Slips, Trips and Falls Should Never End With A Bang

Nobody likes to tell another hunter they are getting old and need to start acting like a sensible senior citizen. This kind of message is too personal for the ammo aisle and just a shade out of line among friends and family at the Thanksgiving table. It is also the last thing our outdoorsy grandmas and grandpas want to hear. They want recognition for their hunting lifestyle and a little admiration for still hitting the field and putting venison on the table. The last thing they want is a fall prevention conversation.

Slips, trips and occasional falls in the field can happen to anyone but should never end with a bang. Unfortunately, falls and accidental discharges happen more frequently than we may want to admit. Nebraska’s 2022 Hunting Incident Report ranked “stumbled and fell” type of incidents as the third most prevalent among all incident types!(1) Accidental discharges, unless they result in injury, are almost never reported.

Nothing is more frightening than the heart-stopping shock of an unintentionally discharged rifle. Some of us who have had this experience will recognize the intense panic that follows. Time really does stand still until you see that everyone is OK. Then, a few moments later the reality of having lost control of your rifle sinks in.

One in Four Seniors Report Falls

While fall prevention is important for everyone, it is especially important for senior hunters. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that one in four adults over age 65 report falling each year. (2) A little of over one third of these falls resulted in an injury requiring medical treatment or restricted activity for more than a day. (3) In the worst cases, falls may result in broken bones or concussions, but life threatening injury or even death is possible.

Multiple factors associated with normal aging put seniors at particular risk for falls. The National Institute on Aging (NIH) lists eight factors that can cause falls in seniors. (4) Of these, “age-related loss of muscle mass (known as sarcopenia), problems with balance and gait, and blood pressure...” are probably most familiar to seniors. Other causes cited by the NIA are problems with vision, hearing, reflexes, and foot pain, including poor footwear.

Senior hunters, whether experienced or reactivating, are encouraged to include fall prevention planning into their preparations. On this topic, the Road Scholar Blog offers eleven, excellent tips for older adults. (5) Tips include strength-building exercises and planning factors that should be part of everyone’s hunting plan.

Uneven Terrain Increases Fall Risks

Fall risks, of course, are elevated even higher when senior hunters are carrying a loaded rifle, or anything heavy or bulky over unfamiliar and uneven terrain. I know it’s common practice for hunters to load up just before beginning their walk into the filed. The idea here is to be ready to take the shot if a deer is bumped into view. Shots taken in this situation are typically off-hand, rushed and often result in a clean miss if your’re lucky. While this kind of shot may have worked for a thirty something Hemingway in East Africa, it’s still a bad idea. It’s unsafe for the hunter, unsafe for the rest of the hunting party and definitely inhumane for the deer if it gets wounded. Let’s break this down a bit more.

Life’s Darkest Moment

Harvested by the author at 66 years old. — Author at Age 66

A bump or quick shot at a deer is deceptively difficult. It usually requires execution of a rapid succession of physical movements anyone of which can cause a loss of balance. Movements associated with stopping, turning, and changing stance as the rifle is brought up to the shoulder are challenging under ideal conditions much less on uneven or slippery terrain. The movement becomes even more challenging to pull off as you adjust for the familiar cheek weld, click off the safety and reposition your eyes to see within the confines of the rifle scope’s restricted field of view. Multiple movements, executed almost simultaneously, puts senior hunters at risk of losing their balance and falling with a rifle that may be ready to fire.

The challenge here is getting the rifle safely onto target while turning, standing or kneeling over uneven terrain. Coordination, strength and a bit of muscle memory are important to retaining balance as you change your stance. The scene is not difficult to imagine, particularly when the vast majority of falls occur in the familiar territory of the home. I’m willing to bet that few seniors practice these moves with their gear on and fewer yet actually do the workouts needed to build strength, and agility. Even if the fall alone doesn’t injure the hunter, its disorientation can cause loss of muzzle control and an accidental discharge. Life’s darkest moment may have just happened.

So What Can We Do?

We can get fit before hitting the field making modest plans for avoiding stressfull hunts! I like to minimize my carry gear and avoid those cold, zero-dark-thirty starlit hikes. I also like to work out a few hunting rules with my hunting party. Rules like no running shots and no shots while waking to or from our hunting area, are a good start.

Even if we cannot prevent trips and falls in the field, we can prevent accidental discharges resulting from falls. This is most easily achieved by not loading our rifles until we are in our blind. We can also opt out of drive and spot and stalk hunts regardless of terrain. At 66 years old, this senior hunter was certainly fall conscious before and after this photo was taken. For seniors and all hunters, I believe we get the best results from still hunting in well-scouted areas. What are your thoughts?