Thursday, October 24, 2013

Guns of October Geology Field Safety

One safety aspect of geology field work is the consideration of guns. That is particularly true in October. I had a couple of days where I made some route adjustments due to folks simply practicing their shooting.

Practice shooting and hunters in orange in the distance

The idea of wearing orange while doing geology during hunting season is not a bad idea. The target shooters took a pause while the hunters walked through the area uncomfortably close to the line of fire with the target. Just a guess, but I suspect this chap is a more accurate shot than me.

As far as carrying a gun while doing field work, it is not something I have ever done. My field work in bear country has been limited to some rare grizzly areas and never brown or polar bear areas. The only time I really considered it was in Canada, but the hassle seemed more than it was worth, and we simply made sure to be extra bear smart about camp sites.

As far as having a gun for protection from people with guns, that scenario sounds like it would already be a mess and seems like it might just cause an escalation of anxiety all around. Adding a gun to the field kit always seemed an addition to the safety list of things that can go wrong. 

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