The Hog Blog

Just read the following press release out of Florida. 

Florida Cautions Hunters on Wild Hogs

2008-09-18

TALLAHASSEE, Fl. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is encouraging hunters to take precautions when dressing and handling harvested wild hogs.

Wild hogs, though not originally native to Florida, are now found within all 67 counties, and like any wild animal, can carry parasites and diseases - some of which can be transmitted to people. One such disease for hunters to be concerned with is swine brucellosis.

The FWC is advising hunters handling wild hog carcasses to take the following precautions to protect themselves from exposure to this bacterial disease:

- Avoid eating, drinking or using tobacco when field-dressing or handling carcasses.

- Use latex or rubber gloves when handling the carcass or raw meat.

- Avoid direct contact with blood, reproductive organs and fecal matter. Wearing long sleeves, eye protection and covering any scratches, open wounds or lesions will help provide protection.

- Clean and disinfect knives, cleaning area, clothing and any other exposed surfaces when finished.

- Wash hands frequently with soap and water.

When cooking wild hog, as with any wild game, care in handling is an important part of disease prevention, and the meat should be cooked thoroughly to 170 degrees. Swine brucellosis is not transmitted through properly cooked meat.

“Hunters shouldn’t be overly concerned with swine brucellosis, but they should practice these good-hygiene, safety precautions when field-dressing wild hogs,” FWC wildlife veterinarian Mark Cunningham said.

Brucellosis in people is called undulant fever and could be transmitted if a hunter cut himself while field-dressing a wild hog or was exposed to the animal’s blood or bodily fluids. Symptoms include a recurrent fever, chills, night sweats, weakness, headaches, back pain, swollen joints, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Hunters who exhibit these symptoms or may have been exposed should contact a physician.

It’s a great reminder for all of us. 

It’s been a tough fire season here in the West so far, and the historic peak of the season is just arriving.  With these things in mind, I thought I’d take a sort of sidetrack from hog hunting and urge all hunters throughout the state, and the country, to be mindful of the risks of fire as you’re participating in outdoor activities.

Some things are obvious, of course.  Campfires, especially uncontained campfires, are a huge risk in the dry environment.  It takes only a spark to send the hills up in smoke.  Even in “developed” campgrounds with fire rings and circles, this is just a bad time to have a fire.  If you do insist on burning a fire in camp, don’t put paper, or loose leaves, grass, or pinestraw on the fire.  These cause big sparks that will ride the thermals quickly out of your reach, and can set down hundreds of feet away with disastrous results.  Burn clean, dry wood.  You should also consider using a grate over the fire, to help contain sparks and drifting embers.

Make sure your vehicle is in good condition, particularly the electrical and emissions systems.  A sparking wire can send, not only the woods but your whole car, up in flames.  And faulty emissions systems can spew sparks, or a catalytic converter that is in poor repair can heat up enough to set dry grass on fire.  Stay on the roads, and don’t go driving through the high grass or scrub. 

Another aspect to consider about vehicles is dragging metal parts.  A trailer chain, for example, kicks up sparks like a fireworks display when it’s dragging on pavement.  A dragging tailpipe, loose tie-bars, anything… make sure it’s all secured clear of the road. 

Keep a fire extinguisher handy when you’re driving in the back country, whether in a truck, car, or ATV.  It’s also a good idea to keep a shovel and five gallons or so of water on hand.  Quick reaction with the right tools can stop a fire before it gets going, although if the fire has a head start on you, don’t risk injury trying to stop it.  Odds are against you once the flames start to run over the ground, and a jug of water or a shovel are not going to do much good.  Get out of danger and contact the authorities. 

One thing a lot of folks don’t think about when it comes to forest-fire safety is target shooting.  Most of us probably understand that lead bullets won’t spark, but keep in mind that lead is only one component of bullets.  I saw this Letter to the Editor in the Grass Valley Union online edition:

Fire dangers and Steel Core Ammunition

About the time of the Y2K scare many sport shooters bought an abundance of inexpensive Russian Wolf, China Sports and Norinco ammunition. What was not known is that much of this ammo is soft, steel core with a copper jacket. Steel being less expensive than lead, foreign ammo manufacturers opted for steel. The substitution had nothing to do with armor piercing capability. The hollow point and metal jacketed steel core ammo can be identified using a magnet on the tip of the bullet.

