Is it OK to hunt while pregnant?

[danb]

Ya. Well, the beauty of 'murica is that for everyone who refuses business there is someone willing to pick it up.

 

[Mr H]

Oops! She's pregnant? She said she was on the pill!

In your dreams.

OK, mine too.

She is even more interesting after reading that! Very good piece. And the article, too.

Somebody is a hugely lucky bastage.

 

[clandestine]

Ya. Well, the beauty of 'murica is that for everyone who refuses business there is some idiot to pick it up.

I agree

 

[mvee]

Somebody on here told of how they stopped by the range with their pregnant wife. She wasn't shooting, but someone else shot a rifle and the baby started freaking out inside of her after the shot. Not cool.

 

[DaveP]

LOL, my wife hunted while pregnant.
Actually shot a real nice buck about 2 weeks before one was born: said when she shot, he started kicking like crazy. All good, as he likes to shoot and hunt these days, and eats a few deer himself every year!
I had to build a platform for her to hunt out of, with almost stairs to get into it.

 

[TheBert]

Just like it should be up to the parents to decide to allow an untrained 9 year old girl to shoot a full auto Uzi?

Sometimes as instructors and RSO's, we have to use some common sense to protect people from themselves. Shooting 2-4 rounds in self defense is vastly different than the many rounds that someone will fire during target shooting. Even past pregnancy is the breast feeding issue. I won't have breast feeding moms around lead particulate either.

You can talk about it being the woman's choice and all, but I have a business to run, and income that my family depends on. Its not worth the $50 to $100 to take a pregnant woman on the range and see Johnny pop out 9 months later and there is something wrong.

Who knows bet how to raise your children? If you want to turn that over to the government you are welcomed to do so, however, the government doesn't have such a good record when it comes to raising children in their care.

I used to skydive with a couple of women who kept jumping through the 7th month.

My wife worked with heavy metals and caustic chemicals throughout both of her pregnancies and our children turned out ok, neither of them is a drug addict, alcoholic, free with their love or any other problems. In fact both of them are in college and doing well.

You business, your rules. Not ever business is yours and you should respect their right to conduct business the way they see fit.

Darwin, God, The Great Presence has a hard way with cleansing the gene pool of those who shouldn't pass theirs on.

 

[Armadillofz1]

Since it hasn't been done yet...

 

[fabsroman]

Is there a concern about the intensity of sound traveling through her body? I dont know how much sound gets muffled by the human body but I would be worried about any damage to the halfling's ears. I can't imagine just an inch or two of flesh is enough to properly shield developing ears from the auditory crack of a gunshot.

This would be my concern too, and one that was mentioned by Lou45 when I was in his shop about a month ago. The sound waves would trouble me.

 

[fabsroman]

I think she needs some more training because her google fu is weak.

I will say this. I have no problem with a person making a decision, once they inform themselves of what the risks are. We all have different levels of risk that we are willing to accept in our lives and we are all going to raise our kids differently. Kids are people, and no two are alike.

Anyway, went and googled "Should pregnant women shoot a gun" and the first hit had a link in the comments section to:

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=103012

Pretty good information there. Didn't even bother reading all the rest of the hits I got from that google.

 

[clandestine]

I think she needs some more training because her google fu is weak.

I will say this. I have no problem with a person making a decision, once they inform themselves of what the risks are. We all have different levels of risk that we are willing to accept in our lives and we are all going to raise our kids differently. Kids are people, and no two are alike.

Anyway, went and googled "Should pregnant women shoot a gun" and the first hit had a link in the comments section to:

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=103012

Pretty good information there. Didn't even bother reading all the rest of the hits I got from that google.

Fudds don't want to be educated.

 

[fabsroman]

Fudds don't want to be educated.

Yep, and you are the epitome of education.

Once again using a broad brush to label a large category of people. Once again, I will tell you that they taught us in grade school that "Always, never, all, none" is usually a false statement.

You stop to think that your statement might be offensive to some, probably most, maybe even all, hunters? Kind of like an anti saying all gun owners are morons.

 

[traveller]

The article cited says that pregnant women should not fire Howitzers. I agree with that.





The original question of the thread was 'Is it OK to hunt while pregnant?'.

Two issues, noise and lead.

The noise data for negative effects on pregnancies is for repetitive exposures at very high levels. I dont know what kind of armor plated deer you guy hunt, but the little bambies we have around here dont take more than 10 or 20 rounds each .

As for the lead exposures, the data that shows elevated lead levels in shooters are limited to:
- indoor ranges
- shooters who spend lots of time at indoor ranges (HS shooting coach, competitive shooters, employees, construction workers during remodel).

So yes, pregnant women should probably not be on a range where others fire large numbers of rounds due to the continuous noise exposure. They should not be required to work in a range, pick up brass, mop or vacuum the lead dust or dig through the backstop. They should not have to clean firearms or handle cast lead bullets during re-loading.

