Our Voice: Take steps to avoid hunting tragedies

Many things come with the transition from summer to fall — football games, crisp mornings and leaves on the ground. It’s also hunting season.

Deer season started in earnest last weekend, and the hills were alive with hunters. Bird season is nearly upon us as well, and we’ll soon see folks in the corn stalks and wheat fields in pursuit of pheasants and ducks.

Some folks may feel that hunting is not an activity anyone should participate in, but that’s not the debate today.

We’re all for the legal harvest of animals and birds as prescribed by our state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Hunting is often a family activity, with skills passed from generation to generation. Hunters are also harvesters, and know not to waste the bounty of their efforts. Meat lockers throughout the region will soon be full of game being prepped for dinner tables.

Hunting gets people outdoors and allows them to take a break from everyday stress.. And, to the chagrin of some hunters, not all of them bring home a buck or a bull or a duck. For hunters, the thrill is in the chase and it doesn’t have to result in a kill to make it worthwhile.

But hunting can be a dangerous pursuit, from the terrain traversed in finding game to the physicality required to harvest an animal. It’s also dangerous because of the very tools involved. Accidental shootings occur. People make mistakes or slip up on their safety protocols resulting in death or injury of their fellow hunters.

Tragedies have already occurred as the season gets into full swing. A Kennewick man was killed in an accidental shooting while hunting in Whitman County. A father accidentally shot and killed his son in Oregon, mistaking him for a deer.

Our goal today is to be a reminder to all to take care when hunting. Respect your firearms and handle them appropriately. Be safe. Don’t shoot at something unless you are sure of your target and are sure humans are clear of the area.

Hunter education classes are required in our state for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1972. While some of us are old enough that the class is not required, it’s still worth taking. If you are a responsible gun owner, you can never get enough training.

And not every hunting tragedy involves firearms. Even the most experienced hunters can get lost or injured in a fall. Cell service is often spotty in the backcountry. Hunting alone can turn those mishaps into tragedies. so hunt with a buddy.

Wear the proper gear, make yourself known to other hunters and take care of each other out there.

While bagging a buck may make your season, a tragedy can be life-changing.

This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Our Voice: Take steps to avoid hunting tragedies."