# Was Cheney using acceptable hunting safety practices or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 16, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739 "2006-02-16T02:31:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/21 "2006-02-18T15:57:53Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > The damning thing in this case was the complete lack of followup with law enforcement and the apparent attempt to keep information from the press, an act for which Cheney has reportedly been getting criticism from within the White House as well as from outside. As for the not telling the press about it thing, I can’t say I have a lot of sympathy for the media types complaining about that. It’s THEIR job to find the news, they’re not ENTITLED to having it brought to them on a platter with a garnish of relish. I mean, if they were, _I_ could run CNN. Didn’t they find out about it a day or two later anyhow? ---
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/22 "2006-02-18T18:05:30Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > Apparently he was ready to take a shot, since that’s what he did. Are you saying that he deliberately set up a shot knowing his friend was in it? My point was, according to the firearms safety people I know, you don’t put your finger on the trigger until you have set up your shot and are ready to fire. The idea being that you have assessed that nobody is in the way of that shot. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/23 "2006-02-18T18:59:31Z")
Apparently I misrecalled what I heard on a news story. Seems they were after quail, not dove. dove head for the next county when you jump them. Gambles quail (based on location, very likely guess) tend to launch mostly upward to around 15-20 feet, then set thier wings with characteristic anhederal and glide about 50 yards or so, then hit the ground running.They like some cover, which is typically shoulder high (at most) sagebrush. It still requires pretty quick shooting. I guess it’s possible someone would use a full choke on upland birds with a 28 ga. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/24 "2006-02-18T21:47:02Z")
> [@Q.N. Jones](#): > > Are you saying that he deliberately set up a shot knowing his friend was in it? > > My point was, according to the firearms safety people I know, you don’t put your finger on the trigger until you have set up your shot and are ready to fire. The idea being that you have assessed that nobody is in the way of that shot. No, I’m saying you have to swing the gun to lead the bird and shoot while the gun is still moving. He would have started pulling the trigger before the gun was actually pointing at his friend. If you hold the gun still and wait to put your finger on the trigger after you’ve seen a bird you will never hit it. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/25 "2006-02-18T22:16:22Z")
> [@Q.N. Jones](#): > > Are you saying that he deliberately set up a shot knowing his friend was in it? > > My point was, according to the firearms safety people I know, you don’t put your finger on the trigger until you have set up your shot and are ready to fire. The idea being that you have assessed that nobody is in the way of that shot. Your comments would only make sense if Cheney had accidentally fired. From all accounts (including Cheney’s own) he didn’t accidentally fire, he intentionally fired, the accident was in what he fired at. Yes, you shouldn’t walk around with your finger on the trigger of a gun, while it’s typically not likely that just walking around with your finger on a gun will pull the trigger, it’s definitely possible and that’s why you shouldn’t do it. Cheney was trying to shoot a bird, when you’re actually taking your shot you should have your finger on the trigger or as someone has already said, you’ll never hit a bird. Hunting a deer or bear, that’d be a bit different but birds are fast. ---
**Author:** ![Q.N.Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3da27b/32.png) [@Q.N.Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.N.Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/26 "2006-02-19T03:07:46Z")
> [@Martin Hyde](#): > > Cheney was trying to shoot a bird, when you’re actually taking your shot you should have your finger on the trigger or as someone has already said, you’ll never hit a bird. Hunting a deer or bear, that’d be a bit different but birds are fast. What the shooters I’ve talked to say is that Cheney probably kept his finger on the trigger as a matter of course. It’s well known that it’s easy to get excited when hunting and fire impulsively, i.e., on purpose but without being careful enough. My dad’s best shooting buddy hunts quail and other birds. They know what they’re talking about. And they don’t put their finger on the trigger until they know they have a clear shot. It does not take as long as you think. Their opinion is that people who do not follow this practice and claim that it slows them down too much are just making excuses for not putting in a little extra effort to be safe. Following this practice does not make it impossible to hit a bird, as Dad’s friends are successful hunters. ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/27 "2006-02-20T16:01:10Z")
