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Don't let an accident become a tragedy

When you hear the statistics about hunting accidents it doesn't sound like it happens very often. When you talk to people who are actively involved in hunting it seems like nearly everyone has someone that they personally know/knew that has been involved with an accident/tragedy.

When I was a kid I had a brother in law who was hunting with one of my brothers and he fell off a cliff in the mountains and his gun went off and shot himself in the arm. My brother got him situated and went for help but didn't make it back in time.

One of the measurements I make about how successful or unsuccessful a hunt is, is how often I "chamber a round". I've gone entire hunts without chambering a round. Obviously those hunts weren't successful in harvesting an animal but success can be measured in a lot of different ways. Harvesting an animal is only one of them. Getting home safely is another one.
 
rjthehunter said:
There was a video I saw a few years ago about a few guys archery hunting, and one guy poked his leg with a broadhead while walking with an arrow nocked. He was bleeding pretty bad and they had to get him off the mountain and to the hospital. That one stuck with me. I'm very careful, especially with fixed blade cut on contact heads.
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Another reason why I hunt with expendables honestly
 
rjthehunter said:
There was a video I saw a few years ago about a few guys archery hunting, and one guy poked his leg with a broadhead while walking with an arrow nocked. He was bleeding pretty bad and they had to get him off the mountain and to the hospital. That one stuck with me. I'm very careful, especially with fixed blade cut on contact heads.
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That was the Elk101 video.
Though a crappy situation, that was the first time I saw a lot of the hunting culture actually start paying attention to first aid, self aid buddy care, and back country medical triage.
I always cared basics with me in the field, but even after that video I plussed up on a few things.

I'm not a minimalist on my hunts. I'd rather have what I need verse not.
 
Lostinthewoods said:
That was the Elk101 video.
Though a crappy situation, that was the first time I saw a lot of the hunting culture actually start paying attention to first aid, self aid buddy care, and back country medical triage.
I always cared basics with me in the field, but even after that video I plussed up on a few things.

I'm not a minimalist on my hunts. I'd rather have what I need verse not.
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Yeah I only recently started carrying a "stop the bleed" kit while hunting. Finally realized it's probably a good idea 😂. Anyway @Big Fin did a great job putting this video together. As for me, my position on the issue remains "it depends". There are many situations where I absolutely will not put a round in the chamber. And there are some scenarios where I absolutely will. In the end all that matters is getting home safely.
 
Lostinthewoods said:
That was the Elk101 video.
Though a crappy situation, that was the first time I saw a lot of the hunting culture actually start paying attention to first aid, self aid buddy care, and back country medical triage.
I always cared basics with me in the field, but even after that video I plussed up on a few things.

I'm not a minimalist on my hunts. I'd rather have what I need verse not.
Click to expand...
That is one that I can still see and still think about. I added QuikClot and some wound closure strips to my first aid kit after that video came out. Tourniquets are worth their weight in gold too. I keep one in the hip bag of my pack.

You can go a few days without food, you can go a couple of days without water, you can't go a couple of days while bleeding like a stuck pig. I'd carry my first aid kit before lunch for the day if I really needed to go light.
 
rjthehunter said:
That is one that I can still see and still think about. I added QuikClot and some wound closure strips to my first aid kit after that video came out. Tourniquets are worth their weight in gold too. I keep one in the hip bag of my pack.

You can go a few days without food, you can go a couple of days without water, you can't go a couple of days while bleeding like a stuck pig. I'd carry my first aid kit before lunch for the day if I really needed to go light.
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If I remember correctly, I don't think Brinker had an arrow nocked-- it fell out of his quiver, landed just right and he impaled his calf on it. I'm like y'all- that video is exactly why I carry QuikClot in all of my hunting and fishing packs (as well as in my vehicles), along with a good CAT TQ.

Edited to add: That's also why I got NOLS WFA certified.
 
Lostinthewoods said:
That was the Elk101 video.
Though a crappy situation, that was the first time I saw a lot of the hunting culture actually start paying attention to first aid, self aid buddy care, and back country medical triage.
I always cared basics with me in the field, but even after that video I plussed up on a few things.

I'm not a minimalist on my hunts. I'd rather have what I need verse not.
Click to expand...
Me too, started carrying quick clot when I'm archery hunting.
 
A gun can't go off when there's not a round in the chamber. Period.

I do a lot of layout boat hunting for ducks, and I uncork my semi-auto (shotgun shell stuck perpendicular in the chamber so the bolt can't close) whenever I'm moving in and out of the boat.

My son is nearly ten months old and he will be taught these lessons from day one.
 
Great video! For many years, I was a strong advocate for carrying a round in the chamber and even debated against the idea of an empty chamber on this very forum. However, my perspective has evolved, and now, more often than not, I choose to carry with an empty chamber while in the field. Funny how getting a little older and having a couple boys getting closer to hunting age can change your perspective.

One concern that still weighs on my mind is the risk associated with loading and unloading a firearm—these moments present an increased probability for accidental discharge. I especially worry about young or inexperienced hunters who, in the heat of the moment and with adrenaline pumping, may fumble while chambering a round. I also respect those who hunt in grizzly country, where the possibility of a sudden encounter may be high enough to warrant additional consideration of chambering (or not) a round.

Ultimately, there is no single "right" answer applicable to every hunting scenario. My personal take away from the video is that we all ought to make good risk-informed choices, not just for our own safety, but for the well-being of those around us. The more we weigh the pros and cons, the more likely we are to recognize the many times an empty chamber is the better choice. If we all are a little more diligent about when we chamber a round, knowing our actions likely influence our peers, maybe we keep a few more of those accidents from becoming tragedies.
 
Sheltowee said:
If I remember correctly, I don't think Brinker had an arrow nocked-- it fell out of his quiver, landed just right and he impaled his calf on it. I'm like y'all- that video is exactly why I carry QuikClot in all of my hunting and fishing packs (as well as in my vehicles), along with a good CAT TQ.

Edited to add: That's also why I got NOLS WFA certified.
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This is correct. He hadn’t properly adjusted his quiver for the micro diameter arrows he was shooting.

And I’m another that added a couple types of quick clot and a tourniquet to my pack after watching.
 
My buddy was a flight nurse in Alaska and had to medevac a guy from a remote village who'd sat down while hunting and shot himself through the upper arm with his .30-06, he sent me a couple pictures-NO THANKS!! I've never hunted with a round in the chamber and that only reinforced it...
 
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