Posted on 12/08/2004 8:07:05 AM PST by phasma proeliator
kudos to you for catching that....
His field was licensed to the DNR as public hunting grounds.
For one thing, it seems as though he leased his land to the state for public hunting, in which case he should have expected hunters. Even if they were trespassing, however, it's still not a good idea to go firing rifles without knowing where the bullets are going, unless you own so much land that you are positive that the bullet is going to come down on your land.
Agreed he checked, but unless his eyes are lots better than mine, even with binoculars, using a rifle in that manner was a bad idea.
That's not what the story says.
(2) If you've leased your land to the Widlife Commission for hunting, you shouldn't be shooting out there at all.
This guy's blaming God - when teh fact is, he was careless.
I feel sorry for everyone involved.
They were there legally and the farmer should have exercised more caution, since he knew that hunters would be on the leased land during the season.
I'm surprised that the remaining hunter didn't open fire on the farmer. especially when he "chased him".
I think this could have been worse - and I'm not sure what I would have done if I had been in this situation (as the other hunter having just seen my buddy get shot) - but I don't think I would have done nothing - at minimun I would have ORDERED (at gun point) the guy to surrender his weapon... then we would have went from there...(hopefully he would have surrendered it).
It's interesting to me that nobody has commented on this aspect yet.
I guess it's a good thing you weren't involved. Looks like the people who were involved in this tragedy acted rationally after the initial incident.
Hmmm...if I just found out I had accidently shot the guy's buddy, I don't think I would have surrendered my weapon, either. People could do just about anything under such circumstances.
I don't think you live with such a thing so much as die in stages because of it.
I don't think I would have surrendered it either..
It's an interesting discussion point for me...
I try to prepare mentally as much as I can for different scenarios - this one has me thinking..
but... if you had just seen your buddy get shot in the head - and then this truck comes racing across the field at you.... would you feel threatened?
I would.
In fear for your life?
I would...
Probably because a shotgun doesn't reach as far as a rifle.
The shooter wasn't hunting.
He inteneded to be engaged in an illegal activity - shooting at waterfowl with a rifle.
Read the article again, especially this part:
"... land that Johnson's father, Myron, had leased to the state Game, Fish & Parks Department for walk-in public hunting."
I didn't think you needed the landowner's consent if it's land he has leased to the state for public hunting.
For that matter, WTF was he doing trying to scare off geese from land his family has leased to the state for hunting?
Whatever you want to call this incident, "accident" just isn't the right word.
I agree with you, the only point I was making is that this farmer obviously made a horrible mistake and now an innocent man is dead. He will have to deal with that.
The farmer acted without malice, but the thing I always keep formost in mind is that firearms punish mistakes with a severity that tremendously exceeds the momentary carelessness involved. Over 30 years of shooting and I've never hit other than what I aimed at (which means I passed on plenty of shots.)
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