When a shooter fires a steel core bullet and it hits a rock, another piece of steel, or a spent steel core bullet, it will cause a spark. The spark easily starts a fire in dry fuels such as grass: Same as a steel-bladed lawn mower when the blade strikes a rock. If you have any rifle ammo, .223 through .30 caliber, by Norinco, Wolf or China Sports, please check each lot for steel cores with a magnet and don’t shoot the steel core ammo when our fuels are dry or if you do not have an adequate dirt back drop with no combustibles near by.

Reference: The recent Telegraph fire near Mariposa.

VR Joe Satrapa,
Air Tanker 89
Nevada City

Not mentioned in the letter is the risk posed by muzzleloaders. If you’re hunting with a smokepole during the dry seasons, minimize the flame and spark by using proper powder, and flame-resistant wadding. Cloth, cork, and paper wadding almost always carries embers and sparks as it exits the muzzle. Properly lubing your bullets and using lubed wads can help. Wads made of synthetic materials are also preferable.

It really just requires a simple, visual test to see if your muzzleloader is a forest-fire risk. When you fire it, do you see flame or extensive sparking from the muzzle? Of course there will be some sparking, but if you’re seeing excessive flames or bursts of spark and ember, this is probably because your powder isn’t burning efficiently. Refer to your manufacturer’s user guides to determine if you can use a faster-burning powder, or if you can reduce the charge so that you burn more in the gun (where it will do the most good anyway). In my relatively limited experience with muzzleloaders, I find that the flame-throwing and sparking tends to come more from the traditional styled guns. The modern front-stuffers seem to burn powder more efficiently and completely. I certainly won’t suggest that anyone trade in your Hawken or Kentucky Long Rifle for an inline, but at least be aware and considerate of the fire risk with whatever you choose to shoot.

Remember that it really only takes a spark to get some of the tinder-dry western grasses burning, so it’s wise to consider if any of your actions, or your equipment, poses a risk of sparking.  Even archers should be aware… broadheads and field points can even spark off of rocks. 

This may all sound like panic-mongering, or hyperbolic hysteria, or whatever else you may want to call it… but the fact is, every year major forest fires throughout the western states, especially in CA, NV, and AZ, are caused by innocuous activities that people do “all the time”.  Target shooting, mowing the lawn, driving through the countryside…  all of these have been linked to devastating western fires over the last two years. 

Keep in mind, as well, that if you’re identified as the person who started the fire, you may very well be held responsible for the costs of fighting the fire, losses, and in the tragic event that someone is injured or dies, you may even be held accountable for that as well.  You’ll face fines, lawsuits, and potential criminal prosecution… not to mention the impact on your conscience if you cause loss of people’s homes, pets, or even their lives!   

Think ahead, be smart, and be responsible… Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires. 

The anti-hunting post has been occupying a bit of my mind the last day or so, so I haven’t been able to come up with new topics right now.  Hog hunting promises to pick up over the next couple of months, so there’s something to look forward to.

However, I can’t let the day go by without expressing my sadness and my frustration at the tragic news stories coming out of the turkey woods recently. 

First, a Minnesota father shot his eight year-old son.  What happened?  Well, the story doesn’t help the cause of hunters… the man followed some turkeys, the boy followed his father, the father turned and shot at “some movement”… discharging a full, 12ga turkey load into the boy’s chest at approximately 20 yards. 

Then a 19 year-old West Virginian shot a 16 year-old after apparently spotting movement and mistaking it for a turkey… and then he ran away and left him, according to the reports.  I wasn’t there, and I can imagine the panic in that teenager’s mind could have made him react thoughtlessly… not to let him off the hook, but to keep it in perspective.  The worst thing was that he shot the young man in the first place… by mistake. 

