book in the hut.
I have however met some real idiots - bloody - minded B@#$$%tds like you unfortunately ran into HNTMAD - think they own the place and no concept of safety nor courtesy this used to be a prevailing attitude when I was culling.-
I move on to another hut get as far away as possible - or go home - I go into the bush to relax not get paranoid.
On the subject of safety - I don't care how old or experienced you are - it CAN happen to anyone - if you let your brain go on holday and start to get ruled by adrenaline.
every movement/sound I encounter when hunting is human until proven otherwise
The roar gives me the S#@ts - whos to say someone else isn't stalking that same stag your ghosting in on that's what worries me most - I'm moving in somebody sees my movement - gets excited and pops a cap in my ass - you can never be too careful and complacency is the biggest enemy

Originally Posted by ex-NZFS

the idea is a good one but relies on other "playing the game"

Getting shot, or not getting shot is always going to rely on the other guy not pulling the trigger. That is of course aside from any action you can take yourself, like blazing it up, or camming yourself in, or telling people where they can look out for you.

Now if some poor bastard shoots you. What more could you have done?

That's what this is about, doing everything in your own power to mitigate the risk of being shot. We each have to choose how to do that.

Options are:
- Don't hunt at a certain time or place,
- If you do choose to hunt the roar, when do you go, and where? Most people are lazy, so can you walk a little further to find your own ground?
- Stick out or blend in?
- Communicate intentions before going, when you're in there, and report on the forums after returning (eg any assholes you met, car regos etc). Help inform others.

The last thing I said to a guy before he died recently was "good luck and stay safe". Unfortunately "the other guy" will always get a vote in the outcome of that statement. This system only seeks to inform "the other guy" of your presence; hopefully forcing him into a more deliberate decision making process prior to pulling the trigger. Nothing we can do will stop him pulling the trigger if he thinks he sees a deer, or if he is just plain dangerous.

Originally Posted by Feral

Getting shot, or not getting shot is always going to rely on the other guy not pulling the trigger. That is of course aside from any action you can take yourself, like blazing it up, or camming yourself in, or telling people where they can look out for you.

Now if some poor bastard shoots you. What more could you have done?

That's what this is about, doing everything in your own power to mitigate the risk of being shot. We each have to choose how to do that.

Options are:
- Don't hunt at a certain time or place,
- If you do choose to hunt the roar, when do you go, and where? Most people are lazy, so can you walk a little further to find your own ground?
- Stick out or blend in?
- Communicate intentions before going, when you're in there, and report on the forums after returning (eg any assholes you met, car regos etc). Help inform others.

The last thing I said to a guy before he died recently was "good luck and stay safe". Unfortunately "the other guy" will always get a vote in the outcome of that statement. This system only seeks to inform "the other guy" of your presence; hopefully forcing him into a more deliberate decision making process prior to pulling the trigger. Nothing we can do will stop him pulling the trigger if he thinks he sees a deer, or if he is just plain dangerous.

But you shouldn't have too, isnt that the point. I mean on a holiday period on the road i dont tell everyone where i am going and what roads i will be on and what time i will be on them and what car i am driving!!

Hamish

Originally Posted by HNTMAD

But you shouldn't have too, isnt that the point. I mean on a holiday period on the road i dont tell everyone where i am going and what roads i will be on and what time i will be on them and what car i am driving!!

Hamish

Absolutely, if you want to drive a 1982 Honda city you totally can. These days though, air bags make me feel a bit better during the silly season.

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Originally Posted by HNTMAD

But you shouldn't have too, isnt that the point. I mean on a holiday period on the road i dont tell everyone where i am going and what roads i will be on and what time i will be on them and what car i am driving!!

Hamish

You shouldn't have to wear your seat belt either. You're a superb driver who never makes a mistake, but you might be on the receiving end of someone else's mistake. There is a risk, and an easy way to mitigate it. So why wouldn't you?

So you are telling me if I get shot and I didn't indicate where, I was. Nor wore blaze or any of the other things you mention and more then it's my fault and not theirs for not positively identifying their target?? Still doesn't make sense. I say again. You shouldn't have too

Hamish

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Originally Posted by HNTMAD

So you are telling me if I get shot and I didn't indicate where, I was. Nor wore blaze or any of the other things you mention and more then it's my fault and not theirs for not positively identifying their target?? Still doesn't make sense. I say again. You shouldn't have too

Hamish

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Totally agree you should have to. But good men keep getting killed. And it's not their fault, and it wouldn't be your fault if you got shot either.

So it can't be a bad thing to do a little more to offset that risk.

Personally, I'm happy to do a little more just incase it helps with my wife isn't getting told by someone she doesn't know that I just got killed. I can assure you that is shit for everyone involved.

Originally Posted by HNTMAD

So you are telling me if I get shot and I didn't indicate where, I was. Nor wore blaze or any of the other things you mention and more then it's my fault and not theirs for not positively identifying their target?? Still doesn't make sense. I say again. You shouldn't have too

Hamish

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Fell the same way, but keep away from certain areas over Easter weekend. Feel my life is more at risk on the road driving there than on the hunt though.

It's not about apportioning blame. It's about not ending up dead.

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Great idea @Feral BUT in Foirdland anyway there is hunters getting dropped at the top of massive valleys and walking out, I've given up hunting the roar down there as there is just to many people now. The boys went down this roar for three days, normally we are there for two weeks but they said last time as well. Just to dangerous.

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

Great idea @Feral BUT in Foirdland anyway there is hunters getting dropped at the top of massive valleys and walking out, I've given up hunting the roar down there as there is just to many people now. The boys went down this roar for three days, normally we are there for two weeks but they said last time as well. Just to dangerous.

Yep, understood. It's not for everyone and some scoff at the idea and as you have highlighted it won't always be of use. BUT I have noticed a few more hunters on FB using similar methods to give a heads up of their intentions and declare where they will be, in general terms. For example there is now a Ruahine hunting intentions Facebook page and guys are open with where they are going. It's good to see.

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The main point to realise here is that this system is not about stopping idiots with firearms or securing a hunting area exclusively. It's about provoking awareness. Some good points all around here. Of course this system isn't perfect & many would opt not to use it. Additionally, even if you do opt to use it there's no guarantee that others would see it. Yes there are dangerous idiots out there. & yes, of course you shouldn't need to use it, but things do happen. But, if even one person sees the warning, realises I'm there & is either aware & extra conscious that I'm in the vicinity or decides to go elsewhere, then the system has worked.

I think it's a system that has merit though. I do the same thing, but just handwritten & I leave it visible on the dash. Again, that's no guarantee that other people will look at my dash. I keep my intended area general, partly so as to not give away my spots but also to allow for changes in plan (I always leave a significantly more in-depth intended plan with my partner, with plan A, B, C all detailed on a map). Additionally, I always leave my gun case visible & open, so anyone that looks in the window is aware that there's a firearm with the vehicles owner. As an extra, I always note that no valuables have been left in the car.

Alerting even one person to my presence makes me feel a bit more comfortable while I'm out there. But yes, ultimately that doesn't determine who decides to pull the trigger at a particular object.