[hopespringseternal]

Let's see: The hunters were in his field without informing him or getting his consent, and he was firing a rifle off randomly.

Idiots with guns.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Let's see: The hunters were in his field without informing him or getting his consent...

If you read the article you will learn that the state had rented the adjacent land from the farmer for use as a public hunting area.

Informing him or getting his permission was not required.

He had already sold his permission to the state.

[Oblongata]

"Let's see: The hunters were in his field without informing him or getting his consent, and he was firing a rifle off randomly."

His field was licensed to the DNR as public hunting grounds.

[Protagoras]

getting his consent,

That's not what the story says.

[wideawake]

The hunters were in a field the farmer himself had leased out to the gaming commission for hunting purposes.

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.

[Redbob]

"Let's see: The hunters were in his field without informing him or getting his consent,..."

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.