Showing posts with label Safety for Hunters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Safety for Hunters. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Exploring the Dangers of Bear Hunting

For some reason, people seem interested in the notion of tracking down a bear through the wilderness and killing it. While it may seem strange, there is a small cult of people that follow bear hunting considerably and make it an active part of their lives. These people tend to find generalized hunting a little too “tame” for their tastes and instead lurk after the lumbering bears of the forest. Often seen as an attempt to prove their manhood, bear hunting is a dangerous and largely unnecessary sport that typically challenges all notions of natural balance and order. Instead, most bear hunting aspects lead to dangerous outcomes or to the possibility of extinction.

Bear hunting, while seemingly unnecessary to the average person, is actually a legal and monitored part of the hunting regulations in North America. Alaska is one of the largest places for hunting bears. Several times a year, Alaska can be found swarming with hunters trying to bag the big one and those just curious to watch the bear hunts. The danger and general excitement of the hunt is enough to draw on the very basic components of human nature and create a buzz around bear hunting. Unfortunately for the bears and for some innocent bystanders, bear hunting creates a chaotic and unfortunate scene.

It is argued by hunters that the bear population is quickly recharging and regenerating itself, leading to the moral validity of bear hunting. In other words, there are enough bears in the world and, furthermore, without bear hunting the population of bears in certain areas would be overwrought. While this notion may be partially true, it is also important to consider that bear hunters typically are not properly educated in the matter. Some bear hunters are not hunting for purposes of thinning out a particular species to maintain some sense of animal control in the area. This leads to many bear hunters callously shooting at anything that moves and taking down anything that looks like a bear, paying no mind to the species or importance of the bear.

For this reason, bear hunting is best left to the professionals. There are many within the wildlife community that are given the task of taking down the bear population by statistically represented and supported numerical values. These wildlife officials know what bears to look for and have identified the bears that are older and weaker, leaving the decision of hunting bears down to an actual representation of the bear community in a particular area and to actual natural law.

In that respect, bear hunting appears to be the domain of the testosterone-driven hunters. The hunters looking for the best possible kill are typically adrenaline junkies that are looking for danger and excitement. As many examples over time have proven, bear hunting can provide that danger and excitement in more than ample amounts. This leads to fatalities or injuries that are often results of people getting too close to bears or people getting too involved in the bear's natural habitat. In short, people simply do not know when to leave well enough alone.

With all of this rhetoric around bear hunting, one would think that the very notion of how dangerous the sport is would be enough of a repellent. However, every season more hunters are flocking to alleged hunting sites and every season more needless waste is being done to the beautiful natural backdrop that bears and other animals call home. The amount of human-led damage to the forests and natural setting of Alaska because of bear hunting is staggering.

Regardless of any moral convictions, it is important to maintain a factual focus when discussing hunting of any kind. Whether we live in an age in which hunting is a necessity at all anymore is certainly up for dispute. Many argue for the sport aspect of it, but a more logical approach might suggest that the arguments for the sporting aspect of bear hunting are better left behind.

PPPPP

Word count 662



Posted with BlogHatter - make money with a blog

Basic Firearm Safety For Hunters

Every year, hundreds of hunting accidents occur across America; just ask Vice President Cheyney. Many of these accidents could have been avoided by practicing a few basic gun safety techniques.

Know your weapon

If your weapon came with an owner’s manual, read it from cover to cover. Practice taking apart your weapon and inspecting it thoroughly. If you know what your weapon looks like normally, you will be quick to recognize any abnormalities of the weapon in the field. If you drop your weapon or fall while carrying it, take it apart and inspect it for damage. Make sure that the slide operates smoothly. If you are in doubt about the integrity of your rifle, don’t fire it.

Educate yourself about the ammunition that you choose to use. A .22 caliber bullet fired from a rifle can travel over two and a half miles. This knowledge is necessary to line up a safe shot.

Transporting the weapon

Always keep your weapon unloaded until you are ready to fire. If you are going to hike to a new location, unload before starting out. Store the rifle and ammunition separately and, if possible, keep the storage container locked. Never carry a loaded rifle in your vehicle or on an ATV.

Sighting your prey

When sighting up your intended shot, there are many things to consider before pulling the trigger. Never shoot at a partially obscured target. Identify your prey fully before even raising your weapon to take a shot. If you are in doubt about what is moving, control your excitement and wait until the target can be fully visualized. Never hunt after dusk or before daybreak.

Know what is in front of and behind your target before shooting. Do not shoot animals that appear on hilltops and near the tops of ridges as you cannot identify what may be behind your target. If your game is near water, rocks, or buildings, keep in mind that bullets can ricochet off hard surfaces. Do not use the gun’s scope to sight your game. Use your binoculars first, and then if the shot is clear, switch to the scope.

Treat your weapon as if it is loaded at all times

Never look down the barrel of a weapon for any reason. Keep your muzzle pointed away from yourself and others at all times. Learn and use various safe carrying positions for transporting your rifle in the field.

Keep a clear head

Never go hunting or handle a weapon if you have had any alcohol or medication that may impair your judgment. Even a sleeping pill the night before can affect your reflexes during the day.

Get plenty of rest the night before your trip and go home early if you find yourself becoming drowsy.

Sighting a big buck or a fat bird can be exciting. It’s important to keep a level head at all times and not let your emotions cloud your judgment. Don’t allow yourself to act without thinking through the action to determine if it’s safe first.

Wear your safety gear

Bring along hearing and eye protection and wear them before shooting. Include safety orange in your choice of head gear and upper body clothing. This helps other hunters in the area distinguish you from the prey.

PPPPP

Word count 545



Post created with BlogHatter - make money with blog