Night Hunting Tragedy

[FrankT]

Night Hunting Tragedy
This is terrible, please review your protocols and be safe. **** a NV provider is now including 5 IR light sticks with every sale.


http://www.telluridenews.com/article...a958434655.txt

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

A Texas game warden was killed about a year back this same way. 5 IR glow sticks isn't going to last very long. IR beacons are cheap and reusable I stick one in my pocket when hunting with new people. Of course you should not shoot at just a pair of glowing eyes anyways. Jfyi to the new nv users out there unlike a regular spot light everything's eyes glow with IR including humans.

 

[FrankT]

The way these units are flying off the shelves I fear that many more accidents will happen. Shooting at eyes w/o ID is a bit questionable anyway, but sweeping others and in the heat of the action for the less than initiated is always concerning to me. Unlike the videos posted here others I have seen on the net are just dangerous. I understand why so many of you hunt alone or with experienced folks at night.

 

[pruhdlr]

This is a tragedy. BUT......a preventable tragedy. One of the first "laws" of hunting is ..."know your target". This article makes no mention of any NVD or thermal. We have bantered this about on another forum and some of us agree that the device used was most likely a visible light of the red,green,or white color. My guess is red.

Myself and the people that I night hunt with have come up with a set of "rules". We have set some good guidelines that are good for coordination,communication,and most of all... SAFETY. Not just to make sure we do not shoot each other but to keep from harming each others ears and damaging equipment. I will gladly post here the "rules" if anyone is interested. Some will pertain to your style of hunting,some will not. All these rules are good to ponder and could possibly make you think of your own set of rules,plans,and strategies,that will make your night hunting more productive and safe. --- pruhdlr

 

[Wassman]

Sad but preventable if they followed shooting/hunting rule one. Know your target and what is behind it. My wife and daughter are very inexperienced and when they hunt with me I have to give them the OK to shoot something. I have to look at the situation and intended target to give the OK.

 

[sjb67]

Very sad.

 

[Froggerzack]

This is a tragedy. BUT......a preventable tragedy. One of the first "laws" of hunting is ..."know your target". This article makes no mention of any NVD or thermal. We have bantered this about on another forum and some of us agree that the device used was most likely a visible light of the red,green,or white color. My guess is red.

Myself and the people that I night hunt with have come up with a set of "rules". We have set some good guidelines that are good for coordination,communication,and most of all... SAFETY. Not just to make sure we do not shoot each other but to keep from harming each others ears and damaging equipment. I will gladly post here the "rules" if anyone is interested. Some will pertain to your style of hunting,some will not. All these rules are good to ponder and could possibly make you think of your own set of rules,plans,and strategies,that will make your night hunting more productive and safe. --- pruhdlr

I would like to hear these rules maybe in a separate post.

 

[Harris hawker]

I didn't think human eyes would reflect that much light.
Tragic, but very preventable

 

[Brian Shaffer]

Right, human eyes do not reflect light very well at all, not compared to night adapted animals such as coyotes and deer that have the tapetum lucidum that is what produces that strong reflected glow.

I wonder if the illuminator being used was something like a visible light ND3 laser illuminator.

TLM, I don't recall the warden killed last year. Chris Fried was shot a few days ago at Cooper WMA, investigating possible illegal hunting activities whilst off duty. He is still alive and recovering despite being shot through the shoulder and chest.
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Game-Warden-Shot-While-Hunting-237949911.html

I don't see the listing here...
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/warden/connect/memorial

Maybe you are thinking of the Georgia incident from 2010 where the warden was "mistaken" for a coyote by the reflection off of the binoculars he was using to observe hunters?
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/m...ated-after-shooter-says-he-mistook-man-coyote
http://www.odmp.org/officer/20315-officer-christopher-a-upton

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

Yes that's the one I was thinking it was Texas. IR illuminators will make human eyes glow I've seen it plenty of times.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

The IR glow sticks are a nice idea, but it isn't clear that NV was being used when Sutherland was shot (only the illuminator was mentioned) and Fried's shooter apparently wasn't either.

 

[FrankT]

Yeah but still a nice ad and reminder by a seller. What do those little IR beacons cost?

 

[DaveABQ]

who the hell shoots at eyes? I have never done that in my life, I've heard of people shooting their own dogs the same way....this is a tragedy, but geez, guy should be put in jail

 

[FrankT]

We just had 4 friends out duck hunting this week, duck flys over, they are all standing together, one guy swings his shotgun to track the duck, Shoots and hits the guy in the head standing next to him...Thank God it only grazed his head but still required hospitalization. WTF...who hunts and shoots with complete disregard to the others in the party??

 

[Swine Slayers]

I feel bad for the guys family...

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

I don't see putting him in jail for killing his friend on accident.

The IR beacons are cheap anywhere from $10ish to $20. Here is a link to one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0048JGGBQ/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

 

[rgilbert]

I keep a Mockingbird beacon from **** on my helment when hunting with others. They have them also and they work great. In the event a hunter gets lost or hurt it makes it a whole lot easier to find them. The are visible from a long way off.

 

[Ratdog68]

Ya know... it'd just make life so much more simple if "idiots" were required to tattoo "IDIOT" on their foreheads so the rest of the world could avoid letting them have something they could hurt someone else with.