Sporting Gun UK – May 2019

24 Sporting gun m ay 2019 http://www.shootinguk.co.uk

Notallregulationsaretheuselessproductofthenannystate,saysJonSnowdon, who

arguesforcommonsenseon the ground

L

ifeisfullofrisks.Alwayshasbeen,

alwayswillbe.Thedifferenceiswe

nowliveina worldwhereweare

farmoreriskaware.Fartoorisk

aware,youmightargue.Asa trainer,therisk

assessmentsthatI havetoproducearemore

detailedthantheyeverusedtobe.Perhaps

thatisnota badthingasit doeshelpfocus

themindandalmostcertainlyhelpstomake

ussaferoutinthefield.Butweshouldkeep

suchassessmentsinproportionand not be

frightenedtoleavethehouse.

Tothisend,I havejustconducteda

carcase-handling course and thought I’d

Risk management

in the field

Deer stalking

Mayisoneofthebestmonthsofthe

yeartogetintothewoods.Laterin

themonthallhellwillbreakloosewith

bucksappearingeverywhere,their

destinytobedecidedbycombat.We

shouldhavetakenoutsomeofthe

youngstersbythentogivetheolder

boyssomespace.Itisalwaysanexciting

timetoseewhoeventuallyrulesthe

woods.Thereisalsotheanticipationof

a buckortwoappearingthatwehaven’t

seenbefore.Goodtimesahead.

Tasks in hand mentiona coupleofthings that many ignore

• despitethetraining.
  Thegamehygieneregulationsforthe
  trainedhunterqualificationaredetailed,
  designedastheyaretoensuretherisksof
  cross-contaminationintothefoodchainare
  minimal.Cross-contaminationisthetransfer
  ofdiseaseorinfectionfromanimaltohunter
  and vice versa. This is known as zoonosis.

Cross-contamination

Oneoftheprimaryaimsofthehunteristo

grallochananimalcleanlyandensurethat,

to the best of his or her knowledge, the

joN SNowdeN

Buckswillstart

competingfor

territory this month