MSC Urges Caution For Duck Hunters During Opening Weekend

MSC Urges Caution For Duck Hunters During Opening Weekend

Opening weekend is rapidly approaching giving duck hunters cause for celebration. There is a festive atmosphere leading some to forget, or disregard the basics said Mountain Safety Council CEO, Mike Daisley.
"Following the firearms safety code is the key to making sure you make it home to your family, ducks or not"

“We’re working hard to advocate for the safe use of firearms, and what we do know is that in the six year period between 2009 - 2015, of the 28 fatalities over half were directly attributable to firearms"

“What we also know is that in almost all of these fatalities, one or all of the firearms safety code was not followed"

A key issue around opening weekend was the consumption of alcohol and the use of firearms. Creating a culture where hunters feel OK saying something if they see something untoward is the goal said Daisley.

"Hunters by and large are a very responsible community. Unfortunately, the excitement of opening weekend brings a certain 'boys weekend' feel to it with some groups"

"We'd like to encourage hunters to speak up if they see drinking and firearms use. If nothing is said then we collectively accept this as an acceptable behaviour, which it isn't. Leave shots with the lads until after the shoot"

The NZ Mountain Safety Council, the national advocate for outdoor safety for over fifty years, has created a range of resources designed for easy consumption online in an attempt to reach newer audiences said Daisley.

“We’ve worked on several initiatives this year, including the six part video series with Big Game Hunting New Zealand to explain and make relevant the various components of this code”

“These are available online via both the MSC and BGH Facebook pages, as well as the respective YouTube channels."

Refreshing yourself on the basics is something all hunters should be encouraging amongst themselves said Daisley.

"We'd love to see these videos shared and promoted through the hunting communities themselves. So far we've had hundreds of thousands of views, which is great"

For more information about how to stay safe head to http://mountainsafety.org.nz

ENDS

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