Show Page 6 Wednesday October 16 MATCHlROINTi When building a campfire area around clear a the pit down to the soil cool wet weather September's brought an abrupt end to the worst of Utah's wildland fire season However hunters venturing into Utah's backcountry are urged to use lire REMEMBERONLYYOUJCAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES'! f 0 1996 Salina SunGunnison Valley News Party hunting is unethical Hunters urged to have fire - safe hunt cautiously “Recent warm weather has creased the fire danger" warns Gary Cornell fire management coordina- - St! 'BIG BUCK' HUNT Join in the hunt with the Gunnison Business Association during the weekend of October 18 & 19 These merchants have attached BIG B UCKS' to merchandise in their store Buy it and you get a a $100 Bill or $ 1 00 offyour purchase ! tor with the Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands “We’ve had several recent fires two of which and because were we’ve lost most of our seasonal firefighters a small fire could become a large fire before we could control it” The USDA Forest Service Bureau of Land Management and vision of Forestry Fire and State Lands are asking hunters to be especially careful with campfires Sparks and heat from vehicles and equipment can also cause fires "Please don't leave campfires unattended”asks Cornell “and be sure your campfires are out before Let’s have a safe breaking camp and hunting season” Checkpoints Scheduled Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers will be checkconducting administrative points throughout the state for the remainder of the year The officers will be monitoring harvesting of wildlife licenses tags permits firearms and other items Hunters will be checked in the field and at check points and illegal say officials by Dean Mitchell Upland Came Program Coordinator Many of us have heard the story about the hunter who shot a mule during the deer season and brought it proudly into the checking station Or the one about Division of Wildlife Resources personnel dropping cherry bombs and flour sacks out of airplanes the week before the elk hunt in an effort to scatter animals so hunters wouldn't have any luck And the one about Division personnel attempting to save elk and deer by cutting antlers off the animals just before the hunting seasons! We often hear these tales and others deal ing with a variety ofthings pertaining to hunting and wildlife from friends and people we associate with It's kind of entertaining the way we keep hearing the same stories over and over low much can we believe? What’s reality? Where do the stories begin? Mavbe they originate when hunters sitting around campfires and coffee shops verbalize about their pastimes and sport But there is one myth believed by many in Utah though that is very real and serious in the group They know someone has a tag they can put on the animal However many animals are left to rot and waste because the person who had the tag already took an animal and can’t tag another their buddy shot for them The stories about the mule in the checking station and cherry bombs - tales in elk herds are “folklore” concocted and passed from generation to generation When people are asked about their knowledge of mules in checking stations and airplanes dropping flour sacks into elk herds their information always comes form someone else who witnesses these events No descriptions of vehicles or colors and tail numbers from airplanes can be recollected Party hunting on the other hand is no myth Wildlife is destroyed and and everyone loses squandered Hunters should remember that state law requires that only the person with the permit may harvest the animal Ethical hunters can help curb this kind of unethical illegal behavior by reporting violations on the “Help Stop Poaching” Hotline at The call is and available 24 hours a day Many hunters believe in the myth that it’s all right to buy their spouse a big game permit then leave the spouse in camp and fill the permit for them Others believe it’s all right to continue hunting to help their friends harvest a limit of birds even though the helper has already taken a limit This practice know as party hunting is not only unethical but unlawful! Party hunting robs the license buyer of the opportunity to take an animal because someone else does it for them Through increased harvest party hunting steals from the rest of the citizens of the state too It takes away from those who enjoy wildlife and pillages wildlife populations Every year Division conservation officers and biologists investigate numerous illegal big game kills by large groups of hunters Groups of hunters join together to pursue big game early Some in the group may have antlered animal tags and others may have antlerless tags The group’s hunters go afield and those who think party hunting is all right shoot anything they see gardless of whether it has antlers Encourage gun safety through education Playing ping pong can be hazardous to your health At least it is when compared to hunting It seems hunters are very safe sportsmen according to the National Safety Council’s 1994 "Safety Facts" booklet It reports that twice as many people are injured playing ping pong than are injured while hunting Bowlers receive over seven times as many injuries as hunters In fact in 1994 there were only 76 injuries for every 100000 hunters These low numbers can be duced even further by using common sense in the field Hunter Education courses are usually free or very low cost and the Department of Wildlife Resources can put you in touch with a Hunter Education course in the area There you will learn skills Happy Hunting! FRIDAY & SATURDAY October 18 & 19 Sponsored by the Gunnison Valley Business Association that will make you a better and safer hunter Of course one of the first safety rules for handling any firearm is to know how your gun works - read your manual and familiarize yourself with the features of your firearm And always assume that any gun is loaded Never point a gun at any person or allow the muzzle to swing around in the direction of people If you are carrying or holding a firearm you must assume sponsibility for it at all times which means you must constantly be aware of where a bullet would travel should the firearm discharge Making sure that there is not a round in the chamber until just before you are ready to fire the gun will prevent an accidental discharge When you are done shooting unload your firearm and leave the action open Ifyou are hunting have themagazinp loaded but dop't chamber a round until you're ready to take the shot Never rely on your gun's safety You must maintain control of that firearm When the op- - Set Your Sights On Big Savings & 'Big Bucks' at Valley IVuiOpRO Builders! 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M5 Rebate 5°" orr Big A Antifreeze Implement fffMMEl ff Fleece Tops & Bottoms ?4 with If you are target practicing choose a spot with a safe background like a dirt hillside Take into account the fact that bullets can ricochet or pass through walls and brush Hunters are always sure of their target and the background before they ever chamber a round and pull the trigger While you have complete control over your own behavior when handling a gun there are also measures you can take to make sure that you are safe around other hunters One of the best ways to ensure that you are never mistaken for game is to wear hunter orange Statistics indicated that when hunters wear fluorescent orange accidents are reduced by 50 percent There are also many excel lent camouflage patterns that incorporate blaze orange so you can blend in with the habitat but still be highly visible to other hunters Taking your youngsters with you on a hunting trip is one of the best ways to form close bonds with them but a hunting trip is not the time to begin to teach your child about gun safety All youngsters should attend a Hunter Education course and should be taught how to handle a firearm safely before they are ever taken into the field If you are a hunter teaching your children about safe firearm handling is effective in preventing accidents Of course even if your children have been taught gun safety all guns should be kept under lock and key at home AutoLite after 300 7QvVMAILIN LI HATE® C - or33CperQuart IOW3020W50 19 & $142 Sale 1 Price 33 REBATE “Bit Putr” Rebate 528-727- 310 North Main Gunnison Ut I 12425 612424R AmPao AinfiLKtt portunity for a shot comes always take a moment to figure out where the bullet will go if you miss your target Even the humble 22 can send a bullet Hying for over a mile ONLY! 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