| The accidental discharge of a gun is one | | | | burnished hair. |
| of the most common. The shooting of | | | | I would fix the image in my mind so well |
| another man whom the shooter cannot or | | | | that when I saw anything like it in the |
| does not see is rare and is about the | | | | woods or fields, I could look at it and |
| easiest to excuse, although there is no | | | | state with perfect assurance: "That is |
| valid reason why such an accident should | | | | deer." Not that I would expect to see |
| occur. The most reprehensible type of | | | | anything which faintly resembles the |
| shooting accident is the one in which | | | | picture, for that is a sight which a |
| one man shoots another in mistake for | | | | hunter sees once in a blue moon. But |
| game. This is the type of accident which | | | | when I saw a farmer's cow, horse, sheep, |
| arouses the most public indignation and | | | | pig, chicken or perhaps his hired man, I |
| is the most detrimental to the sport of | | | | would know that it was not the game that |
| deer hunting. | | | | I was seeking. |
| All of these troubles are caused by | | | | It is surprising to find so many hunters |
| negligence, carelessness, or ignorance | | | | in the woods each season who have only |
| and they could be prevented if each | | | | the vaguest idea of what a deer looks |
| hunter would see to it that he is | | | | like. These men kill a surprising amount |
| propertly trained in gun handling and | | | | of domestic livestock each year because |
| that he is woods-wise enough to | | | | of this lack of knowledge, and such |
| recognize game when he sees it. Others | | | | ignorance is excusable with all of the |
| may teach a man these things, but only | | | | sources of information that are |
| the individual can determine how well he | | | | available to anyone who will go to the |
| has learned the lessons, and only the | | | | trouble to seek it. Occasionally there |
| individual can recognize potentially | | | | is some slight excuse for killing live- |
| dangerous situations and evaluate his | | | | stock in mistake for game, such as the |
| actions and reactions when these | | | | time that a hunter was following a fresh |
| situations occur. If he should find that | | | | deer track late in the season. He had |
| he is continually encountering | | | | every right to expect that all domestic |
| situations where luck has prevented | | | | animals were safely housed for the |
| accidents or if he finds that it is | | | | winter, but he shot and killed a wild |
| difficult to hold his shot until his | | | | heifer which ran from a thicket that the |
| game is in clear view, he should hunt | | | | deer tracks indicated might be the |
| without a gun or keep out of the woods. | | | | hiding place of a deer. There was no |
| If I were a young man preparing for my | | | | excuse, except ignorance, for the man |
| first deer hunt, I would get one of | | | | who stopped his car at the sight of a |
| those pictures of deer that are printed | | | | heifer in a pasture, shot the animal, |
| on sportsmen's calendars or on the | | | | loaded it on his car and carried it to |
| covers of the November issues of hunting | | | | an inspection station as a deer. |
| magazines and I would study that picture | | | | The accidental discharge of a gun is one |
| until I could remember every line and | | | | of the most common. All of these |
| feature of the animal. They are | | | | troubles are caused by negligence, |
| beautiful pictures with the deer either | | | | carelessness, or ignorance and they |
| standing in glorious splendor or | | | | could be prevented if each hunter would |
| stretched full length in straining | | | | see to it that he is propertly trained |
| flight, perfectly outlined against a | | | | in gun handling and that he is |
| contrasting background with the sun | | | | woods-wise enough to recognize game when |
| reflecting from polished antlers and | | | | he sees it. |