[Sisco]

One other thing to report from the pheasant hunt yesterday. Went out with a group of a dozen or so coworkers. One guy (who I was actually hoping wouldn't make it: long story) pulled a beer out of his cooler at lunch time.

"So" I said, "You done hunting already?"

"Not yet!" he said.

"If you drink that you're done hunting with me".

He went home about twenty minutes later, said something about having better things to do.

I'm a big fan of "When the hunt is through this Bud's for you" but never while in the field.

[Kingcreek]

Life is too short to hunt with stupid people.
Stupid people can make your life even shorter. You did the right thing.

[OH25shooter]

How about this: the deer hunt was over for the day. Two of us (including me) were inside the camper for the night. The other two were still outside drinking whiskey (I didn't know they brought it) next to the fire. A hunter nearby was invited over for a drink. Somehow, words were exchanged, the hunter returned to his camp and got his shotgun. I remember the shotgun being cycled, some yelling and suddenly a deputy sheriff standing outside the camper. Someone else had heard the disturbance and called the sheriff. I have never hunted with those individuals. I prefer to be alone now.

[Matt G]

A drink by the fire in hunt camp while solving the world's problems is a wonderful way to pass an evening after the hunt is over. For me, hunting is my vacation, and I enjoy relaxing on my vacations. :)

Part of that concept, however, embraces this simple fact: it is NOT relaxing to be around stupid people drinking liquid foolishness at any time, more less when they're handling firearms. I will not hunt around people while they drink or have recently been drinking. I will not hunt around other people without discussing safe fields of fire. I prefer not to hunt around other people that I don't know and trust.

Remember to have fun, and stay safe.

[triggertime]

Many years ago, I participated in a charity dove hunt consisting of about 30 or so people on a leased property. The hunt started out fine until after lunch, which was provided by the host and consisted of pulled pork barbecue sandwiches and two coolers full of various soft drinks.

After lunch, we returned to our spots and almost immediately everytime a shotgun went off, shot would rain down on us.

After many verbal warnings, the host went to investigate and found a couple of guys beyond the tree line sitting behind the tailgate of their Jeep drinking beer and firing in every direction whenever something flew over them.

They were obviously inebriated and managed to kill a 12 pack between the two of them. Not only that, but there was another 12 pack in a cooler in the back of their jeep!

The host relieved them of their shotguns, unloaded them and called the sheriff. What pissed me off (other than getting hit with shot) was that they insisted that they didn't do anything wrong! I left immediately after that.

That was the last time I went hunting with stupid people. (at least not intentionally!)

[sm]

I don't so stupid people very well - period. Add firearms , drinking or both I especially don't do stupid people.

One of the hardest "walk outs" I did , was in chest waders in mud and mire for ~ 3/4 of a mile. I twice had a 10 ga pointed at me in a duck blind, along with a fifth of spirits....

I made it to a 4wd vehicle , went to main house, stowed my gear and left in my vehicle to never hunt again with said crowd, to ever communicate with said crowd.

[Double Naught Spy]

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/ihea/hea1994.html

These are available from 1994-1998 by simple changing the date in the web site address to any of those 5 years.

There are some interesting trends that seem to be represented by the data. First, hunting alone is apparently much safer than hunting with or around others. If you are shot while hunting, you are more likely to be shot by somebody else, generally at a rate of more than 2:1.

If you are shot by somebody else, in something like 25-40% of the time (depending on the year), you get shot because the other person confused you for a game animal. In similarly high percentages, being shot by another happens when the shootee is out of sight from
the shooter. As a result, even when wearing proper blaze orange gear, if you can't be seen, it doesn't do you any good.

While not causitive, stats show that you will most likely be shot while hunting deer. This gives the impression that deer hunting is really dangerous, but my guess it is that more people go deer hunting than anything else. Similarly, you are most likely to be shot if you are between the ages of 10 and 40. Once again, these are probably the largest age categories of hunters.

Rather bizarre to me was the fact that there are both self-flicted and 2 party-inflicted events when the gun discharged as a result of being ... used as a CLUB!

I think part of what is most scary is that only rarely were intoxicants being used. So most of the time, these 'accidents' were the result of the actions of sober people.

[Matt G]

I note that "Victim Covered By Shooter Swinging On Game" was a large cause. I was frankly surprised that there weren't more quail hunting accidents from that-- low quick flushes that require a quick swing seems like a prime opportunity to have that happen. Then again, quail hunters are more conscious of that risk, generally.

I've found myself having to use great caution while swinging on dove coming in to water at a stock tank.

