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Fatal accident prompts hunters to invent gun harness for deer standsBy Debbie Robinson ORONOGO, Mo. The accidental shooting death four years ago of an area hunter prompted two local men to invent a gun harness for use in deer stands. Corey White, of rural Oronogo, and his partner, Jeff Seward, formed S&W Products to develop and sell the gun harness. One end of the harness attaches to the stock of the hunting rifle, and the other end attaches to the deer stand or the hunter’s safety harness, White said. The men are hoping to prevent the type of fatal accident that happened when a hunter who was in a deer stand dropped his rifle, White said. The gun landed stock-down. It discharged, and the bullet fatally struck the hunter. Their harness is made from strong nylon. If a hunter accidentally drops his rifle, it will drop with the gun barrel pointing down. White said he and a cousin were having breakfast in a diner not long after the accident and were mulling over ideas that could prevent future tragedies. After experimenting with prototypes, the two men were granted a patent on the gun harness and began advertising on a local hunting show and also online at their Web site, www.gunharness.com, where the harness sells for $14.95. White said an agreement has been reached with Evans Collar Co. in Mount Vernon to manufacture the product. Doug Trevino, archery and arms manager at Southtown Sporting Goods, said the store received its first gun harnesses about three weeks ago. “They (hunters) are learning about it, and future sales should be good,” he said. Francis Skalicky of the Missouri Department of Conservation said hunters should welcome the new safety measure. “Anything like that, that can improve on safety, that’s a good idea,” he said. “Safety is always an important aspect of hunting. If you’re in a deer stand, you need one of these.” The gun harness is recommended for guns that weigh 9 or more pounds, White said. Debbie Robinson writes for The Joplin (Mo.) Globe. x x x x cutline: |
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