My wife just told me that the news said the most frequent injury during deer season is hunters falling out of their deer stand after having taken drink. It got me to wondering if there are laws against hunting while intoxicated. When I was a kid in North Dakota my Dad would not let us deer hunt because there were so many hunters who drank while hunting. Where we lived there were few hills or trees to stop errant 3006 rounds.

Drunkandstupid should be one word.

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I like Ike.

Darwin's. Thin the herd.

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NHI, 10-8.

I grew up around guys that drank and hunted. You won't catch me with a gun and a beer. Especially 12' up a tree! Dumb on dumb.

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War Eagle! '10 BCS & '13 SEC

A guy I work with went bear hunting in Canada. Everyone was using some sort of anti scent spray and camouflage clothing. He had a glass of wine, went outside in his jeans and a t-shirt, saw a bear and shot it. The only person to see a bear or shoot his rifle on that trip.

When my BIL was in med school, he moonlighted in the coroners office. He told us he was surprised at how many male drowning victims recovered from the river and the bay had high bac and their zippers were down. Not hard to figure what happened.

We have many round here who believe in same philosophy. If you ain't drinkin, you ain't huntin.
So deer and turkey are pretty safe around here this time of year.

I can't hunt anymore for physical reasons; but when I could I absolutely would not hunt with anyone who had been drinking.

Old joke:

Two guys return from hunting quail, unsteady on their feet, glassy-eyed and giggling.

Someone asks them, "Did you kill anything?"

"Yeah," one drunk says, "two pints and a damn good bird dog."

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Oh well, what the hell.

The forum rules probably prevent me from stating anything any stronger than I hate an irresponsible drinker. Alcohol abuse may at some point become a disease, but initially it's a choice.

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- Change it back -

I know lots of folks do it, but I never saw the appeal of dulling one's senses to the point of numbness when either fishing or hunting.


Either one can be such an amazing experience that it needs to be experienced in the fullest, IMO.


Different strokes for different folks - no judgement here.

Several years ago we were getting ready for our first drive with dogs. We all got up early and were loading up the dogs when one of the guys drives up with this ole drunk chick he had picked up in a bar the night before. He gave her a single barrel 12 gauge and one round of double ought buckshot. We told him to put her somewhere out of the way and he dropped her off several miles away from the drive with a fresh six-pack. A few minutes later we hear a "boom" from her shotgun. Her new boyfriend went to check on her and she had killed a monster 12 point buck. She could hardly stand up. She had killed the biggest deer that we had seen in years. She said "ain't nothing to this!", which thoroughly pissed everybody off, just before she went into a drunken coma. He paid for the mount and kept it, later claiming he had killed it. We knew better. They weren't invited back.

Never been much of a drinker, but ONE drink and a cigar around the campfire adds a little something to the adventure. Everyone I hunt with is of the same belief.

Booze and guns-- I just figured they never went together-- must be a fault in my upbringing--

Makes smart guys dumb and dumb guys dumber. Dumb guys with guns is dangerous...

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Halfway and one more step

"Drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
Dean Woermer

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Oh, Beer is Beer and Guns are Guns, and never the twain shall meet.
Apologies to Kipling.

About 3 years ago some good friends from church were on a motorcycle trip through Arkansas and my buddy Dave got hit by a Chevy Blazer doing about 45 MPH. Dave and the bike were under the Blazer and the driver was trying to drive away but his rear wheel would spin because the bike was holding it off the ground. Dave's head was in the rear wheel well on the other side trapped by the tire that wasn't spinning. The driver had just finished hunting and had 3 prior DUIs. Dave had a helmet and good leather gear but still broke a lot of bones and got tore up really bad and all who where there said it was a total miracle that he lived. He is pretty much back to normal and doing OK at 65 yrs old but that ended his motorcycle riding.

I belong to a hunt club that strictly enforces the "no guns and alcohol rule" not just for hunting but also in camp.

I witnessed a guy showing off his new hunting rifle one night around the campfire, he said it was unloaded.... someone opened the bolt and there was a round in the chamber.

Some of our members only hunt morning because of the rule, especially on the weekends during football season. They are using their hunt membership to enjoy the "recreational value" of the hunting lease.

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"Life is short, hunt hard"

In my state a lot of "hunting camps" are more like binge-drinking camps, where guys think they can really cut loose, being away from the moderating influences of their wives and families.

Being drunk or even just hung over with loaded guns all around is a prescription for disaster. And every year, there are disasters.

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You're shy a few manners.