Consuming Alcohol probably didn’t help …Mr. Cheney admitted to having a beer with lunch (who has beer with lunch, by the way?) and I seem to remember him having some medical problems in the past so i assume he is on some medication. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/28 "2006-02-20T17:26:02Z")
> [@UselessGit](#): > > (who has beer with lunch, by the way?) Er, I generally have a beer with a sandwich or salad at lunch unless I’m eating at work. But I don’t do so right before going out and hunting or target shooting. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/29 "2006-02-20T17:31:04Z")
> [@Q.N. Jones](#): > > What the shooters I’ve talked to say is that Cheney probably kept his finger on the trigger as a matter of course. It’s well known that it’s easy to get excited when hunting and fire impulsively, i.e., on purpose but without being careful enough. > > My dad’s best shooting buddy hunts quail and other birds. They know what they’re talking about. And they don’t put their finger on the trigger until they know they have a clear shot. It does not take as long as you think. Their opinion is that people who do not follow this practice and claim that it slows them down too much are just making excuses for not putting in a little extra effort to be safe. Following this practice does not make it impossible to hit a bird, as Dad’s friends are successful hunters. Well this is all pure conjecture. You can easily take a shot and hit something you didn’t intend to without it being because you were resting your finger on the gun. And under your friends proposed guidelines the only proper way to fire a gun is to only have your finger on the trigger at the exact moment of firing and never any other time. From a realistic standpoint that just isn’t possible. There’s also nothing that really makes it any safer, it only takes a split second either way to decide and fire a gun, if Cheney was so focused on his target that he didn’t see Whittington how he was holding his gun prior to the shooting wouldn’t change anything. Like others have said when shooting birds you _have_ to focus heavily on your target and that will by its very nature make it more difficult to notice something else. ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/30 "2006-02-20T18:18:48Z")
> [@UselessGit](#): > > Consuming Alcohol probably didn’t help …Mr. Cheney admitted to having a beer with lunch (who has beer with lunch, by the way?) Lots of people who live in places, or societies, that don’t have moralistic attitudes towards the consumption of beer and wine in moderation. Unfortunately, many people equate any consumption of alcohol with sin and debauchery. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/31 "2006-02-20T20:32:34Z")
If Cheney is telling us the truth about when he drank that single beer, and if he’s telling the truth about it being a single beer then I can’t imagine it having any impact. One beer will not be affecting you 5 hours later. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/32 "2006-02-22T23:39:42Z")
> [@Martin Hyde](#): > > If Cheney is telling us the truth about when he drank that single beer, and if he’s telling the truth about it being a single beer then I can’t imagine it having any impact. One beer will not be affecting you 5 hours later. [Unless](http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_8184.shtml) . . . ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/33 "2006-02-25T16:29:15Z")
> [@Martin Hyde](#): > > If Cheney is telling us the truth about when he drank that single beer, and if he’s telling the truth about it being a single beer then I can’t imagine it having any impact. One beer will not be affecting you 5 hours later. Maybe not me and you but for a 65-year-old on blood thinners, it may be a little different. Also, Mr. Cheney doesn’t seem like a one-beer-man. > [@lissener's link](#): > > Sheriff’s Captain Charles Kirk says he went to the Armstrong Ranch immediately after the shooting was reported on Saturday, February 11 but both he and a game warden were not allowed on the 50,000-acre property. He called Salinas who told him to forget about it and return to the station. Yeah, what business does the Sheriff’s office think it has at the scene of a shooting? Nosy bastards… I’m not implying that Mr. Cheney was drunk, shot his friend in the face from 10-15 yards out and kept it from being investigated until he sobered up and got his story straight but, in a way, I am. Heh… Captain Kirk… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739/34 "2006-02-25T18:41:27Z")
> [@UselessGit](#): > > I’m not implying that Mr. Cheney was drunk, shot his friend in the face from 10-15 yards out and kept it from being investigated until he sobered up and got his story straight but, in a way, I am. Maybe this will help Cheney bond with “the other side”; he and Ted Kennedy can have a drink or a few and reminisce with their respective near-miss criminal negligence stories… Stranger [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-cheney-using-acceptable-hunting-safety-practices-or-not/344739.md?page=1)