My husband was recently on an unsafe shoot?

In general safety on shoots is policed by the shooting community itself.

By Graham Downing

Sunday, 25 December 2011

My husband and some friends recently attended a local pheasant and duck shoot. While on the shoot my husband was accidentally bruised by a shot from a Gun who was aiming low.

There is some uncertainty as to who fired the shot. While my husband informed the shoot organisers, the response was simply that they would have a “word” with the person who may have fired the shot.

I’d like to know to whom this incident should be reported, as I feel this was a poorly organized shoot, which should not be allowed to continue.

SHOOTING SAFETY
Graham Downing
Safety is the first and last rule of shooting. It must be treated with total seriousness, both by the organisers and participants alike.

Every shoot which employs five or more people is required to have a written risk assessment, and if an injury were to be caused by an employee, then the matter could be investigated by the Health & Safety Executive.

In general, however, safety on shoots is policed by the shooting community itself, and it is up to the shoot organiser to ensure both that Guns are fully aware of the high standards that are required of them and that they comply with those standards.

Sanctions may involve the shoot captain or organiser cautioning a Gun and, in some cases, asking him to leave the field or relieving him of his shoot membership.

Clearly, your husband has quite rightly taken this up with the shoot organiser.

If he is still dissatisfied with the way the shoot is run, and does not feel safe when shooting in the company of the other Guns, then his best course of action is not to shoot there again, or to resign from the shoot and write to the organiser stating his reasons.

He may also consider informing BASC and the Countryside Alliance of his concerns.