Now I hesitate to highlight these stories, because… well there’s just no good way to see it.  As hunters, we go on about our dedication to safety and ethics and all that, but just a couple of these stories take the wind out of those claims pretty handily.  Sure, statistics still tell you that hunting is much safer than almost any other sport you can take up.  But statistics probably don’t mean squat to the family of the dead youngsters right now, and they sure wouldn’t mean anything to me either. 

I could use this to launch another diatribe about the importance of maintaining our image as hunters and how these incidents really give us a black eye… but I really don’t have the energy, and honestly, I can’t see how that would be constructive.  All I can do when I think about it right now is imagine that father’s agony.  I doubt any of us needs to point out his errors to him… or to anyone else. 

Instead, I just want to say to all of you, “be careful out there, folks.” 

I know we all think we’re safe hunters, and I’m sure most of you are.  But it only takes a second…less than a second… and a lifetime of practicing safety is erased. 

A new Hog Blog reader, Brian, gave me the idea for today’s blog.  Brian’s wife has some concerns about his hunting alone at the Tejon Ranch, and he was wondering just how safe it would be. 

I offered an answer to Brian directly in the comments, and to sum it up quickly here, you’re seldom alone at Tejon Ranch.  Even so, it’s easy to get way out in the middle of nowhere, even with 75 other hunters in the field.  But it’s not like taking off into the wilderness by yourself.  The ranch staff monitors everyone who goes in and makes sure they come out.  If you don’t show up, they’ll be looking for you… and you can bet they know that property inside and out.

All that said, there are a lot of things to consider if you’re planning to go it alone, either at a place like Tejon, or out in the wilderness. 

First and foremost, almost any hunter safety advocate would advise against going hunting alone.  Hunting with a partner is a best practice.  It’s sort of like the policy of redundant systems employed on aircraft and large ships… a second person is a second set of equipment, a second set of hands and feet, and a second opinion.  Two heads are better than one, and even better, two sets of legs are better than one, both in an emergency, and in the event that there’s a big hog to carry out of the woods.  It’s not all safety, sometimes it’s simple expediency. 

But there are many hunters, like me, who enjoy hunting alone and do it often.  If this describes you too, here are some things to think about.  Read the rest of this entry »

It’s that time of year now.  October is here! 

All across the country, big game firearms seasons are opening up.  As my old friend, Reverend Roy Steward used to call it, it’s the “High Holy Season” for those of us who find our spiritual nourishment in the fields and forests. 

And all across the country, we’re seeing news reports of death and injuries involving hunters and firearms.  Some of the accidents are the result of careless negligence, some are just pure bad luck, and there are some that carry a much more sinister overtone. 

A couple of regular readers here have alerted me to this tragedy in Florida , where a man shot his son as they hunted hogs in the swamps.  The details haven’t been released at this time, so it’s unclear if this was just a tragic accident or the result of careless gun handling.  Regardless, I can only imagine the horror and despair that this man must be feeling. 

Another hunter in Georgia was killed when his handgun accidentally discharged, shooting him in the neck.  Also just in are reports of the untimely death of Jocelyn Leger who was killed by a poacher’s errant bullet while goose hunting in Ontario .  You can read more about this, along with updates, over at the Moose Droppings blog.  Moose has been on top of this since it happened. 

So, where am I going with this? 

Well, to begin with, I’m not trying to throw a harsh light on how dangerous hunting is.  It’s actually pretty safe, statistically.  A hunter is more likely to be injured or killed inside his own home, than in the field. 

And I’m not going to focus on the danger of guns, because first of all, a gun is not dangerous, the person handling it is…and secondly, the majority of hunting accidents and fatalities are not firearms related.  Falls from treestands, ATV accidents, and other causes are more likely to hurt or kill a hunter than a gunshot wound.

No, I just want to use this opportunity to enjoin all of you hunters reading this to be safe.  Practice safe gun handling, remember the basic rules of gun safety, and let those tenets guide your actions both in the field, at the range, and even at home (plenty of accidents happen when cleaning or storing firearms).  Kristine over at the Hunt Smart, Think Safety blog has already started the discussion, and while I’d hate to seem a copycat, you can never preach too much safety. 

