Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: New Zealand Mountain Safety Council (MSC)
The NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC) has a simple hunter safety message this Roar, ‘be the hunter your mates want to hunt with’.
The Council predicts this year’s Roar, the biggest event in the deer hunting calendar, will be a big one with hunters itching to get out in the hills after COVID-19 cancelled their chances to get out last year.
MSC Chief Executive Mike Daisley says it really wants to shine the spotlight on all the elements of a safe and successful hunt, especially the positive behaviours that most hunters already display.
MSC’s latest hunting safety campaign and video, “Same Hunt, Different Story. Your Call“, focuses on two hunters and their conflicting planning and preparation pre-trip with the aim of encouraging solid preparation before heading out.
The new video, produced by Wellington–based Flying Saucer, features Kiwi actors Cohen Holloway and Stephen Tamarapa, as two hunters who head out into the bush but have very contrasting experiences.
“We hope that the hunters see themselves in one of the two guys from the video,” Daisley says.
“Either the hunter who is doing the right things and that’s validation for what they do in real life, or the hunter who goes out on more of a whim, doesn’t do the planning or preparation, and it is a reminder to them that they should sharpen up a little.”
During the most recent (uninterrupted) Roar hunting season in 2019, there were approx. 400 injuries and 24 search and rescues (SAR). In 2018, there was one fatality due to a misidentification of target, approx. 320 injuries and 31 search and rescues.
MSC has identified the causes of hunting related SAR vary greatly, approx. 21% of all hunting SAR is caused by poor navigational skills. Additionally, a combination of inadequate fitness, lack of warm and waterproof clothing and not carrying a torch contributes to around 20% of all hunting SAR.
“So often, the conversation around hunting safety focuses on firearms, that’s a really important part of it, but there’s very clear insights that show the vast majority of safety incidents relate to other topics like inadequate fitness, navigation errors, insufficient planning and preparation, not carrying the right gear and decision making about whether to push on or turn around,” Daisley says.
“To avoid becoming one of these statistics, hunters should ensure they carry basic items, a jacket, warm layers, and a head torch even on day hunts are essential, wear blaze and additionally preparing for the unexpected by carrying an emergency shelter, a first aid kit and a suitable communications device are all smart additions.
Daisley hopes to see a reduction in Roar related incidents this season after the campaign push.
“Good preparation will always lead to better outcomes, whether incidents arise or not. Get out there and enjoy the autumn backcountry,“ he says.
