Dust off the decoys, keep up the safety habits
Duck shooters across the country will be prepping for the much-anticipated duck shooting season, with Opening Weekend on May 1.
With a just few weeks left to dust off the decoys from last season, the NZ Mountain Safety Council say it’s also a good time now for hunters to refresh themselves on basic firearm safety rules (below) and ensure they are all set for the big day.
For some hunters it will be as close as their own farm, for others the pilgrimage will take them home to regions across the country, so permission to hunt and a current hunting season license are needed.
It’s common knowledge that the longloved annual tradition doesn’t come without firearm-related incidents, and MSC say these are preventable, and hunters appear to be working on that.
MSC was pleased to identify a decrease in reported incidents last duck hunting season, the lowest since records began in 2014. So this year’s focus is to encourage last season’s good practices over the coming months.
Last year MSC ran a successful campaign and video, ‘Let bad habits die, not your mates’, which focused on the bad habits some hunters might have when operating a firearm, including safe storage in the maimai. This year’s message is no different.
The 2021 Roar season will be wrapping up soon, but hunters will still be out there making the most of the uninterrupted season. MSC has a simple hunter safety message this Roar, ‘be the hunter your mates want to hunt with’.
Statistics show the vast majority of hunting incidents relate to navigation errors, insufficient planning and preparation, not carrying the right gear,
decision-making about whether to push on or turn around, and inadequate fitness.
MSC wanted to showcase all the elements of a safe and successful hunt as mentioned, and encourage the positive behaviours that most hunters already display. Good preparation will always lead to better outcomes, whether incidents arise or not.
So get out there and enjoy the autumn hunting for 2021.