That's just sick and sad, old or not, not worth repeating.

Drinking & hunting...

Back in 60s was hunting on State Area near Romney WVa. We
left camp to get to our stands about a hour before sunrise. Was
snowing big wet flakes, but not extremely cold, dead still. I was
sitting about an hour when I herd a bunch of hollering up the
hollow above me. It kept on, so I went to investigate. Found a
guy in homemade tree stand. His attachment system had broke.
He hade single rope safety. Rope kept him from falling clear out
of tree, but he had to hold onto a limb to keep from hanging
upside down. After surveying the situation I offered to shot the
rope off, he was only up 10'. He didn't like that idea so I had to
go round up some help. Two other hunters and me finally got
him down and found out he was drunker than a skunk at 7 in
the morning. The two hunters that helped get him down had
a Bronco, they took him out, but made him ride on tailgate
because he had suffered some personal hygiene problems while
hanging in tree.

I used to hunt a lot. We would spend a week out on every hunt. Heavy drinking was a routine at the end of the day. I had a buddy who was an alcoholic. He had to go to town every few days to stock up. He drank so much that he wouldn't be sober the next morning. He went fishing and hunting every chance he got so he could drink and his wife wouldn't be around to corner him. Seems to be what hunting and fishing is all about these days. One big party.

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That's just somebody talkin.

I heard a story on the radio yesterday too talking about hunting injuries and deaths. No mention of drinking that I recall, but the number one killer was a fall from the tree stand. The doctor that was on the show said his biggest recommendation there is a pull line for equipment going up and down versus the hunter carrying stuff up and down.

When I hear about deaths in the hunting season the primary reason I have noticed is a heart attack. Not that you want to go but going while doing something you enjoy ain't a bad way to go.

You've got it exactly right. It's the order in which you do things. The bottle doesn't come out until the guns are put away.

The tragedy of drunk hunters is that they usually don't kill themselves, but someone else. Just like drunk drivers.

I used to belong to a hunt club in NC. A good share of the senior staff of the Norfolk PD were members. No one got shot but there were several incidents of falling out of trees. I often wondered how one deputy chief explained the cuts and scratches when he took a tumble out of his stand. Looked like he had been in a fight with a sand plum bush.

Unfortunately it is all too often reverse Darwinism. The drunk fools don't end up shooting themselves, they end up shooting others who aren't drinking.

Don't expect one to be anything else, just because they happen to be hunting. I'll spare you the stories.

Belonged to a skeet club many years ago and they allowed beer to be consumed while shooting. You could see the scores degrade as the beer took effect. That was info enough for me to keep liquor and guns separate. Have seen enough dumb acts by inebriated people to stay well away from any drunk with a gun.

The only time guns and alcohol go together is after the guns have been cleaned and cased. But I agree with Dr Lou, a little single malt and a cigar goes a long way to relaxing "after" the hunt.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

It is unlawful here to be under the influence of alcohol AND in the possession of a firearm. The way it should be.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

The problem begins with the 1st sentence of the OP:

"...the news said..."

It is BS.

Alcohol, Testosterone, and Firearms: isn't that what ATF stands for?

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Not in jail.

He was bringing up bile and didn't brush his teeth?

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Not in jail.

Oh come on guys........... nothing better than 4 PM on the first Thursday of Pa. deer season....... sitting on the edge of a good field with a good view..... back against a big old oak.......55/60 with sunshine on your face........

the woods are empty...the deer aren't moving.... all you can hear is the bubbling brook........ and it's the perfect time for a

60 minute power nap....................



all told I'd trade my .243 for two fingers of a good single malt ..... cus it's a great ........... life is good moment.......... it's the "mellow" time we all search for...........................

now the guys your talking about...... not so much

I've herd some refer to this as "Aiming Fluid"

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I am the Majority
How about u

Competitive pistol shooters call it 'group tightener". Don't think it works too well, though.

After all guns are safely unloaded and cased, it's time for alcohol, cigars, and poker. Hunt sober. Party later. I love the companionship of old hunting pals. None of us would endanger the lives of another. Know your hunting companions, and choose accordingly.

I'll take it!
PM sent.

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In dog years I'm dead.

I'll have to PM you the GPS coordinates for the Dec 3rd exchange.........remember .... 55-60 and sunny!

McClellands 25 yr old please..............................


Oh ya, Ruger International...... about 1983.


LOL........Got a PM from the Big Gorilla .......... I posted in the wrong forum...........

Sorry... no can do!!!!!!!!