Accident prompts hunting-safety reminders

Local News

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.

comments powered by Disqus

November 5, 2009

By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG The Press Republican Thu Nov 05, 2009, 11:06 PM EST

PLATTSBURGH — The region's first hunting accident has prompted officials to remind area residents about the importance of safe shooting.

Bernard H. Sharlow remained hospitalized this week, more than two weeks after Ricky A. Brunelle, 43, of Ellenburg Depot mistook him for a deer and shot the Norwood man in the abdomen.

Both men had been scouring the foggy woods off South Canton Road in Potsdam last month when Brunelle struck Sharlow, 39, with a single shot from his .50-caliber muzzleloader rifle.

As Sharlow continues to recover, Brunelle has pleaded not guilty to an assault charge relating to the shooting.

Officials say accidents like that can be prevented by taking standard safety measures.

"You have to be sure of the target and what's behind it," Department of Environmental Conservation spokesman David Winchell said recently.

He said hunters should always follow basic safety, such as assuming that every gun is loaded and that the muzzle is always controlled.

"Make sure you know where it's pointed, and keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire."

Wearing hunter orange while in the woods is also strongly recommended. Studies show that the bright-orange color has no effect on a deer's perception, but it can certainly be seen clearly by humans.

Sharlow remained in critical condition for more than a week after the shooting but continues to improve. He was listed in good condition at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington Tuesday.

No hunting-related injuries have been reported so far this season in the tri-county area.

The regular hunting season here ends Dec. 6.

E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at: avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com