Thing about deer hunting is that the dadgum rifle bullets just keep on going. That bad shot that either went off-target or got fired by accident is going to keep going until it meets something more substantial than the concealment of shrubs, weeds, etc. Shots that go over the horizon come down over the horizon. Another factor that I suspect makes a difference as to why deer hunting yields so many fatalities is that people tend to get a LOT more excited while hunting deer or other big game, and buck fever makes for a high chance of bad choices. Excited foolish hunters might shoot at shapes or sounds behind bushes, might fire through concealing bushes as deer run behind them, etc. [shudder]

[walking arsenal]

some sob near where i hunt must hunt with and AK or some other rifle with a high cap mag.

one year im sitting on my stand and i hear gunfire, ok, no big, lots of that during deer season, i like to count the shots to see if the shooter is worth a darn or not (1 being good shooter more than 2 not so good).

this day i hear the shots start and i count 1,2,3,4,5,6,7?,8??9!?,10,11,12?!?!?! :confused:

by this time i lose count because i hear a funny noise near my stand zzzzzip! pop! :confused: :uhoh:

what was that? :confused:

zzzzzippp zzzzippp pop pop!!!! :confused: :uhoh: :what:

never having encountered gunfire before this i didnt figure out till later that the zip pop noises were bullets! i counted 3 or four of those.

stupid hunters :rolleyes:

[hillbilly]

A buddy of mine no longer hunts with a certain group of dove hunters because they carry about as many cases of beer as they do boxes of shells into the field.

Not surprisingly, we heard that one of the "gentlemen" in the group got birdshot lodged in the side of his face a few years back.

I met with a group of folks who shoot bolt action rifles at clay targets taped to a board 300 yards away.

Great fun, only they insist on chugging beer after beer as they do it.

I went once, hit the clays, had some fun, and have never been back....that was a couple of years ago.

hillbilly

[Browns Fan]

I just got back from a hunting/camping trip to Northhampton County for 3 days. The only stupid thing I did was I forgot to tie my rope to my shotgun (had my rifle strapped to my back and had the other end of the rope tied to the tree stand). I wanted the shotgun, too, because they run dogs thru the area. I was lucky enough to get a buck before the dogs started!

:D

[FXR]

My grandfather and father took me hunting when I was young. Their drink of choice: coffee, out of an ancient insulated thermos, sipped quietly during a rest break among the fall foliage. No "friends" were invited because hunting was a family occasion.

When my son is old enough I'll take him hunting too, with the same drink of choice.

Other than that, I hunt alone...and sober.

K

[Harve Curry]

I guided a El Centro, California elk hunter this past week who hit me in the face with the muzzle of a loaded Win. Mod 70, 7mm magnum.
He didn't know how or care to keep his rifle from sliding back on is shoulder/sling. Really got me mad and I cussed him for it. Later he hit me again with it same way.
He left my hand made cedar cross sticks on a fence, passed them twice again and didn't bring them back. I went 2 miles cross country and got them myself.

[Kingcreek]

Harve,
Atleast the stupid people to which you refer pay you to hunt with them (presumably).
Maybe we should start another thread for all the stupid people encounters we have had while hunting. I can think of a few.

[Battlespace]

My dad taught me 50+ years ago that gunpowder and booze do not mix. I have read too many stories with sad endings that involved this deadly mix.

[mustanger98]

My stupid people encounters had nothing to do with other hunters, but rather with kids paintballing (not wearing orange and on private property) and city folks walking their dog on that same property and not wearing orange. People who don't hunt are oblivious to deer season and don't take precautions and many don't even find out where they are or where they're going; just take off walking. The dogwalkers came up crunching dry leaves, saw us, and said "ya'll hunting?". :what: Seriously, some other people who claim to be hunters might have thought "here come the deer" and opened up before IDing the target and there they'd have been. :uhoh:

[Carlos Cabeza]

Already mentioned by another poster but I don't associate with stupid people regardless of the activity or occasion. I go to the field alone unless I'm showing a novice hunter the ropes. After dark, I don't mind meeting with one or two close friends for a sip or two but only after the firearms are put away. PERIOD !

[auschip]

Well, sounds like you guys won't be hunting with me. I have been known to drink a beer with my lunch when out in the field. Never killed anybody, never peppered anybody, never even had a close accident. I figure if its legal for me to have a beer at lunch and drive home, then its ok for me to do it while hunting. It does help that we hunt private land. Then again, I don't consider it a stupid thing. Your mileage may vary. :)

[Sisco]

If I had thought this guy was going to have one cold one with his ham sandwich I might not have said anything. Just before he opened the beer cooler he had made several comments that indicated high noon was Miller Time and the party was about to begin.

[Kingcreek]

Anybody that feels that strongly about thier alcohol should be allowed to drink freely, without the distraction of a firearm.

[Larry Ashcraft]

That's kind of what I was thinking. I will have a beer on the porch and then go hunt doves in the field with my son, no problem. BUT, 12 guys and a cooler full of beer, somebody's gonna get stupid.

I was hunting with 12 or 13 guys in Dodge City over 20 years ago. Somebody broke out the blackberry brandy and some of the guys started sipping. Well, me, my two buddies and one other guy decided we hadn't driven four hours and spent fifty bucks for a license just to get drunk in a wheat field, so we abstained and ended up shooting most of the birds (we filled up). We just kind of gave the other guys a wide berth.

