Utah Hunting Season Requires Great Safety
The Utah rifle deer hunting season opened this weekend. Wildlife experts are predicting a robust season, despite a relatively slow opening weekend, with plenty of yearling bucks in the northern region of the state. While the season ends on Sunday the 25th, plenty of hunters will return home with their prize trophy.
Hunters are known for their responsibility and safety during the hunting season, taking every precaution from wearing bright orange clothing to always ensuring the gun’s safety is on. However, accidents do happen during the hunting season, and can have deadly consequences. A common type of hunting accident occurs when the gun accidentally discharges. This happens for a variety of reasons, but product malfunction is at the top of the list. Dropping a rifle can result in it accidentally firing and injuring fellow hunters in the area. According to the International Hunter Education Association, 700 hunters nationwide were killed from accidental discharges in 2004.
Hunters were not the only ones anticipating the season’s opening this weekend. According to the Salt lake Tribune, the Utah Highway Patrol manned a checkpoint near West Wendover on Friday night. This checkpoint was placed in lieu of “Deer Widows” weekend in West Wendover, when many women stay behind while their husbands left for hunting season. Troopers made 12 drunk-driving arrests at the checkpoint on eastbound Interstate 80. Authorities also planned a checkpoint on Saturday evening in Heber City to target hunters returning home.
The expert Utah personal injury lawyers at the Christensen Law Firm encourage all hunters to enjoy deer season this year, but to do so in a safe manner. Keep your safety mechanisms on and always have your rifle pointed in a safe direction. Do not to operate your rifle after you have been drinking, nor get behind the wheel of your vehicle.
