Bow hunter fatally shot in San Juan National Forest

[get-n-birdy]

People get shot in the whitetail woods wearing full blaze orange. Blaze orange can help, but it doesn't dig down to the root of the problem. In Minnesota if memory serves me right there's been someone shot off a horse and a running, moving 3 wheeler in the not to distant past. And most Midwestern whitetail firearms hunters are darn near head to toe blaze orange. Most do it because they are afraid of getting misidentified. It's just sad. The thing that amazes me is they can't id a deer from a person, but have no problem hitting them? Not sure if that's dumb luck or what, just seems odd they can hit what they are lined up on but can't id it? We've always wondered in many areas that are wooded, how people can get 4 or 5 shots off at something on a regular basis? No chance in heck a lot of those shots aren't just pointed in the general direction and letting her rip hoping and spraying. Seems inevitable crap happens, but this one seems avoidable.

 

[OntarioHunter]

People get shot in the whitetail woods wearing full blaze orange. Blaze orange can help, but it doesn't dig down to the root of the problem. In Minnesota if memory serves me right there's been someone shot off a horse and a running, moving 3 wheeler in the not to distant past. And most Midwestern whitetail firearms hunters are darn near head to toe blaze orange. Most do it because they are afraid of getting misidentified. It's just sad. The thing that amazes me is they can't id a deer from a person, but have no problem hitting them? Not sure if that's dumb luck or what, just seems odd they can hit what they are lined up on but can't id it? We've always wondered in many areas that are wooded, how people can get 4 or 5 shots off at something on a regular basis? No chance in heck a lot of those shots aren't just pointed in the general direction and letting her rip hoping and spraying. Seems inevitable crap happens, but this one seems avoidable.

I agree 100%. Too much emphasis among the stalking-in-heavy-woods crowd for guns capable of fast follow up shots. In my book fast shooting equates to sloppy shooting/hunting. Being sloppy in too much of a hurry is the first step towards a tragedy. I was always a tracker/stalker and did it in heavy timber with a bolt action and low power scope. With that setup and those conditions you learn to shoot carefully. To read about this kind of accident from a guy using a single shot black powder gun was surprising. I have to wonder if he wasn't drunk. I certainly doubt that he was any kind of dedicated black powder hunter. Sounds like someone who typically hunts drives using a shotgun.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I agree 100%. Too much emphasis among the stalking-in-heavy-woods crowd for guns capable of fast follow up shots. In my book fast shooting equates to sloppy shooting/hunting. Being sloppy in too much of a hurry is the first step towards a tragedy. I was always a tracker/stalker and did it in heavy timber with a bolt action and low power scope. With that setup and those conditions you learn to shoot carefully. To read about this kind of accident from a guy using a single shot black powder gun was surprising. I have to wonder if he wasn't drunk. I certainly doubt that he was any kind of dedicated black powder hunter. Sounds like someone who typically hunts drives using a shotgun.

Unfortunately I don't think method of take matters, there have been some incidents with bow hunters accidently shooting people. Which one would think is the antithesis of what your talking about fast follow up shot weapons.

All of these and the above are tragedies and just highlight that you need to be very careful about pulling the trigger no matter what you are using. Shot at a spot on an animal not at movement.

Deputies: NC man killed with arrow was mistaken for deer

A North Carolina hunter was killed by a friend's arrow after being mistaken for a deer Thursday, deputies said.

www.wxii12.com

SD: 62-year-old man killed in bow hunting accident - C.A.S.H. Committee To Abolish Sport Hunting

https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2021/04/19/sheriff-mark-steinborn-killed-bow-hunting-accident-involving-son/7284636002/ 04/19/2021 The Brookings County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a bow hunting accident that resulted in the death of a 62-year-old man. The incident was reported...

abolishsporthunting.org

Local hunter arrested in fatal shooting of partner

A Tillamook man was arrested after he allegedly shot and killed his hunting partner Monday while they were bow hunting near La Pine.

www.tillamookheadlightherald.com

 

[OntarioHunter]

Unfortunately I don't think method of take matters, there have been some incidents with bow hunters accidently shooting people. Which one would think is the antithesis of what your talking about fast follow up shot weapons.

All of these and the above are tragedies and just highlight that you need to be very careful about pulling the trigger no matter what you are using. Shot at a spot on an animal not at movement.

Deputies: NC man killed with arrow was mistaken for deer

A North Carolina hunter was killed by a friend's arrow after being mistaken for a deer Thursday, deputies said.

www.wxii12.com

SD: 62-year-old man killed in bow hunting accident - C.A.S.H. Committee To Abolish Sport Hunting

https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2021/04/19/sheriff-mark-steinborn-killed-bow-hunting-accident-involving-son/7284636002/ 04/19/2021 The Brookings County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a bow hunting accident that resulted in the death of a 62-year-old man. The incident was reported...

abolishsporthunting.org

Local hunter arrested in fatal shooting of partner

A Tillamook man was arrested after he allegedly shot and killed his hunting partner Monday while they were bow hunting near La Pine.

www.tillamookheadlightherald.com

Only the first of those three archery deaths was a case of mistaken identity. The second incident is an "accident" with no charges or details and the last one was supposedly just plain carelessness. Apparently the fool was walking with his pal, had arrow drawn, swung on a deer, and shot the guy. A fishy story but if believed, it was a case of haste makes waste. Not a typical archery hunting scenario.

 

[roravetz]

I hunted archery elk the last 2 days of Muzzleloader and then the following week. I always wear a hunter orange hat even if it wasn't Muzzleloader season. Had a few people ask me if it was mandatory and of course it's not but sometimes something doesn't have to be mandatory for it to be common sense and good practice. Wouldn't you know it I had 2 bulls within 30 yards look right at or through me and they didn't seem to notice or care that I wasn't in full camo.

