Hunting is always fun, but you may need to exercise a high level of carefulness. As a hunter, you would agree that there are possible dangers that one is prone to. However, there is a need to know the major causes of these incidents and the solution to them. Then, it becomes pertinent to ask, what are the four main causes of hunting incidents?

4 Major Causes Of Hunting Incidents

Four Main Causes Of Hunting Incidents 

There are four main causes of hunting incidents. They include; 

Hunter Judgement Mistakes 

Making bad judgment as a hunter can be a fatal mistake. It could cause to another person. An example is taking a person for a game or not looking keenly if a person is within range before shooting or aiming at a target. It could lead to the loss of life if things go south. 

Safety Rule Violations 

Safety rule violations can cause hunting incidents. An example of a safety rule violation is ignoring the necessary procedures to cross over a fence, difficult terrain, or other obstacles. Another common one is to position the muzzle in an unusual direction. 

Safety rule violations can cause hunting failures with great consequences. If there are hunting rules of a community and a hunter violates such a rule, he may be fined and even treated as a criminal.

Four Main Causes Of Hunting Incidents

Lack of Practice and Control 

Practice is key in hunting. The truth is that you must always be practicing as a hunter. The practice would only make for perfection if you train well enough and not that you are on your best hunting pants. Lack of practice and control can result in accidental shots and stray discharges – you should practice well for people’s safety too. 

Mechanical Failure 

Hunting weapons could fail one for different reasons. It could be improper ammunition or an obstructed barrel. Hence, it is always good to run a checkup on your ammunition while cleaning it and getting it ready for use.

Frequently Asked Questions 

There are important frequently asked questions that are answered in this section. The answers include:

1. What causes most accidental deaths in hunting? 

There are different causes of accidents and deaths in hunting. However, every case can be categorized under the four causes above. The causes are failure to know the target, handling a firearm carelessly, swinging a game by the shooter, or shooting out of sight. 

2. How do hunting accidents happen?

Definitely, hunting accidents are not planned. Yet, they still happen. They happen most times when one does not pay attention to the basics like;

  • Looking closely to be sure of the target 
  • Checking if ammunition is in a good condition 
  • Using good weapons like the best crossbow for hunting
  • Proper practice for a perfect training 

3. Where do most hunting accidents happen? 

Most times, hunting accidents happen at critical moments of hunting. However, they could happen while practicing too. For example, you might not break safety rules during practice. Hunting might expect you to be in a dress code, orange. One may ask, why are hunting vests orange

4. How common are hunting accidents? 

According to statistics, some accidents are commoner than others. Here is a breakdown of a report; 

  • Inability to know the target – 15.5% 
  • Careless handling of a weapon – 11.4% 
  • Shooter swinging on the game – 12.8% 
  • Shooting a victim that is not within sight – 8.3%

Article Summary 

By now, if you are asked, what are the four main causes of hunting incidents? You should have sufficient answers to provide.