Letter to the editor: Shotgun hunting is safe — even from a half-mile away

An unnamed source in the Nov. 28 “Developments to call for hunting map revisions” story, identified as a St. Kate’s professor, is quoted as being concerned of hunters one mile away.

The Minnesota DNR has regulations that provide for no hunting within 500 feet of a structure such as a house or school. These rules are provided by informed persons at the DNR who regulate safe hunting conditions.

The vast majority of hunting in Woodbury is waterfowl hunting and is conducted with shotguns that have a lethal range limit of 100 yards. The children of the unnamed professor are more than safe given their proximity of one mile or 1,760 yards. It might surprise a person uneducated in the effective range of shotguns how safe they truly are.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation prepared a report in 2009 that firearm shooting is one of the safest sports compared to many activities and traditional sports such as football and basketball. You are more likely to be injured playing football, 470 percent more; basketball, 316 percent. You are 240 times more likely to be injured riding a bicycle but we have no calls to prohibit bicycle riding, right? However, when the media reports on gun injuries and not biking injuries it is easy to understand the stigma associated with firearms.

If the current zoning for non-hunting were increased to include the areas that have been developed and are 500 feet from buildings and schools it would not further restrict what is already allowed but it would make residents feel better if they can identify their home and children’s school within the non-hunting zone on a city document.

I completely agree with the professor’s position, “residents need to feel safe.” What is needed is not further restrictions but, ironically, education for the non-hunter concerned with her safety.

Mike Haas - Woodbury

Tags: letters to the editor, opinion, updates