Drunk hunters

Dear Editor,

The only time I have ever seen an AR-15 assault rifle in the woods was back in Nebraska.

One evening while out target-shooting, I came upon a young man pretending to be a soldier with his AR-15.

I asked him "are you going to shoot a tree with that?"

His reply, "How about you?"

We were both practicing.

One side of the issue that hasn't yet been fully discussed in the present emotional gun debate is drinking alcohol and hunting.

In Nebraska, a bowhunter was shot in the butt by another drunk bow hunter. Poor guy couldn't turn the other cheek because the arrow went through both cheeks and he couldn't move. But he could yell.

While living the backwoods in Oregon, I've helped a lot of hunters.

In one situation, a hunter was so drunk, she couldn't figure out how to load her rifle, so I helped her unjam the thing.

Both men and women have to be careful with guns. It's a matter of attitude and mental state.

Larry D. Petersen,

Salem, Oregon