Injuries and Deaths Caused by Mole Guns

Abstract

Objective: Mole guns are commonly used to kill detrimental animals. They sometimes cause injuries, even lethal ones, and are occasionally used in crimes. A mole gun propels pellets similar to a shotgun. Material and Methods: In this study, 24 cases of injuries in the province of Konya (Turkey) between 2004 and 2007 and 4 cases of death in the provinces of Konya, Burdur, Erzincan and Denizli (Turkey) that were caused by mole guns were analyzed. Results: In the cases involving non-lethal injuries, 23 victims were males and one was a female. Their ages ranged between 2 and 80 years with an average age of 50.8 +/- 17.7 years. The most represented age group in the range was 60-69 years with 8 cases and 19 of the cases were farmers. In 3 of the cases that led to death, the manner of death was an accident and 1 case was a homicide. Conclusion: As the mole gun can cause various disabilities and lethal wounds to humans when fired from a short distance, its production and use should be prohibited.