Lee Sirabella’s letter titled, “Blaze-orange dialogue” (BDN, Nov. 24), sent shivers down my spine. As a retired hunter safety instructor I always taught that hunters should never use their rifle scopes as binoculars. That is a safety no-no!

The price of a human life is much greater than the cost of a cheap pair of binoculars. Every hunter must always remember that not only is the scope being pointed at a target but the muzzle of a loaded gun is also being pointed there as well. Western hunters use binoculars very effectively and they can be very useful here in Maine as well.

Never point a rifle at anything you don’t intend to shoot.

It appears the extra 15 minutes of hunting at sunset has not been a factor in the fatalities thus far as one was much later than that and the other was in the morning and self-imposed. A little common sense could prevent most hunting accidents. Is the chance it is a deer worth the risk it may be another hunter?

Use binoculars to be sure and safe.

George A. Fogg

North Yarmouth