Nothing accidental about gun safety

Lots of things have been keeping me busy this summer. Most of them involve some manner of actual work as opposed to fishing or other pleasant summer pastimes.

Speaking of fishing, I haven’t done any yet!

I am not a catch-and-release angler. When I go fishing, my intent is to catch a fish and take it home to eat. When the odds of catching a king salmon are as bleak as they have been in the Valley for the past couple of years, I just can’t get excited about spending my weekends trying to catch something that probably isn’t there to begin with.

Even if there’s a few kings around, with my luck, I wouldn’t get a bite anyhow.

My wife — maybe. Me — probably not!

However, don’t let my perspective stop you from chasing the valley kings if you’re of such a mind. Some folks just enjoy getting out, whether they get a bite or not. If that’s you, then go for it.

The recreational time I have enjoyed this summer has involved shooting. Two of us regularly serve as range safety officers who operate the Upper Susitna Shooters’ Association (USSA) shooting range at Mile 94 of the Parks Highway every Monday from 3 until 8 p.m. The range is also open on Fridays for the same hours and during the day on Saturdays and Sundays.

Since we haven’t exactly been overrun with customers the last few Mondays, I’ve been able to shoot some new-to-me guns, adjust sights on others, and generally just have fun knocking down bowling pins with my .22-caliber pistol.

Sometime in the next couple of weeks I’ll need to get serious about shooting my muzzleloading rifles to begin getting ready for the Alaska Territorial Muzzleloading Championships being held at the USSA range from July 9-12. However, I have found over the years that I don’t want to practice too much. I seem to shoot better if I haven’t worn myself out practicing.

How’s that for an excuse?

Guns and shootings have been in the local news recently. There have been at least three different “accidental” shootings reported. I have a problem when the media calls these injuries or deaths “accidental.” In every case the involved parties violated at least one of the rules for safe firearms handling.

The Kodiak man who shot himself in his hand while demonstrating some maneuver with his .45-caliber pistol allegedly was drinking. Alcohol impairs one’s judgment and mixing that condition with firearms never leads to a good ending. Any drinking should always be done after the guns are put away and secured. He should never have pointed the pistol in a direction where the bullet might strike something other than an intended target. He shouldn’t be using a loaded firearm in a demonstration.

The teenager who recently shot and killed his friend while playing with a new revolver also is guilty of negligence. The young man has been charged as an adult with second-degree murder and manslaughter. This is a tragedy for both the family of the boy killed and the shooter.

Again, the old “I didn’t know the gun was loaded” excuse doesn’t cut it. If the kid had been following the rules, he would have checked the firearm, at least once, to make sure it was unloaded before demonstrating some move or cycling the action. Oh, and you never point a firearm at anything you are not prepared to destroy –—another safe handling rule.

The teenager who was shot by a police officer in a parking lot in Anchorage while aiming a pellet gun is an example of stupidity, not an unfortunate accident. The pellet gun the kid was using looks very much like a “real” rifle. According to reports, from the angle of view the officer had, the kid appeared to be pointing the gun at some people in the parking lot. I think the officer was justified in his actions.

Waving a gun around in public, whether it’s a toy, a BB gun or the real thing is stupid in this day of media-induced gun paranoia! Also, for the record, I personally know a young man who was shot with a pellet gun and almost died from the injuries — pellet guns are not to be trifled with!

While we’re on the topic, the local media has recently reported how residents in the vicinity of two proposed gun ranges here in the valley are protesting the ranges’ locations. People have been asking for organized shooting facilities here for years and now that something is finally happening, a few folks want to stop the construction.

Are they anti-gun?

Probably not!

They’re concerned with pollution, traffic and noise. When current environmental regulations are incorporated in the design and construction of these ranges, there will be no pollution. Traffic is a fact of life here — try driving to Palmer from Wasilla at 8 a.m. on a weekday!

Noise is also something which can be minimized with proper design.

If we had more designated places to safely shoot and teach firearms safety, most of these “accidental” shootings would never occur!

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by e-mailing sports@frontiersman.com.