Rutherford Weekly - Shelby NC
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1513133
Thursday, December 14-December 20, 2023 www.rutherfordweekly.com 828-248-1408 Rutherford Weekly - Page 9 We Want Your Outdoor Photos! We Want Your Outdoor Photos! Hunting, Fishing, Playing Ball, Etc. Hunting, Fishing, Playing Ball, Etc. Sportsman's Corner Sportsman's Corner Email: events@rutherfordweekly.com Mail: 157 W Main St., Forest City, NC 28043 Phone: 828-248-1408 *Publisher has the fi nal decision of which photos appear in print, per available space. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) Law Enforcement Division is experiencing an increase in fi rearm-related hunting incidents this year involving serious injury and fatalities. NCWRC reminds hunters to practice fi rearm safety when hunting or using fi rearms. Wildlife Law Enforcement reports there have been fi ve fatalities involving hunting with a fi rearm so far this hunting season, more than the past three seasons combined, which had one fatality between 2020-2022. Fourteen hunting- related incidents have occurred thus far in 2023, with 11 of them involving a fi rearm. "The current data for this season indicates that 50% of hunting incidents involving a fi rearm resulted in a fatality," said Capt. Branden Jones of NCWRC's Law Enforcement Division. North Carolina ranks seventh in the nation for licensed hunters at 603,995, according to the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA). Many gunshot injuries occur when hunters fail to properly identify their target and mistake another hunter for game, or carelessly handle a fi rearm that results in self-infl icted injuries. Hunting incidents can be reduced by practicing safe fi rearm handling. NCWRC offers the following important rules of fi rearm safety: • Positively identify target before pulling the trigger. • Always point a fi rearm in a safe direction. • Treat every fi rearm as if it were loaded and never assume it's unloaded. • Use binoculars, rather than a rifl e scope, to identify the target. • Keep fi nger out of the trigger guard and off the trigger until ready to shoot. • Be sure of the target and that there are no houses, vehicles, powerlines, livestock or people in front of or behind it. • Avoid the use of alcohol and drugs as they may affect judgement when hunting. • Comply with blaze orange laws as required. "Let someone know your whereabouts and approximate return time," says Capt. Jones. "We want everyone participating in hunting activities to keep safety as their number one priority and continue to make memories for many years to come." In efforts to reduce hunting- related incidents, NCWRC offers basic hunter education certifi cation courses, both in-person and online. "Through increased education, access to shooting ranges, and advanced educational opportunities, students and hunters become more skilled and profi cient in the use of hunting equipment," said NCWRC Engagement and Education Manager, Carissa Daniels. "They also help hunters become more knowledgeable and aware of measures they can incorporate for a safer hunting experience." For more hunting information visit these NCWRC's webpages for the 2023-24 Inland Fishing, Hunting & Trapping Regulations Digest, hunter education, hunting webinars for new hunters, and Chronic Wasting Disease. State Wildlife Agency Reports Increase in Serious and Fatal Firearm-Related Hunting Incidents State Wildlife Enforcement Reminds Hunters to Keep Safety Top of Mind Article by: ncwildlife.org. Are you obsessed over something? Has something gained your attention in such a way that you have made some drastic changes in order to accommodate that matter? Deer hunters do this all the time. I was just reliving the past season with a friend. He was telling me about a place where he hunted that was for bow hunters only. One evening, just before dark, he saw what he called the buck of a lifetime, and it was only 60 yards from his stand. And even though he could not get a shot at it, it caused him to almost ignore all the other bucks that came his way; and there were plenty. By the time his few days of hunting were over, he had passed up some really big bucks because none of them were the "one" he had seen just a few days earlier. In the end, the cost was coming home empty- handed all because he had become obsessed with one prize so valuable that every other prize paled in comparison. He is not alone in this obsession. I know of other hunters who have marked one particular buck as their goal and have waited for 2 or 3 years in order to get it. And I know of some who waited just as long only to fi nd out their prize was now their neighbor's trophy. Some may not understand this obsession. Some do. Everyone ought to. In recalling these stories, I am reminded of the Biblical story of the man who found a valuable pearl. The Bible says when he discovered it, he sold everything he owned and bought it. No diversifi cation. No hedging his investment. No waiting until more favorable times. But selling it all – pushing it all in for this one pearl of great price. What was the Lord comparing this most valuable pearl to? The kingdom of heaven. What is the kingdom of heaven? Let's just say it is the totality of God in our lives now and the greatness of heaven in the future. And what the Lord desires is this; that there would come a time in our lives when we fi nally understand the most valuable thing in our life is simply Him. And in fully understanding this, we would willfully, gladly, and excitingly be willing to give it all up to experience, without distraction, the worth and surpassing greatness of that relationship. By By Gary Miller Gary Miller Aiming Outdoorsmen Toward Christ GARY MILLER Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 21 years. He has also written fi ve books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild- game dinners and men's events for churches and associations. gary@outdoortruths.org Rutherford Weekly Sudoku Rutherford Weekly Sudoku Answers Article Provided By: Jean Gordon The 2023 Black, White, and Red Gala at Point Lookout Vineyards on December 7 was a tremendous success, said a spokesperson for the Chamber of the Hickory Nut Gorge. Music for dancing and listening was provided by Pleasure Chest. All individuals and businesses supporting the Chamber were thanked for the successful annual event. Article Provided By: Jean Gordon. Photo Contributed. Camryn Mayse, a student at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, returns this volley during a volleyball game with East Middle School recently. "YOUR POSITIVE "YOUR POSITIVE MEDIA SOURCE" MEDIA SOURCE" "YOUR POSITIVE MEDIA SOURCE"