Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

I think the authorities should start looking at homicide in some instances
a lot more closely. What a way to get away with murder. 

  Hunting accident, yeh yeh thats the ticket, thats what happened he was shot
accidently yeh!

    Was he struck with a stray shot ? Double-aught pellet or slug?
    Was he hunting with anyone ?
    
    Dana (who didn't see the paper this AM)

    
    	Is this the report of the guy who was killed in Ohio?  He was from
    Mass. on a hunting trip and was just recently discovered.

This reply probably doesn't belong here, as it has absolutely nothing to
do with the state of Massacheusetts, but it belongs somewhere in this
conference.  If someone wants to move it to a more appropriate topic,
be my guest.

The Colorado Spring Gazette Telegraph ran a story yesterday about the
past deer and elk season.  For the 1990 season, there were approximately
half a million hunters.  One, that's ONE, hunting fatality was reported.
And that was by a guy who accidently shot himself while crossing a
fence.  There were only 4 or 5 non-fatal hunting accidents reported for
the entire year.  There were no incidences of someone being shot or shot
at because they were mistaken for game.

According to the article, the Colorado DOW partly attributed the low
accident rate to the mandatory hunter safety training requirement and
to mandatory wearing of hunter orange.  Another interesting note was
that by far there were more tickets issued for hunters carrying loaded
guns in a vehicle than for any other reason.  Colorado law considers
a gun with a round in the chamber as loaded.  About half of the people
ticketed for this were unaware that their gun was loaded.  The other
half were road hunting.

That's the article as best I remember.  As I said, it doesn't have a
thing in the world to do with Massacheussets, but it sure makes a case
for hunting being one of the safest sports.  Hell, you're probably
running ten times the risk just driving to your hunting area as you
are actually hunting.

Jerry

    	RE: Was he the one killed in Ohio?
    
    	Don't think so, the report said a local town. I'll post the details
    when I hear them.
    
    	Steve

from .0
>>    	This morning it was reported on the local radio that a massive
>>    search ended with the finding of a Chicopee Mass. hunter. He was  dead.
>>    They said he was the victim of an accidental shooting.

Accidental shooting could have been self inflicted.  Note .0 doesn't tell
us whether that was the case or not.  If so, that would help to explain
why he wasn't reported.

- Dave

    	RE .6
    
    	I very well could have been self inflicted. I'll be checking it out
    in the local news rags this weekend and will post all details on
    monday.
    
    	Steve

    If we could prove thru statistics that driving to our hunting grounds
    was more dangerous than hunting itself, we'd have a closed case with 
    the media thats for sure!!!! I love it!

    Last I heard the Mass. shooting was apparently accidental and
    self-inflicted. 
    
    Once again, safety is on and finger is off the trigger until 
    target is in sights. 

    I dont understand how someone can mistake a man for a deer.  Here is an
    article from the paper 2 weeks ago here in GA.
    
    HUNTER DIES FROM SHOOTING.  A 30-year-old man died in surgery sunday at
    Georgia Babtist Hospital after being shot three hours earlier by
    another hunter, authorities said.
         The hunter was shot in the left side about 6:30 a.m. whil hunting
    on private property in Newton county.  He was airlifted to GA Baptist,
    where he was pronounced dead at 9:22 a.m.
         The other hunter was 20 years old and was arrested and charged
    with misuse of a firearm while hunting, a felony, and hunting deer
    without required fluorescent attirem a misdemeanor.  
         He was released from jail in lieu of $25,000 bond, officials said.
    
    
    
    We have a new law in GA created by the Pritcherd-Morgan bill that was
    passed last year.  This law makes it a felony for misuse of a firearm
    while hunting so that we can prosecute to the fullest the law allows.
    
    

    It all comes down to the bottom line.  HOW CAN ANYONE BE STUPID ENOUGH
    TO THINK THAT A HUMAN BEING LOOKS LIKE A DEER!!!!!!  There is NO
    resemblence at all.  Tan jacket, white gloves, whatever.  These people
    are complete idiots, and should have their hunting privilages taken
    away, put in jail, and all their assets sold and monies from the sale
    of their assets going to the victims family.  
    
    Hey Earl, how about sharing the one in the Georgia Outdoor newspaper. 
    This hunter was hunting private property, wearing the 500 square inches
    of hunter orange, and some IDIOT within 50 yds thought  he was a deer.
    Hunter orange, less than 50 yds away, and thought he was a deer.  I see
    deer all the time wearing hunter orange.  And it wasn't even doe day. 
    How these people get to buy a firearm is a mystery.  I think you should
    pass a common sense test before they sell you a rifle. Like show flash
    cards:       This is a hunter
                 This is a deer
    
    
    See the difference redneck!!!!
    
