11-08-2007, 07:10 PM
CONCORD, N.H. - A Lisbon, N.H., man sustained a self-inflicted wound in a hunting-related shooting incident late Monday afternoon (November 5, 2007). James White, age 33, of Lisbon suffered a non-life-threatening arm injury as he was attempting to reload his muzzleloader rifle while deer hunting. The incident took place off River Road in Lisbon.
It appears that White may have made a mistake by placing the percussion cap on the firearm prior to completion of the reloading process, and the firearm was unintentionally discharged during reloading, according to Conservation Officer Gregory Jellison of New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Law Enforcement.
White was transported to the Littleton Regional Hospital and airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center on Monday. He remains there as of Wednesday, November 7, 2007.
The incident remains under investigation and no further information is available at this time.
Overall, New Hampshire has an excellent record of hunter safety, according to Laura Ryder, N.H. Fish and Game Hunter Education Supervisor. The average number of hunting-related incidents per year in New Hampshire has gone down each decade since hunter education classes became mandatory in the 1960s.
Ryder noted that all hunters should review the "Ten Commandments of Shooting
Safety":
* Treat every firearm with the same respect due a loaded firearm.<br />
* Control the direction of your firearm's muzzle.<br />
* Be sure of your target and what's beyond it.<br />
* Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions.<br />
* Unload firearms when not in use.<br />
* Never point a firearm at anything you do not want to shoot.<br />
* Never climb a fence or tree, or jump a ditch or log, with a loaded firearm.<br />
* Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or at water.<br />
* Store firearms and ammunition separately.<br />
* Avoid alcoholic beverages or other mood-altering drugs before or while shooting.
It appears that White may have made a mistake by placing the percussion cap on the firearm prior to completion of the reloading process, and the firearm was unintentionally discharged during reloading, according to Conservation Officer Gregory Jellison of New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Law Enforcement.
White was transported to the Littleton Regional Hospital and airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center on Monday. He remains there as of Wednesday, November 7, 2007.
The incident remains under investigation and no further information is available at this time.
Overall, New Hampshire has an excellent record of hunter safety, according to Laura Ryder, N.H. Fish and Game Hunter Education Supervisor. The average number of hunting-related incidents per year in New Hampshire has gone down each decade since hunter education classes became mandatory in the 1960s.
Ryder noted that all hunters should review the "Ten Commandments of Shooting
Safety":
* Treat every firearm with the same respect due a loaded firearm.<br />
* Control the direction of your firearm's muzzle.<br />
* Be sure of your target and what's beyond it.<br />
* Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions.<br />
* Unload firearms when not in use.<br />
* Never point a firearm at anything you do not want to shoot.<br />
* Never climb a fence or tree, or jump a ditch or log, with a loaded firearm.<br />
* Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or at water.<br />
* Store firearms and ammunition separately.<br />
* Avoid alcoholic beverages or other mood-altering drugs before or while shooting.