Buuuut, unless someone can point to actual data to the contrary, I dont see how firing 1-2 rounds during a deer hunt or a box of lead-free shot shells during a bird hunt is going to have any measurable effect on the fetus. Yes, shooting is loud, but so is banging a steel door shut or sitting in a convertible next to some dumbass with a straight-pipe exhaust on his Harley.

Very few women are going to be interested to go hunting in the last month of pregnancy. Every pregnant woman I have ever dealt with planned their life at that point from bathroom to bathroom. But no, pregnant women are not all crazy, emotionally unstable or otherwise liable to go on a homicidal rampage. If one of them looks at what we know and decides that the theoretical risks are low, going hunting is no different from going on a ride in a powerboat.

 

[fabsroman]

The article cited says that pregnant women should not fire Howitzers. I agree with that.





The original question of the thread was 'Is it OK to hunt while pregnant?'.

Two issues, noise and lead.

The noise data for negative effects on pregnancies is for repetitive exposures at very high levels. I dont know what kind of armor plated deer you guy hunt, but the little bambies we have around here dont take more than 10 or 20 rounds each .

As for the lead exposures, the data that shows elevated lead levels in shooters are limited to:
- indoor ranges
- shooters who spend lots of time at indoor ranges (HS shooting coach, competitive shooters, employees, construction workers during remodel).

So yes, pregnant women should probably not be on a range where others fire large numbers of rounds due to the continuous noise exposure. They should not be required to work in a range, pick up brass, mop or vacuum the lead dust or dig through the backstop. They should not have to clean firearms or handle cast lead bullets during re-loading.

Buuuut, unless someone can point to actual data to the contrary, I dont see how firing 1-2 rounds during a deer hunt or a box of lead-free shot shells during a bird hunt is going to have any measurable effect on the fetus. Yes, shooting is loud, but so is banging a steel door shut or sitting in a convertible next to some dumbass with a straight-pipe exhaust on his Harley.

Very few women are going to be interested to go hunting in the last month of pregnancy. Every pregnant woman I have ever dealt with planned their life at that point from bathroom to bathroom. But no, pregnant women are not all crazy, emotionally unstable or otherwise liable to go on a homicidal rampage. If one of them looks at what we know and decides that the theoretical risks are low, going hunting is no different from going on a ride in a powerboat.

She was going dove hunting. The limit on doves is 15 birds. The average shooter uses between 5 to 6 shells per bird for doves. It usually takes me about 2 boxes of shells to get a limit, so about 3 shells per dove.

Google "average shots per dove" and the number can vary, but not many are less than 5.

We can debate whether a 12 gauge is considered a howitzer. lol

 

[clandestine]

Yep, and you are the epitome of education.

Once again using a broad brush to label a large category of people. Once again, I will tell you that they taught us in grade school that "Always, never, all, none" is usually a false statement.

You stop to think that your statement might be offensive to some, probably most, maybe even all, hunters? Kind of like an anti saying all gun owners are morons.

Have you learned that I don't give a shit what you think or get butthurt about. I actually prefer it. So please keep complaining about my brush, ill go buy a larger one.

 

[fabsroman]

Have you learned that I don't give a shit what you think or get butthurt about. I actually prefer it. So please keep complaining about my brush, ill go buy a larger one.

Don't really care what you think. Just putting it out there so the others can chew on it. Ever think about that oh Great One?

Please, buy a larger one so more people on the board can see it and it is easier for me to point it out to everybody. If you need funds for the larger brush, I'll give them to you.

 

[clandestine]

Don't really care what you think. Just putting it out there so the others can chew on it. Ever think about that oh Great One?

Please, buy a larger one so more people on the board can see it and it is easier for me to point it out to everybody. If you need funds for the larger brush, I'll give them to you.

Really gets to you don't it.

Yup, all the hunters I have been around my entire life and the thousands I fixed guns for them should know the truth.

I have been exposed by someone who can school me in hunting and firearms.

 

[fabsroman]

Really gets to you don't it.

Yup, all the hunters I have been around my entire life and the thousands I fixed guns for them should know the truth.

I have been exposed by someone who can school me in hunting and firearms.

You need a shovel along with the brush?

 

[Sticky]

I thought this was awesome:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/16/opinion/cupp-hunting-while-pregnant/

Spoiler alert: She was invited to go dove hunting right here in MD...

I can tell you she made out just fine, few doves were flying yesterday and yes, I was hunting within about 75yds from her and her hubby... She did knock down a couple birds tho... lol

 

[DaveP]

http://www.adn.com/article/20140920/homer-woman-more-8-months-pregnant-bags-moose

 

[Afrikeber]

I will not take a pregnant woman on the range for any live fire.

1) Lead exposure to the fetus
2) Noise exposure from gunfire
3) Recoil from the firearm (depending on the gun) may jar the fetus

Absolutely correct. As an RO I have asked pregnant woman to stand back from the firing line in an open air range. It's just the right thing to do....why introduce that risk to a child's life? But then again Planned Parenthood would welcome the idea.....