SUN JOURNAL • September 23, 2023
The ethical deer hunter, whether with bow or rifle, will weigh the odds of a clean kill before squeezing the trigger. There is a legal aspect as well. Maine has a target identification law, a state statute that defines the safe hunter. Boiled down, the law states that no deer hunter can take a shot legally in Maine at an animal unless he or she can “obtain an essentially unobstructed view of the head and torso of the potential target.” The implied imperative, of course, is that the safe and ethical hunter, who is not positive, will forego that shot rather than risk injury or death to another human being. Hunting safety has improved markedly over the years. As hunters we all need to be always mindful when it comes to target identification and, equally important, practice muzzle discipline whenever in the field and when loading and unloading firearms. ~ V. Paul Reynolds