Not long ago, I saw two posts within a week about guys getting stuck in the eyes by fish they’d caught. One was a catfish spine, and the other was a walleye fin. I don’t know if either of those guys lost their vision permanently from those accidents, but no matter what, it doesn’t sound pleasant.
There are hunting accidents every year where people get eye injuries, too. If you took hunter’s safety, you’ll probably recall being told repeatedly you should always wear eye protection when you’re shooting guns or bows.
Most hunters I know wear sunglasses to protect their eyes, but those sunglasses can’t be cheap discount store shades. For one thing, cheap sunglasses aren’t going to be durable enough to provide you any protection if something goes wrong, and for another thing, you probably won’t be wearing them early in the morning or late in the evening, when you’re more likely to actually get a shot at a critter.
Your eyes are arguably your most important sensory organs, so spend a little more to protect them. Buy good sunglasses for hunting. Maybe even invest in a couple of pairs – one for low-light conditions and one for bright sun.
I’ve become a big fan of Costa sunglasses. They’re polarized, they provide 100 percent protection against UV rays, and they’re impact resistant. And they come in a bunch of varieties for different light conditions.
I have a pair with gray lenses that aren’t reflective for bright sun, and a pair of what they call “sunrise” for dawn and dusk. They were more expensive than bargain brands, but they’ll actually provide some protection if I need it.
If those fishermen had been wearing sunglasses like these, maybe they wouldn’t have been spined in the eyes.
