Man Shot in Privates

Unfortunately, hunting is not 100 percent safe, and every season we read about people shooting themselves or others accidentally. Here are four accounts found in the news recently that show we must be aware of whether our guns are loaded, where they are pointed and how they are handled.

Back in late November, near Abernathy, Texas, an 18-year-old hunter shot a mule deer. The .30-'06 round hit the deer's left hip and ricocheted off the bone, then passed through the body of the deer, exited and continued on a 300-yard journey to a nearby 43-year-old man's left thigh - exiting through his ... testicles.

According to a news report, the victim spent some time in the hospital for non-life threatening injuires. "Non-life threatening" may be a way to describe it, but "cross-your-legs-anyway" is probably a better way to think about this one.

Deathly shot

Up in Wyoming, a hunter who had been big-game hunting in the Shoshone National Forest last Sunday died when a loaded .270 Winchester Model 70 rifle that had been set upright against a vehicle fell. The rifle discharged a round that entered the hunter's left thigh and lodged in the other thigh.

More misfires

Over in Wisconsin, a bullet from a hunter's gun 467 yards away struck a 41-year-old hunter's foot as he sat in his treestand. A day later, a 65-year-old hunter didn't unload his gun before he lowered his gun from his treesand and the bullet glanced off his upper thigh.

In his blog at the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, Paul A. Smith reminds hunters of the 4 rules of gun safety:

• Treat every firearm as if it is loaded
• Always point the muzzle in a safe direction
• Be certain of your target and what is beyond
• Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot