Poor Hunter Judgment

In Washington, another major cause of hunting incidents involves poor hunter judgment.

In incidents where the victim is injured by a shooter swinging on game, the shooter is almost always using a shotgun. The shooter sees a fast-flying bird flush and focuses attention on the bird. The shooter often does not know the exact location of the other hunters. The shooter“tracks” the fast-flying bird with the muzzle of the shotgun and fires, striking his hunting partner. Almost all of these incidents could be prevented if all hunters followed three more simple rules:

• Wear hunter orange.
• Know your “zone-of-fire” and stick to it.
• Identify your target and what lies beyond it before firing