 

[Toldyaso]

It always grinds my goat when I see these events called accidents. There was nothing accidental about them. Someone raised their weapon, aimed, and fired. A deliberate process. This is homicide. Negligent homicide if you give them the benefit of the doubt but homicide nonetheless.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I have met many gun “hunters” that shoot at sounds, movements, or just likely places where an animal might be. There is no “mistaking” the target. Just extremely dangerous, careless, negligent discharge of firearms where any kind of animal or human could be shot/killed.

 

[MTGomer]

I have met many gun “hunters” that shoot at sounds, movements, or just likely places where an animal might be. There is no “mistaking” the target. Just extremely dangerous, careless, negligent discharge of firearms where any kind of animal or human could be shot/killed.

I was going to post “I just don’t understand how this happens” in regard to accidentally shooting someone but your post clears that up. Unbelievable

 

[AdalineDDawson]

Some people are dumb as a stump...... This is so sad and I hope these guys spend a long time in prison for being so careless.

You are right...How can someone be so careless?

 

[Rainer]

I always stay out of the woods when the pumpkin army is out in force

 

[44hunter45]

my wife and i were talking about this incident in the car the other day.

a couple years ago, she came to the conclusion that she didn't want to pursue the wyoming doe pronghorn tags i drew for her after i had a her spend some time target shooting out on the blm at different ranges. reason being, she just couldn't feel confident and competent with rifle and was not going to go about shooting at living things because of that. i commended her for that and told she absolutely didn't have to hunt, ever, if she didn't want to.

i don't think many will be in favor of such a thing, but i'm starting to wonder if it's time that hunter education certificates start becoming a "have to get recertified every 5 years" type of thing.

i'm not sure it would make a difference, but we need to start forcing people to think more about what they're doing on a regular basis. maybe we can find a way to start failing people out of hunting, frankly. there's just no excuses for these accidents anymore, not that there hardly ever were.

i do hope this guy spends a healthy chunk of time in prison, not that any punishment will be worse than what he's feeling and will carry with him for the rest of his life. but hunting accidents need to stop being labeled as accidents and people need to see the example, that if you f&*k up this hard, your normal life as a citizen is over.

+1

Now we online Hunter Education with no field day required. This was a thing before COVID. A case where lowering the R3 barriers increases the odds someone will get hurt.

 

[tanner127]

These people scare the hell out of me. Last year my brother and I were glassing a canyon close to the road when a large group of guys pulled up in a truck and set up a hundred yards below us for a drive. Another truck pulled up about 30 mins later and they actually shot in that direction to shoo them off. It was wild. We sat there and watched them push several doe through the canyon and waited for them to finish before heading back to the truck. We didn’t want to move in case they looked up and thought we were deer.

Rifle season opens this weekend in the zones just above Los Angeles. Never hunted there before, but I’ve read that there are a lot of careless hunters out there. Probably the same mentality as those guys shooting towards that truck last year. My brother and I will be wearing a lot of orange and trying to get a few miles away from the roads. I feel the only ways to avoid these people are to get in earlier, stay later, and go in further from them.

 

[3855WIN]

When walking early or late, have a light on. People shouldn’t shoot a light. Orange can get hard to see in fading light.

 

[marksjeep]

Plead not guilty last week.
https://www.durangoherald.com/artic...tal-shooting-of-bow-hunter-in-dolores-county/

 

[Slm864]

He can plead however the hell he wants. How he can be found anything other than guilty in the end is mind boggling.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I think the state is partly to blame. They should not allow conflicting dress codes during the same hunting season. Period. That's just asking for trouble. Best solution is to push muzzle loaders to a separate season or allow everyone to hunt without orange. Or make muzzle and archery separate seasons. We have overlapping seasons here too but anytime an archery hunter steps on the ground, he's gotta be wearing orange.

 

[COEngineer]

I think the state is partly to blame. They should not allow conflicting dress codes during the same hunting season. Period. That's just asking for trouble. Best solution is to push muzzle loaders to a separate season or allow everyone to hunt without orange. Or make muzzle and archery separate seasons. We have overlapping seasons here too but anytime an archery hunter steps on the ground, he's gotta be wearing orange.

I don't think the orange requirement season discussion has anything to do with this criminal case. Are you going to require bird watchers, hikers, mountaineers, dog walkers, etc to wear blaze orange too?

 

[OntarioHunter]

He can plead however the hell he wants. How he can be found anything other than guilty in the end is mind boggling.

He is contesting the felony manslaughter charge. I guess he is okay with the misdemeanor charge of failing to identify the target. He may win. There is an appearance the state is attempting to double dip, charging him twice for the same offense. I wonder if he's asking for a jury trial.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I don't think the orange requirement season discussion has anything to do with this criminal case. Are you going to require bird watchers, hikers, mountaineers, dog walkers, etc to wear blaze orange too?

Actually, that is a requirement here. Bird hunters, berry pickers, etc. must wear orange when in the bush during rifle season.

I said the state is PARTLY to blame and I am certain that is the twist the defense lawyers will put on it. Yes, he is guilty of not properly identifying his target. But the state is also guilty of allowing an inherently dangerous situation to persist. For decades the ministry of natural resources up here consistently opposed a mandatory orange law during rifle season for this very reason. Then a businessmen's Conservative govt decided it would boost sales for sporting goods stores. Wearing orange was always recommended but not required. The result was more accidental shootings from slobs firing at sound when they didn't see orange.

I see the state's answer to this tragedy is to reshape hunters ed. Huh? How would that have made a difference? The guy was nonresident.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Actually, that is a requirement here. Bird hunters, berry pickers, etc. must wear orange when in the bush during rifle season.

Bullshit, post the statute that says a non-consumptive user of crown land has to wear blaze orange.