    Bob "I know what is in my crosshairs" Harris
    

    
    Quite the point, mistaking a man for a deer. One of the basic laws of 
    hunting, is to clearly identify the target first, no if ands or butts. 
    But there are alot of butts out there with loaded weapons, at least in
    Iraqu you know were the enemy is.  
    
    I do agree with some of the previous comments about compensation for
    the victims's family, seems only fair.  
    
    Bob one other thing, the test should also include: this is a cow, a
    turkey etc...
    
    Cheers
    Leonard
    

    	I said I would enter the info from the local papers but mine has
    not had a word on the findings. The word on the street is that it was
    self-inflicted. Hope there is more to come.
    
    	Steve

    re: .12
    
    Hey Leonard,  Long time no hear?  How was the Thanksgiving hunt.  I
    went up to Chestatee W.M.A. this last Saturday, probably lost five
    pounds climbing those damn mountains.  No deer, except on the back of
    other peoples cars.
    
    Bob
    

    
    Hi Bob
    
    Well to make a long story short.  After getting all geared up to cover
    all directions, in sofar as getting off a shot.  A deer came up on my
    right, I'm sitting in a fixed ladder stand, about 35 to 40 yards away,
    at about a 35 to 45 degree angle.  Cocked the .44 mag, Sturm Ruger,
    slowly pulled it out, now I'll get by golly.  Brought it around to my
    right and started to extend my arm out, and then it happened, a tree in
    my way, I couldn't get a bead on the deer because of a tree right next
    to the stand.  Decided what the heck, I'll wait for it come up some
    more, this animal is walking along without a care in the world.  Well
    it kept on walking, went right behind a clump of trees, so quietly I
    readied the .44, knowing that when it came in full view on the other
    side of the trees it just walked behind it would be mine.  A clean
    shot, couldn't miss, my first deer with a hand gun, boy would this make
    interesting writing in the notes file.  Then I stood all poised and
    ready, I waited and waited and waited, what is this deer doing behind
    those trees, taking a dump?,  stopped for a snack, noooooo he made a
    right and went down another trail that laid behind the little cluster
    of trees.  Well with that and a few other experiences, this was
    Wednesday, on Monday and Tuesday, I packed up and went home for
    Thanksgiving.  Surprised the heck out of the family.
    
    Have you had any good experiences lately?
    
    Oh by the way, am leaving this Friday night for a one day hunt.  Since
    my hours have been changed, transferred groups, will get to hunt only
    one day a week.  That is till Christmas week that is.
    
    Cheers
    Leonard
    

    Leonard,
    
      Please tell me you wrote the sequence wrong when you said, "Cocked
    the .44mag, Sturm Ruger, and pulled it from the holster."  shouldn't
    you draw before you cock it?  Just curious
    
    
    Jeff

    	Concerning the original entry - hunter shoot in Western Mass.
    I read in the Herald that investigators originally said it looked
    like a self inflicted wound but that a "firearms expert" discounted
    that theory because the victim's gun WAS FULLY LOADED.
    
    Andy -what-we-need-is-more experts!?!

    
    Ok Jeff
    
    Sequence not describe correctly but close. Gun was out of holster but
    still concealed when cocked, pointing directly downward, at the ground, 
    away from me, with trigger finger resting along side trigger guard not 
    on the trigger itself. 
    
    Cheers
    Leonard 

    anyone watch 911 last night. they had a story on there about a guy and
    his wife walking down a dirt road. on their way back they saw a truck
    coming down the road and they stood off the side. this guy is driving
    without any lights on and it's almost dark. he jumps out of the truck
    pulls his gun out looks in the scope then shoots. he hits the husband
    in the arm pit the bullets goes tru and hits his wife in the chest. the
    husband yells out stop shooting and the hunters yells back i thought
    you were a bear. this guy should have his license pulled and sent for
    trainning on hunting. the persons hit did not have orange on but still
    when you look into a scope you can tell if its a bear or a human in
    your scope.

    Isn't hunting off a road illegal out there.  Here in Georgia, you will
    be locked up for that.
    
    bob
    

      I also saw the show. The road was an old service road (gas company
    or power company, I believe), and was really grown up. The shooter
    (notice I didn't say hunter) must have been a complete idiot. A
    classic case of not identifying your target before you shoot. I thought
    the show handled it quite well. They didn't come off as anti-hunting,
    and made it a point to point out how he should have positively ident-
    ified his target before shooting. No mention was made of it being il-
    legal to shoot from the road.
    
    -Ron-

    
    
    	re.21
    
    
    	But later in the show, when the older woman had a burgular breaking
    in.....
    
    	She pulled a gun, started shooting at the burgular(my wife and I
    laughed that she blew away the things that the burgular was after!)
    who was later arrested.
    
