Tragic lesson

[Muskeez]

Last weekend a local Iowa hunter, 47 years young, was killed by a bullet from another hunter in his party. All the details are not known yet but initial reports are that the group was coyote hunting, some on foot, some in vehicles on private ag land, and a single bullet was fired at a coyote and hit another person in the same party across the field. The bullet went through the window or windshield and into his neck. He died in route to a hospital. This is incredibly sad and preventable.
I am writing this as a lesson to educate others. I will admit that I allowed my daughter to shoot a sky-lined antelope one time. We got caught up in the excitement of our first antelope and didn't even think of the potential consequences. The next year she had a shot at a big sky-lined mule deer buck and I called her off. It wasn't worth the risk.
I have seen animals shot from the ridges , sky-lined, on several hunting shows on TV and have always written the producers and the host to ask them to please not air such unsafe hunting practices. In each case I have either been ignored or they have written that they knew they were the only hunters in the area. Hah! How dumb, you can never know that with 100% certainty. One episode even showed a highway in the background.
Let's all think back and remember some of our less than smart moves and keep them from happening again, and ending in a tragedy like this.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I, like you, have done that too. My son was less than pleased when I called him off this year. Then he realized the potential and I think it scared him...... I'm glad it did. I also hate deer drives for the same kinda reasons. Quick shots whith not enough time to think. Plus everybody anxious and waiting. I've made poor decisions and seen even worse ones that others have made. It only takes one "oops"

Good post

 

[88man]

Absolutely my biggest pet peeve with hunting shows on Tv. I have watched dozens of shows where they shot over the skyline it is absolutely crazy to me that people do this. IT SHOULD NOT BE DONE EVEN IN THE MOST REMOTE PARTS OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!
As per an example I once was commenting and complaining about a target location on a 3D mule deer target that the guys who set the shoot up at our club set the target on the skyline to make it look real. If you missed the target the arrow would have traveled a few hundred yards as the shot basically was on a 500 foot ridgeline. Anyways after I shot the course and was in the club house and just complained about that target just minutes later on the bigscreen TV that we were watching a TV hunter took a shot on the skyline and a few of the guys told me I was crazy that every one does it and its just a 1 in a million chance there would be a problem. But I have seen this on Tv hunting shows so many times. I just don't understand.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Party hunting for deer is a big thing in Iowa and as long as there are unfilled tags anyone can shoot as many as they want as long as someone's tag is put on the animal. I have never agreed with that being legal a accidents IMHO greatly increase the more people that are banging away in various directions once game is up and on the run.

 

[cgarner]

Hard lesson to learn. I've passed on numerous animals standing on top of ridges. THe benefit isn't worth the risk.

 

[SandyCreek]

Party hunting for deer is a big thing in Iowa and as long as there are unfilled tags anyone can shoot as many as they want as long as someone's tag is put on the animal. I have never agreed with that being legal a accidents IMHO greatly increase the more people that are banging away in various directions once game is up and on the run.

well.. it was a coyote hunt.. so swing and a miss

 

[Muskeez]

The same thing has happened here in Iowa on party deer hunts. Not that many years ago, less than 30 miles from this incident one person shot another family member during a deer hunt with shotgun slugs. Species doesn't matter, what matters is that we slow down and know our target and what is behind it with 100% certainty.

 

[guf54]

well.. it was a coyote hunt.. so swing and a miss

Party deer hunts and party coyote hunts have many of the same unsafe practices...So the point pretty much stands.

 

[Coyotes-R-Us]

Kinda the same thing as LONG range shooting of game.
There has been times I was Under some "hunter" shooting across a mile ridge , maybe only 900 yards, at elk/deer.
The bullets where dropping and hitting the trees over MY head, no where near there intended targets....:hump:

 

[Straight Arrow]

During first year elk hunt, my grandson passed on a shot because he could not get set up comfortably. Later that evening as I was working on my downed elk, he saw a nice bull standing on the ridge, less than 100 yds above us. Conversation was, "Should I shoot it, Papa?" I replied, "What do you think about the shot, Bode?" His reply, "Skyline and I don't know beyond my target ... so I'll pass." That day I couldn't have been more proud of him than if he'd shot a trophy. Later that season he did take a nice bull elk. He continued to reflect on the skylined bull and reiterate that his decision was the right one. Hunter Education and such field experiences are what engrains the right hunting ethic and avoids potential accidents.

 

[Gut Shot]

Deer drives are a tradition in Iowa, and I'm sure other parts of the midwest. If you ever hunt in Europe you will find that driven hunts are the norm in some countries for many types of game. How about instead of crapping on the method of hunting we push the safety rules a little harder. This isn't the only type of hunting that people get killed participating in.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Hunter Ed.Improve Every year.Cal has a great Course... Conservation is the High point.