FL: Weekend hunting accident reinforces safety

October 6, 2010

Weekend hunting accident reinforces safety

You never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot, ever, under any circumstances," Gary Morse said. "Too many people say, 'Well, it's not loaded.' That's irrelevant.

Dove hunting season got under way Oct. 2 and Highlands County registered its first hunting accident that very same day.

Gary Morse, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) southwest field office, said two teenagers were in an Avon Park field early Saturday evening when the accident occurred.

"They were dove hunting and some of the shot hit one of the youngsters in the feet," Morse said.

The victim, a 17-year-old Sebring boy, was struck after yelling something at the 15-year-old shooter, according to Morse.

"He turned around and the (shotgun) went off accidentally," he said.

The victim was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital for treatment, according to Morse. A relatively small amount of shot struck the young man, he said.

...

During the 2009-2010 hunting season, there were seven incidents resulting in injury across the state, which resulted in one fatality, according to Morse.

Of that number, four were non-firearm related, and were instances of hunters falling from tree stands. One of those falls proved to be the fatality, Morse said.

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