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