Ever Mistake a Hunter for a Deer/Bear/Elk?

[matechakeric]

I'm always amazed whenever I hear of a hunter being mistaken for a turkey or deer and shot by a fellow hunter. I've hunted off and on for 10 years on public land and I've never seen a person strongly resemble a game animal, let alone so convinced I was about to pull the trigger. Obviously, it happens and a lot across the country.

I feel like the nature of spring turkey lends itself to this type of incident but wide-open western hunting seems less likely.

Has anyone ever been straight-up fooled?

I do know a few years back, a family-friend was hunting on my in-laws cattle ranch in CO and he was shot while riding an ATV by a shooter from the public access road that cut through the private property. He survived but almost lost his arm. Hunter wearing orange moving on an ATV, not convinced that was an accident

 

[Corn king 60]

No NEVER!
did watch a branch move in the wind for a very long time.sure looked like a rack but I was 13-14 years old. No binos or scope a long time ago. Took awhile but figured it out. I’ll never forget that

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

No

 

[Wallydeuce]

Nope. I mean really, how long does it take to identify a target?

I've been looked at through a scope several times. It's unnerving as hell.

 

[RobertD]

Never once. Not even close. BUT

I have a funny story that is relative.

One of my best hunting buddies was hunting public land in Florida with his dad, another good buddy. They had hunted separately and agreed to meet back up at a main trail after dark.

This part of Florida is crawling with black bears.

My bud was nearing their meeting place and could see his dad standing there, through some brush in a little bend in the trail. He hailed him quietly and asked if he'd seen anything. No answer. He called to him again, "Dad?"

He was a few steps away when "Dad" woofed at him, dropped down on all fours and went crashing through the palmettos and into the darkness.

 

[FlatlanderAZ]

No

 

[Tiredofthebickering]

No, but I've admittedly scoped a couple guys when I was younger and more foolish. To be fair, the only one I can remember clearly annoyed me bad because the guy wasn't wearing orange. I could see "something" clear as day at the base of a tree and put my scope on it and immediately jerked it back down when I realized. But I would definitely have seen his orange if he'd been wearing it like he should have been.

 

[rwc101]

Mistook a couple of hunters for jive turkeys once.

 

[kwyeewyk]

Only based on sound, never visually. Never understood how that could happen.

 

[SO7mm]

Not even close.

 

[Doublecluck]

Yea but usually I carry a shovel so it’s worked out so far.

I hunt Mostly in Montana on public land in 3 and 4 districts in case you want to hunt in a different area/state.






Hell no….

And I only hunt Turks coming in to decoys so hell no there as well.

I am amazed at the shoot moving things in bushes mentality that apparently exists among some of the deep woods hunter types.

 

[blueridge]

Never. Does not make any sense to me.

Our local home inspector was “misidentified” and shot while turkey hunting.

 

[matechakeric]

I am amazed at the shoot moving things in bushes mentality that apparently exists among some of the deep woods hunter types.

my dad used to hunt with one of those. took shots at any verified deer at the furthest distances he could without letting them come closer. he ended up poaching a doe during buck season. needless to say he is no longer invited to hunt with them anymore

 

[NECALI]

Never! We were hunting the Yolla Bolly wilderness a few years back and were told by another hunter that there was a group of hunters close by who were walking the ridge-lines shooting down into the brushy canyons hoping to run deer out. We could here them doing it the following day. Pretty stupid. Another hunt next to the Ishi Wilderness at first light three hunters parked next to us. One asked which rifle am I using. His partner told him this one. It was clear during their conversation the guy had never hunted before or shot a rifle. Five minutes later we heard him shoot. Don’t know if it was at a doe or just accidentally as we saw a few does run off. They never said or acted like he was shooting at a buck. We should have just left but went the opposite way instead.

 

[Shangobango]

Nope.

We hunt some thick stuff here. Some places have an almost impenetrable blanket of shoulder high palmetto. I have seen or heard movement plenty of times that made me think “that could be a deer” and I may have even brought my weapon into a position where it could be quickly shouldered, but I have never aimed downrange at the area where the movement or sound was coming from.

When I was first learning woodsmanship and hunting it was made very clear to me that aiming at something before I was sure of the target would result in my weapon being used as a bludgeon on my head.

 

[bobbydean]

NO

 

[ida homer]

Hell no.

I got scoped once 10 years ago at 50 yards. Redneck in overall’s with no binos. Hell all he had was a pocket knife and a Fanny pack. Toothless type.

I’m not too cool to wear plenty of orange.

 

[BirdManMike]

No. Never.

Not a turkey hunter, but have seen a moving pitcher or two of dudes with turkey tail feather on heads, creeping thru underbrush, while turkey calling to get close to some gobblers. This is literally the only situation I can think of where a mistake might be justifiable, and even then the emphasis is on 'might' as I dont think - highly doubt - I would take a shot without 100% identification.

 

[OntarioHunter]

No! I once scoped an orange vest a half mile away because it didn't move in a half hour and very nasty country. Wanted to make sure he wasn't down and out. He was scoping me! Happened to run into him as I was driving out that night. He was waiting at the highway to intercept me and apologize. He was also scoping to make sure I was okay. I don't know what he was shooting but my 06 with 180 gr wouldn't make it half way there if a meteorite fell on me and discharged the gun. We were both shocked to see another hunter up in that gawdforsaken place. And I was surprised to learn I'm not the only guy in the world smart enough to avoid dragging bulky binocs around elk hunting.

 

[CycleFishHunt]

two of dudes with turkey tail feather on heads, creeping thru underbrush

Goodness. This may be effective, but I’d never.

I went out for a turkey this spring for the first time and had an orange vest in my pack to throw over the bird if I got one (I did not, sadly).

I’ve heard of people getting shot walking out while holding a bird.

People who shoot at movement, sound, or a couple of feathers terrify me.