Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-10-10
Ca2ELESSHeSS Or CUnaERS.
Few Simple Rles For Avoiding Accidents
During Hunting Season.

with the opening Of the game sea
SON said a down town man who en-
joys hunting. the newspapers regu-
larry begin The chronicle of accidents
from firearms. These accidents are as
recurrent and as frequently fatal as
the drowning catastrophes IF the swim
, ming ANA boating season.
1t is likely that in the course of a
year as many men are killed by the ac-
cidcntal discharge Of firearms as we're
| shot in ;he entire Cuban campaign of
the Spanish-American war Modern
| improvements have removed a great
many Of the dangers which formerly
were ass Jciated with the use of guns,
1 SO that while there may still occur ac-
| cidents which no ordinary foresight
could prevent. probably nine-tenths Of
all shooting fatalities that happen are
| due primarily tn carelessness.
| The Testimony Of the Maine ana
Adirondack guides, and in fact. Of
nearly every man who has had a long
experience in dealing with amateur
| hunters. is that 90 out Of every hun
| dred accidents are due either to ig-
norance or to Carelessness. 1t is
curious fact that men who are careful
and painstakinG in the ordinary oc-
cupations Of life become dangerously
AK when they 50 out into the woods
or along the southern duck streams for
a faw days Of shooting.
Guns are left standing loaded in eX-
posed places, are drawn muzzle fore
mosl through brush fences. are loaded
careloesly into wagons Or are thrown.
regardless Of quick acting locks. into
the bottoms Of boats. Considering the
extent to which even those of consid-
cradle experience are guilty Of these
indiscrct.ons. it is surprisin" that tharc
are not more fatal accidents to be
recorded in the course Of season
rather than that there are 81 many.
with the up-to-date hammerless
gun. equipped with the safety lock,
there is not much danger to the hunt
er in ordinary handling. But even
such weapons the cautious Or ex-
pcrienccd huntsman will not leave
standing or lying about his camp un-
less the charges have been drawn. The
majority Of amateur hunters. however,
are not provided with such weapons,
and in using the old-fashioned shot
gun or rife the only safe rule is to eX-
ercise the greatest possible caution.
an the pursuit IL the game birds.
which afford the greatest amount 81
sport to hunters. frequent climbing of
fences is necessary. These fences are Of
an kinds ana patterns. from the primitive
brush or rail structure to the trinity built
dividing line of boards or wire. one of
the most frequent causes of accidents is
the careless holding or handling of guns
in getting over or through one Of these
fences. Many cases have been recorded
where unthinking men have climbed 4
fence ana then pulled their guns through
after them. In such cases there is always
danger of the hammer or trigger catching
on some protruding twig or point.
| Another method to be avoided in fence
| climbing is that Of holding the gun down
| on n level with the knees. In this case.
| if the man slips and pitches forward. the
gun is likely to be fired into his body. The
| only correct way Of holding the ordinary
gun in climbing fence is with the weap-
on across the shoulder. stock foremost
and hammer turned downward. In this
/ case there is very little likelihood Of any
damage being DONE even though the gun
: be accidentally discharged.
IN getting out Of or into boat or
wagon the gun should never be drawn
out by the barrel, as there is always a
chance of it catching on some obstruction
and being fired. Nor should a loaded gun
be thrown down across the thwarts Of n
boat or into the bottom Of a wagon. for
the same reason. In handing a gun to
another person it should be held we'll out
/ from the body, with the muzzle pointing
upward. 50 that if discharged its contents
! LA nsr l.
the charge should re withdrawn from
gun before it is carried about in either
boat or a wagon, and always on laying
the weapon aside after days hunting it
should be unloaded.
where a party of men are hunting to-
gether in wooded country special care
should be taken to know the where
abouts of the other members of the party
before discharging a weapon in any direc-
ton. In walking through forest trail
the gun should be held with the muzZit
pointing up and the lock held close to
the shoulder. where there is no likelihood
OF its catching on projecting twigs or
branches. Finally and most important OF
all is the rule which every experienced
hunter indorses: Never. Intentionally or
unintentionally, point the muzzle of gun
at any person
dents which are certain to be published in
the newspapers every day from now to
the end OF the hunting season to be con-
vinced of the careless disregard of these
simple rules. When the whirr of part
ridge is heard almost under ones feet. or
when deer breaks cover a few yards
! away even the man who is ordinarily
cool headed and careful may forget him
self and blaze away regardless of what
NAV be in range of his fire. Every region
where moose or deer are hunted has Il
half-doZen stories of men who have been
killed by mistake for game, and every
man who has mad much experience In
take a human being for deer in the dis
tance and in the uncertain light of the
Ii