One guy got drunk enough that somebody asked "Nice shotgun, can I see it? (shuck...shuck...shuck), Yep that's a nice one alright". He never did notice he was hunting with an empty shotgun.

[Double Naught Spy]

...but us bigger guys can metabolize more beer than you skinny fellas so it is okay for me to have a couple or three, right?

Sorry, just because it is legal for you to drive a car does not mean you are not impaired. You can still get a DWI and be under the legal limit if your actions are seen as being impaired by the officer. Other factors come into play other than legal level of alcohol.

The folks that I know who hunt have the rule that if you open a beer, your hunting day is done. You can stay at the truck and clean birds and drink all you want, but you aren't hunting with us.

[walking arsenal]

[QUOTE=mustanger98]My stupid people encounters had nothing to do with other hunters, but rather with kids paintballing (not wearing orange and on private property) and city folks walking their dog on that same property and not wearing orange. People who don't hunt are oblivious to deer season and don't take precautions and many don't even find out where they are or where they're going; just take off walking. The dogwalkers came up crunching dry leaves, saw us, and said "ya'll hunting?"


Heres your sign :D

[mustanger98]

Heres your sign

Yeah. Here Daddy and I were- he was sitting over in some cover and I was leaning on a tree (both our outlines sorta broke up from some angles), we both had the orange on and we both had rifles- and they can't tell for sure what's going on. Oh well. Like I said, city folks. :uhoh: :rolleyes:

[St. Gunner]

We have one steadfast unbreakable rule when we run the dogs on hogs, you don't drink until the hunt it over. About a year ago a friend decided to test that theory with the guy we hunt with, it was his last hunt and he's been going with us for 7yrs. What we do with the dogs and hogs is dangerous enough, we have enough close calls with hogs without having to throw alcohol into the mix on top of it all. When asked about it my standard reply is this, "Many times we just miss getting cut or bit by a boar by a half step... One beer will slow your reactions half a step, whether you wish to admit it or not..." The thing is if the guys who think it is ok to drink hog hunting with dogs ever stopped to watch just how nasty a hog cut is on a dog and how long they can take to heal, they wouldn't be taking the chance.

I'm not a big alcohol drinker and alot of the reason I don't is most of the time in my house I am in contact with guns. Have i ever shot while intoxicated, yep. Did a little study one day here when alone just to see how it effected accuracy... It was enlightening... I have a 375yd range behind the house, after 2 whiskey based drinks and a short wait I couldn't hit the 300yd steel plates I have offhand. After 4 and a wait I couldn't hit them at 200yds. After five I couldn't hit them sitting. It convinced me that if you want to hit a dang thing with a gun you need to be sober... It seems to slow down your reactions so much that you can't pick the right time to begin to squeeze the trigger when working offhand, as you pass the point you want the trigger to break it won't because your finger hasn't pulled it yet.

I ran the video on the range that day just to see and frankly what I saw scared me. Alcohol and guns have never mixed since.

Use your heads out there guys and gals, I can't imagine the grief you would feel if you shot someone on accident. About 15 years ago a drunk chick launched 179 #8's into my dads neck at about 15yds quail hunting. She came close to taking the dad of 3 boys with a stupid move on her part. While being a quail guide he got shot 7 times where it broke the skin, in all 7 incidents the shooter had been drinking. Amazing the risks a dad will take to attempt to feed a family when he doesn't have an education to rely on.

[pinblaster]

Back when I was about 23 years old , my brother and I were shooting clays and drinking a few beers . We wern't drunk , but we wern't sober either . My brother was shooting and the gun jammed (it was a pump) and he couldn't unjam it . I took the gun and cleared the jam , slid the pump forward , boom ! I had my finger on the trigger and didn't even realize it . My brother who was standing with his head about 6" from the muzzle almost got his head blowin off . I thought about having almost killed my brother , and decided to pack it up and leave , since I realized we were in no condition to be shooting . That happend almost 27 years ago , and since then , I will not have even 1 beer if I am hunting or shooting . It was pure dumb luck , I didn't kill my brother , that day .

[gcook1]

Unfortunately, I grew up in a house where guns and hunting weren't allowed. I was finally introduced to hunting by my father in law at the age of 34. Of course, the most humbling part is that I had to take a Hunter Safety Course to get my first deer permit. What fun! Me and a room full of 12 year olds! :)

I'm grateful my father in law got me to try hunting. But there's no way I'll hunt with him. For someone who's hunted and been around guns his whole life, that guy's a walking menace! Never mind he can't stay sober after noon. He stores his guns with safetys off and the action closed. There have been a couple times he's pulled the guns out of the cabinet only to see he'd forgotten to unload.

Up until this year, I've hunt alone. This year, my son is going with me for the first time. He can't legally hunt for a couple years, but at least he's out in the field finding out what it takes.