Hunting Deaths

Last week, an 18 year old woman living in South Paris, Maine, was shot and killed by a hunter, while she was at the edge of the woods a short distance from her home. Every year during hunting season in hunting-intense states – especially deer hunting season – there are fatalities and many more non-fatal gunshot injuries. Residents and visitors of states in which hunting is a tradition, must be aware of the hunting seasons and must wear blaze orange if they venture anywhere near the woods. In areas such as Southern Maine, in which there has been some suburban-style development, but which retain heavy woods, hunters may be within a few hundred yards of residences without even knowing it. Natives of areas with a hunting tradition generally wear their blaze orange while taking out the trash or walking the dog, if their homes are bordered by woodlands. While non-hunters must take precautions throughout hunting season, most hunting deaths are the fault of the hunter. Hunting rule number one – no exceptions allowed – is that the hunter must positively identify his target before pulling the trigger. Unfortunately, too many hunters, eager to bag their deer, shoot at forms that they think may be a deer rather than being certain. That is a violation of the responsible hunter’s first obligation.