More Areas Opened To Rifles In WI Deer Hunt
Despite their powerful projectiles' greater range, deer rifles will be permitted on land in relatively urbanized counties previously open only to shotgun use during deer hunting season unless prohibited by local ordinance, the Natural Resources Board has decided:
Among the areas that prohibited rifle use were all of Ozaukee, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Washington counties and parts of Racine, Kenosha, Dane, Dodge and Waukesha counties.The ruling was made at the behest of the DNR ostensibly because a large percentqge of hunting accidents involved shotguns, though it also appears that those accidents had more to do with hunters than the guns:
The disproportionate number of injuries related to shotgun use had led the DNR to push for easing rifle restrictions.
Most of the shooting incidents would have occurred no matter what type of firearm was used, according to the DNR.What seems to be missing from the debate is the greater risk to hunters and non-hunters in the fields or woods, or in nearby homes, businesses or vehicles posed by rifle bullets that carry their energy and killing power farther than shotgun shot.
Hunting and trapping is also allowed in some state parks.
2 comments:
Shotguns are typically used by the most inexperienced members of a hunting party, teens and first-time hunters who don't own a rifle. This accounts for the larger percentage of accidents among shotgun users. Giving those inexperienced hunters a rifle will not increase safety one bit, especially in suburban counties. This is bizarre, but in keeping with the idiocy of those writing the hunting rules. I expect this is meant to stimulate rifle sales.
Some people don’t know premium shotgun slugs can travel as far as a .30 caliber rifle bullet and have a greater tendency to ricochet.
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