The accidental shooting of a hunter in southern NSW has highlighted the need to follow strict safety rules when handling firearms in the field.
A 32-year-old man was shot in the knee on the weekend as he and another man were hunting foxes on private property near Howlong.
Police reports indicate the man’s companion, a 31-year-old, picked up a rifle from the back seat of a car and the rifle discharged.
The bullet went through the floor of the vehicle and hit the other man, who was standing on the other side of the car.
The injuries were not life-threatening and the man was taken to hospital. Police seized a .204 Ruger rifle.
The accident appears to the follow the pattern of a relatively common type of accidental shooting, when a loaded rifle is place across the back seat of a vehicle, and is therefore left pointing at anyone on the other side.
Even when temporarily storing a rifle during a hunt, hunters should always ensure a rifle is unloaded and safe before putting it into a car, and the best practice is to unload and clear the rifle before storing it.
Some hunters also remove the bolt, while others close the bolt and, with the rifle pointing in a safe direction, pull the trigger as a guarantee that it will not be put away in a potentially dangerous condition.
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