So, straight from the International Hunter Safety Education Association, here are the four basic rules of firearm safety:

1. Assume every gun to be loaded.
   Consider any firearm you have not just unloaded to be loaded and treat it accordingly.
2. Control the muzzle–point guns in a safe direction.
   You must decide what the safest available muzzle direction is and keep your firearm pointed in that direction. Never point a firearm at yourself or others.
3. Trigger Finger–keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
   The natural instinct when picking up a firearm is to put your finger in the trigger guard. DON’T! This could cause an accidental discharge if the gun is loaded.
4. Target–be sure of your target and beyond.
   Never point your firearm at something you do not intend to shoot. Make sure you positively identify what you are shooting at and know what lies in front of and beyond it.
   Do not use telescopic sights as a substitute for binoculars when identifying persons, animals or objects.

As if the recent news reports aren’t enough, here’s a little cautionary tale from my own life.  There’s more than one that I could share, but this sticks with me, personally, a lot more than any others.

On a duck hunt several years ago, I’d carried my daughter in with me.  She used to love to go along as long as the weather was reasonable.  Her favorite job was to “take care of the dog.”

I’d set us up on a point of land that jutted into a little pond.  It wasn’t a hot spot by any means, but it was comfortable and dry, and with a little work, folding down the reeds and piling up some deadfall,  I’d built up a nicely camouflaged nest. 

If you can picture the arrangement, I put my dog, as usual, at my feet.  My daughter sat beside the dog to my right.  We were on a slight hill, so I was elevated slightly above both of them.  I sat with my legs out in front of me, reclining against the hill.  My shotgun, as usual, was cradled across my lap pointing to my left (I’m right handed) and slightly downhill. 

It was a slow, bluebird day, and we were pretty much just kicking back enjoying the day.  Finally, a lone dot in the distance came closer and slowly became a duck. It came on steadily, drawn either by the decoys or by the sheltered cove in the corner of the pond.  I didn’t care, as long as it was coming in.  Finally, a duck! 

I hunkered down, and encouraged my daughter to stay low as the bird came closer and closer.  Finally, as the duck turned on the wind and cuppted its wings to drop in with our decoys, I raised the old double-barrel to take the shot.

This gun fits me like a glove, and raising it to fire has always been as natural as rubbing my nose.  It’s become nearly reflexive… swing to my shoulder and release the safety with my thumb as the gun comes on target… but something didn’t feel quite right as I lifted the gun from my lap.  There was a slight resistance, that kept the gun from reaching my shoulder, and suddenly there was an explosion!  I felt the blood leave my head, and a wave of dizziness swept through me. What the hell just happened?  I never touched the trigger! 

As I gathered my wits, I did a quick check to insure that my daugher and my dog were both OK.  Then I saw what had happened.

Reeds from our blind had passed inside the trigger guard, and when I raised the gun my palm trapped them against the butt.  That was the resistance I felt when I raised the gun.  When I released the safety, the reeds pulled both triggers simultaneously, discharging two loads of 3″ magnum #2 shot harmlessly into the air over the pond.  I’d never had an accidental discharge before, and my mind spun at how quickly it had happened.

In retrospect, it wasn’t really that close of a call.  I am extraordinarily conscientious about muzzle control (to the point that I really irritate some of my hunting partners..I hate looking down the barrel of someone else’s gun), so no one was ever really at risk.  I never allowed the muzzle to cover either my daughter (shudder) or my dog, but I suddenly understood how quickly a tragic accident can happen.  The briefest lapse of discipline is all it would take.  It still makes my heart flutter and my breath stop when I consider what could have been, and what that would have meant to the rest of my life. 

It only takes a second to be safe.  It only takes a second for an accident to change your life forever.

To borrow from Sgt Esterhaus in Hill Street Blues, “Hey.  Let’s be careful out there.”

So, I can’t seem to get away from the recent news that hunters may be at some kind of increased risk of heart attack.  You can read this version on Yahoo news.

