Turn it off

[Erwin]

I was talking to a buddy of mines kid after his first hunting trip this year. He said he saw a 4 point and it was only 30 yards away. He proceeded to take the shot and nothing happened...oh forgot to turn the safety off. Then I said "where did you learn to hunt" and he says "my dad" (who did the same thing last year) I had to laugh!!!!

 

[JDSport]

Sad that he missed out on his first buck becuase of the safety, but at least he didn't accidentally shoot something due to leaving it off! Their is always next season for the deer.

 

[Chippin]

Like father like son, though I have to admit that that has happened to me more than I like to admit. It's very easy to get caught up in the excitement of seeing a buck and forgetting to turn it off.

 

[dhoyle]

It's not the first time that has happened nor will it be the last, we all mess up from time to time. These mess ups are almost as much fun around the camp fire as are the stories about our successful hunts and probably a lot truer as time passes.

 

[Stevealb]

There is nothing wrong with making a mistake like that. At least he was doing the right thing by using the safety. If you spend much time in the woods it and are using the safety as we all should, it will happen to you too. It's easy to forget that with the adrenaline flowing. I have no reservations about safe gun handeling prictices and insist that those I hunt with do also. This sport is far to dear to me to find myself involved in a situation that gives the antis extra ammo.
Steve Albers

 

[Yogi]

I think to forget to take the safety off is quite forgivable! I just hope his lack of attention to detail doesn't apply to putting the safety on at the right times!

 

[greensteelforge]

This is the result of failure to adequately train with a weapon. Firing procedures should be automatic, rehearsed to the point of muscle memory. Most deer hunters don't fire their weapons, or even get them out, more than a few rounds a year. I know guys who've been hunting for over ten years with the same box of ammunition. It's okay for a new hunter to experience a learning curve, but if the mentor doesn't take proficiency seriously, it's unlikely the student ever will. I know the procedures and drills for every weapon I've ever used. I know the controls by feel, and could identify each weapon by feel. It's a scary joke when someone owns as powerful a weapon as a high-power rifle, and doesn't see it as necessary to master the basics. If the safety can be easily forgotten in the on position, it can just as easily be forgotten on off. Gun up, on target, safety off, aim, fire, cycle action, safety on, gun down.

 

[campclose]

That is a funny story and I've heard it thousands of times. Hey it is better to have the safety on and miss the shot, instead of not having the safety on and shooting someone by mistake.

 

[Seven]

I agree always better safe than sorry!! I have heard it many of times and also had it happen to me once when I was younger, but it wasn't a buck.

 

[dinosaur]

Yeah, it's a laugh. But the kid wasn't properly trained. The safe is something you push just before you aim. It should be ingrained in the skull. All weapons have a safe. You keep it on until just before you shoot.

I jumpshoot rabbits in the field. The last thing I do before drawing down on the game is push the safety forward. There are lots of different weapons with lots of different safes. All of them need to be released before firing. One needs to familiarize oneself with the weapon so it is not uselsess in the field.

Train that child. Turn him into a machine so he doesn't fail again. He might need it someday.