In the news this week, they've announced the name of the 50 year old Billings man who was killed in a hunting accident down by Virginia City on Nov 2nd.  Not sure why it took so long to announce the name?  Sincere condolences to his family and friends. It was a tragic accident, where it sounds like he was shot when a different member in his group experienced an accidental discharge.

Then, there was the guy in Helena earlier this season that shot himself by accident in the K-mart parking lot after returning from a hunting trip.  Accidental discharge.

And that other guy who didn't die, but suffered a pretty bad gunshot wound when his rifle went off in his vehicle.  Another accidental discharge.

I don't really hunt much. However, I do own, appreciate and like to shoot firearms. I remember from Hunter Safety that one of the first rules about guns is to always make sure they are unloaded in your vehicle.  Two out of the three above instances would have been prevented if the gentlemen had followed that rule. It's real easy to check if a rifle is loaded or not. And of course, you should always treat any gun as if it is.

I know a lot of people are planning on heading out for some hunting this weekend. Please be careful.  Remember the basic protocols of weapons handling. Good luck out there.

Next time,

Michael

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