First of all, I say, “bunk!”

To begin with, what the heck kind of study only looks at 25 subjects?  And of those, almost all of them had heart problems or high risk factors going in! 

I mean, I understand that any time you’re doing something that elevates your heart rate, you’re at an increased risk of heart attack…especially if you already have heart problems or conditions that can cause them.  Big “duh” to that.  But I don’t understand why the report decided to focus on hunters, besides the obvious fact that hunting seasons are about to open across the country.

Anyway, without getting into any agenda the folks at Reuter Health (part of the Reuter news network) may have toward hunting, let’s just go with it for what it is.  Let’s pretend that the majority of hunters are dense enough not to understand that, “hey, if I smoke cigarettes, weigh a lot more than I ought to, and live a generally sedentary lifestyle, then getting out there once a year and busting my hump might raise my heart rate to a dangerous level.”

So now you’ve read the article and you know.  You’ve been informed (warned?).  What are you going to do about it?

The fact is, hunting is a potentially dangerous undertaking.  It involves getting out into nature, often in rugged terrain.  It involves dangerous weapons…whether archery or firearms… not to mention skinning knives, which, in my experience, are responsible for more hunting related injuries than anything else.  Accidents happen, often due to negligence but sometimes just due to pure luck. 

Like many hunters, I spend a lot of my time in the field alone.  I don’t like to be near the roads, because that’s where the majority of other hunters are, so I am not only alone, I’m usually in a remote place that’s generally considered inaccessible.  I climb cliffs, slide down scree slopes, and cross frigid creeks and streams. 

If something happens to me, I’m in trouble.  I’ve had some close calls, too.  I am very aware of the risk, but for most of my life that’s a risk I’ve been willing to accept.  As I’ve matured, and I have people who depend on me, I’ve needed to mitigate that kind of thing, though. 

There are the obvious and well-known strategies.  Always leave a hunt plan with someone responsible (e.g. a spouse, parent, or close friend).  That should let them know where you’ll be, at least in general.  It should also let them know when you expect to return.  If you can, include the contact information for the county law enforcement or other emergency personnel.  This can save someone the time of trying to look all of this up. 

You can also pack certain emergency supplies, which, in addition to a first aid kit, should always include some sort of signalling devices.   A small, signal mirror is a tiny little thing that fits in any fanny pack, or even the pocket of your hunting pants.  There are also several really great strobe lights you can use for nighttime signalling.  I used to carry signal flares, but in California that’s a good way to set the countryside on fire and barbecue yourself in the process. 

Radios can be helpful, although most of the handheld radios operate on line-of-sight, which has very limited ability in steep, rugged country.  The same goes for a cell-phone.  Satellite phones are an option, but they can be very expensive.  For an extended stay in the wilderness, however, it’s not a bad idea to rent a satellite phone for emergency use.

A few years ago, my girlfriend gave me a gift that really showed how much she loved me… a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).  This is a device that sends out an emergency signal to the satellites which is then bounced back to military and civilian monitoring stations within seconds of transmission.  The signal provides a relative location (within about three miles) to help the responders determine who to send to the rescue (e.g. Forest service, local law enforcement, Coast Guard, etc.), and generally where to send them.  A secondary signal sends up a homing beacon that can guide the rescuers right to your location.  It’s pretty impressive technology…not new, but impressive. 

The unit I have slips right into my fanny pack.  It weighs about a pound, and is barely noticeable.  Since then, the PLBs have become smaller and smaller. 

Just a note, though.  There’s another kind of unit being marketed as a PLB.  However, these units transmit a radio signal only, and are subject to the same range and terrain limitations as any other hand-held radio.  If you’re shopping, read the fine print. 

The PLB won’t mend your broken leg, extract rattlesnake venom, or pull that broadhead out of your thigh.  It won’t stop a bleeding artery, or carry you back up that cliff you just fell off of.  But it will bring help, faster and more directly than any other means.  These things aren’t cheap, but if you spend any amount of time out in the wilderness, it’s a very wise investment.