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Show FRANK K. BAKER I TELEGRAM SPORTS EDITOR. In presenting the following letter, this department wishes to second the motion most heartily. It is fully in keeping with our recent comfnervrttuTf ishnn dgi ml authorities ought to require some gun handling tests and at least find out whether or not a nimrod is "color blind' before issuing a license to carry a powerful rifle on a hunting expedition. Salt Lake City, Utah. Dear Mr. Baker: Dec. 16, 1937. I have enjoyed reading your column for a long time; particularly par-ticularly your now-and-again critical and advisory "explosions' for the good of the various games of sport. It is in a similar mood that I am writing you. Each year during the hunting seayn a great deal is written and said about safety and yet each day during that season it is not unusual to see news reports of one or more hunters beinfi injured or killed. Usually the accident could have been avoided. Well, publicity is fine and it has no doubt saved the lives of many hunters. It seems to me, however, that more rould be done. A cop in Evanston, Illinois, felt that something could be done to lessen the number of serious automobile accidents in that city and what he accomplished is now history. Utah can, I believe, do something to cut the percentage of hunting accidents. It might help to incorporate a list of "hunting don'ts" on the reverse side of the license, in addition to the data now indicated thereon: such as, for example: "Don't transport a loaded firearm in an automobile or other conveyance"; "don't lean or rest a loaded load-ed firearm against any object where it can be accidentally overbalanced over-balanced and discharged"; "don't hunt with a cartridge or shell in the chamber of your gun, except with the protection of a 'safety' "; "don't keep your gun loaded except when actually hunting"; "don't load or unload a firearm except with the muzzle pointing skyward"; "don't, under any circumstances, point a gun, loaded or unloaded11, at another person"; "don't fire a gun, the muzzle of which has been accidentally stuck in the snow or earth, without first unloading and carefully cleaning the bore"; "don't attempt to clean a loaded gun"; "don't, in any case, use the butt of your gun for a prod or club"; "don't fire your gun at game unless the game is clearly visible and recognizable"; "don't fire at game when other hunters are in the line of fire"; and many others too numerous to mention here, but which could readily enough be printed in small type on the back of the hunting license. In addition to the above I would suggest that an oath similar to the following be printed on the face of the license and that each applicant be required to affix his signature beneath be-neath it: "I, the undersigned, swear (or affirm) that in the Interests of good sportsmanship and safety I have read or will read the 'hunting don'ts' indicated on the reverse side hereof; here-of; that I will abide by same to the best of my ability, and that I will take every precaution to avoid injuring myself or othera while enjoying the privilege of hunting permitted by this license." I realize, of course, that the above would not eliminate hunting hunt-ing accidents, but it might help; especially since so many of our present day hunters are novices many of whom have never previously pre-viously used a firearm. No doubt you have given the matter of hunting accidents a good deal of thought and it occurred to me that the above might possibly be a worthwhile project to suggest to the state fishing and game commission. If it has any merit, however, I am sure it would receive a great deal more consideration if suspested by you rather than by the undersigned. A group of us fellows agreed to certain "hunting don'ts" this year during the deer hunting season, four of us being army men (who, by the way, either learn to handle a gun safely or else) and I am convinced that in this instance prior discussion of the matter mat-ter saved one of the boys from serious injury or death. It happened this way: First we agreed that loaded guns should never be carried into camp. The majority of accidents occur around the camp where somebody is cleaning, demonstrating or just carelessly handling a loaded weapon around a crowd. So we loaded our guns after we got out into the hills. Several of the boys were still together, however, when they started putting put-ting the shells into their gun magazines. One fellow walked in front of his companion and the man in the rear (not an army man) accidently tripped the trigger of his rifle. The pellet passed over the front man's head by a fairly safe margin. But the point I want to stress is that we had previously agreed to do our loading with the muzzle pointed skyward. Even though a careless shot was fired the precaution previously agreed upon probably saved a life. Let's have fewer hunting accidents in 193 S. Sincerely, (Signed) Harold O. Allison. . Staff Sgt., U. S. Army The most famous play in Iowa history, according to the Associated'Press, was pulled by Hawkeye Quarterback Samuel E. Gross against Northwestern in 1914. Teams1 lined up and he called a signal. Then he asked the oppos- ing, and innocent, left end be penalized for holding. Wnenj the referee refused. Gross said, "Give me the ball I'll take the penalty myself," took the ball from center, started pacing off the penalty. Once through the North-j western team, he ran for a touchdown. ' I . -' |