    		Bill Shatners voice came on with the "..a gun in the house
    is more likely to injure a fmaily member.." stuff.
    
    
    		

    
    
    re.21
    
    first problem is the couple out for a walk knew full well that it 
    was a favorite hunting area before going out with their brown
    golden retriever, and should have been wearing hunter orange 
    regardless the fact that they were not hunting but many other
    people were...
    
    second problem was that moron out "hunting" breaking all the rules 
    of hunting, loaded gun in truck, hunting/driving, not sure of your
    target, (i think he had a scope on his gun), if he could'nt
    tell what his target was he was probably hunting too late in the day,
    etc..
    
    i thought the guy that got shot should have left with the guy in the
    pickup to get help,
    since i would'nt trust the fact that i could count on this turkey to
    get help, (which the rest of the show proved that).
    
    i was just alittle curious way the guy that got shot was carrying
    a pistol?
    
    was he intendeding to pop something while out for a walk?
    did'nt seem like a tough neighborhood?
    
    doesent change the fact that the other guy was extreemly careless..
    
    
    this year pheasant hunting at bolton flats was in my opion really
    off the wall this year,
    
    i heard stories of alot of dogs getting shot ( i saw one incident
    myself with a dog)
    
    i saw a guy out there with a .22 ..
    
    saw a couple of groups of cambodians (i believe) one guy has a licence 
    and the others dont.
    most of them did'nt have any orange on at all,
    they asked me where they could buy guns etc..
    i tried to explain to them that they needed hunter orange, fid cards,
    hunting lic etc....
    
    
    but they went on shooting at anything that passed over..
    
    i did report this to the game warden, it seems he was chasing these
    guys around and around on different days..
    
    i'm considering joining a hunting club in the area,
    its getting to dangerous to bring my kid with me who loves hunting.
    and i really dont need some moron shooting my dog while he's shooting
    at a runner.
    
    
    

    	I wasn't going to get into this as it is off the base note BUT.
    
    	RE: .23
    
    	>>They should have been wearing hunter orange.
    
    
    	Sorry I can't agree!! I live in the country and hunting season runs
    for months, in fact year round !!!! depending on what you want to hunt.
    The non-hunting folks should not not HAVE to wear hunter orange to keep
    from being shot. WE hunters own the responsibility to keep them safe by
    making damn sure of what we shoot at!! and where we shot at it!!
    
    	Not to sound like I'm in the flame-on mode I'm not. I just think it
    it's OUR, the hunters, responsibility to keep all people safe from our
    bullets.
    
    	Steve (who's shildren play in the back yard with regular cloths on
    that don't look like deer, bear, rabbits, yotes, etc, ect, etc,,,,,,,,)

    RE LAST
    
    	I agree 100%.  Why should civilians have to take extra precautions?
    To protect themselves from us?  It behoves us to do what we can to get
    the offenders either educated or out of the woods.  Until we do, the
    public considers a hunter a hunter.
    

    I agree with both the previous replys that non hunters _should_ not
    have to wear orange when around there houses.  BUT, I think that it
    makes good common sense to do so.
    
    Jeff
    

    a) I agree that people shouldn't have to wear orange in their back
    yards
    b) if I lived near huntable land I'd have 'Safety Zone' posters
    around the property and woe unto him who crossed the line

    	RE: .27
    
    	b) ....'Safety Zone' posters around the property...
    
    	I don't own all the property around my house. I need permission of
    the adjacent land owner and he is a logger. Not really impressed when
    his saw hits the nail from an old sign. It's a good idea but again it's
    the hunters responsibility to know where they are and to identfy the
    target. If we all did this there would only be EXTREAMLY rare cases of
    shootings. Accedents can and will happen, a bullet hits a twig and
    deflects up and strikes someone a helf mile away. Could happen and
    nothing the hunter could do to prevent it except maybe to quit hunting.
    
    	Steve

    It all comes down to the bottom line again, "BE 100% SURE OF YOUR
    TARGET BEFORE PUTTING YOUR FINGER ON THE TRIGGER!!!"
    
    
    
    BOTTOM LINE!
    Bob
    Don't let there be a wreck on the intersection of CROSS and HAIR!
    

    re .28 Steve, you could put up the 'safety zone' posters with
    two-inch transparent tape - the kind DEC uses for box sealing
    might work well (of course I mean 'something just like it' :-) )
    No nails - no hassle with logging/loggers.
    
    Dana
    

    	RE: Dana
    
    	Not a bad idea, Now I wonder where I could get some tape just like
    what we use at Dec...... ;^)
                      
    	Steve

    -.1
    Hardware stores, drug stores... put out by Scotch. 
    :-)