Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    
    	Any idea whether he was wearing hunter orange??  Isn't it law in
    Mass to wear it?
    
    just curious - Rob

    From what someone just told me here, they heard it on the radio at
    lunch and it sounds like a group of guys were walking in together and
    one of them had an accidental discharge... the monumental reason for
    muzzle control.
    
    Does anyone have any more accurate info??
    
    Fra

    re .1 >        Any idea whether he was wearing hunter orange??  Isn't
    	>	   it law in Mass to wear it?
    
    
    		You bet, they make us wear so much that it looks like there
    	are 6 foot orange popsicles walking around the woods.  
    
    
    		Whatever the final outcome of this tragedy is, whether it
    	was an accident or an errant round, the point is to BE CAREFUL.
    	There are only a few more days of shotgun season here in Mass and 
    	I am sure that all of us would not like to see this story
    	repeated.

    One thing to keep in mind is that not all accidents are due to a hunter
    mis-identifying his/her target.  Some may be due to the hunter not
    knowing what is beyond his/her line of fire. 
    
    In some of these cases, the hunter could have legitimately missed a
    deer and the victim may have been on the other side.
    
    Know where your bullet stops.
    
    Mark.

    Just how big is this base? What kind of hunter density is there
    with 600 guys in the woods?

    Obviously not big enough.  
    
    
    
    bob
    

    Bob,
    
    I'm gonna play the devils advocate...  whats more important, getting
    shot or making some noise when moving around... if the plastic is that
    big of a problem, buy a cheap HO cloth vest.
    
    Explian that to the Game Warden, "well it's like this sir, my vest is
    too noisy so i figure I can take it off when i sit down... I know i'm
    breaking the law, but it's my life I jeopardizing"...
    
    Now, lets go one step further and add Mark L.'s scenario and your
    really playing with fire...
    
    Not picking on you, just trying to get some further thoughts...  I know
    you take it off and beleive me your not alone, I know alot of guys who
    do the same thing, right or wrong... 
    
    Fra

    This guy was shot in the back at close range.  I don't think hunter
    density is an issue.  Actually,  hunter density is the issue as in
    dense = stupidity.
    
    Jeff

    re. 5 >     Just how big is this base? What kind of hunter density is
    there with 600 guys in the woods?
    
    	I hunted there with a couple of friends about 8 years ago.  The
    base is big but they limit the area in which you can hunt in because
    of securtity/safety reasons.  (They have some unexploded shells there
    from artillery practice apparently).  The area in which we hunted in
    was no worse than hunting outside the Quabbin during the season, which
    is not saying much, so you felt kind of crowded.  I don't recall going
    more than 150 - 200 yards before running into someone else.  Things I 
    didn't like was you have to check in before you go hunting.  We got
    there around 5am and I think I was number 599 from the length of the
    line. We finally got checked in around 8am and got on some kind of
    stand by 8:45 since most of the good ones were taken. 
    
    	In terms of safety  I did not feel too comfortable with the amount
    of hunters and the possibility of walking into the wrong area.  (I 
    accidently did when I was tracking a deer in the snow. Walked into the
    dud round area before I realized it.  Carefully backtracked out - real
    dumb on my part - excitement of the hunt.)
    
    	Would I go there again?  Didn't like it then - doubt if I would
    like it know.