As hunting accidents go, Cheney's is not unusual

Dallas Morning News ^ | Tuesday February 14,2006 | Ray Sasser

[IrishMike]

Vice President, Victim share blame in incident, Texas experts say.......Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting accident was a textbook example of a Texas bird-hunting mishap, and experts say both he and his victim violated basic hunting safety rules. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife records, swinging a shot gun outside a safe zone of fire is the No#1 cause of hunting accidents. On Saturday, the vice president was swinging his shot gun with a flying quail when the bird flew near Austin layer Harry Whittington as the shot was fired. Mr. Whittington was struck in the face and upper body by pellets from Mr. cheney's #28 gauge shot gun. The accident occured on the Armstrong ranch, south of Corpus Christi. Katherine Armstrong, a Dallas business woman whose family owns the ranch, said Mr. Whittington had been looking for a fallen bird and walked up behind Mr. Cheney and another hunter without announcing his presence. Ms. Armstrong is a knowledgeable hunter and was the first female chairman of the Parks and Wildlife Commission. Bird hunters become so focused on their fast moving targets that their visual background may become blurred. "In hunter education, we refer to that phenomenon as 'target fixation'", said Mr. Hall. "Every year, its the primary cause of Texas bird hunting accidents. In 2005, we had 13 reported hunting accidents that involved bird hunters. Twelve of those accidents were caused by swinging the shot gun outside a safe line of fire".

[llevrok]

28 gauge shot gun?? Never heard of one of those

It's right inbetween the 27 and 29 gauge

Seriously, that is a small gauge shot gun (bore opening) commonly used for close in bird hunting

[Neville72]

Thanks that's interesting. I use a 20 gauge for small game birds(dove, quail)and a 12 and 10 gauge for duck and geese;

I'd never heard of a 28 guage before.

[IrishMike]

That's because in the North East several counties are shotgun only, specially the counties that city folk hunt, with 99% of the hunting being for deer, the vast majority of which are killed Thanksgiving week using #12 gage shotguns firing 'buckshot'.

[IrishMike]

Thanks for the education.
Makes perfect sense.

[Tijeras_Slim]

There's also a 32 gauge, but that's mostly a Brit thing.

[SMARTY]

Napoleon shot out one of his marshal's eyes. I think it was Marshal Massena. It was a hunting accident as well.

[Maria S]

The sheer silliness of this whole thing is blowing me away (probably a poor choice of words!) I know quite well how to handle a shotgun, how accidents happen, and how terribly excited non-shooting liberals are about this accident. In a "lighter" note (and if there was EVER a 'light in the loafers" it's Ron Reagan...Mr. TuTu himself), THE Ronald Reagan, gentleman, horse lover, and shooter, must be rolling in his grave.

I am adding another FR comment to my BEST OF:

1. Best comment I've read...from another FR thread:

"Miss Kopechne could not be reached for comment"
12 posted on 02/13/2006 6:02:31 AM CST by saveliberty ( :-) I am a Snowflake and Bushbot.)


2. LOL. How bout these lines for Cheney's next press corps dinner speech;

"Ted Kennedy and I are going hunting this weekend. He's driving and I'm riding shotgun."

"I took my wife hunting with me. She was scared out of her wits but decided to stay after Teddy offered to drive her home."
32 posted on 02/13/2006 6:33:09 AM CST by Callahan

And...lest we forget...John Kerry, #1 hero from Viet Nam, pictured with a dead Canada goose in one hand and his shotgun in the other. Why, oh why, do these violent men have to KILL things?

It's my guess the Vietnamese guy Kerry shot IN THE BACK and was on the receiving end of a heavy-duty rifle sure wished it hadn't happened, either.

No offense...just the irrationality of the current MSM and the glee they seem to be finding in this whole thing. I'm amazed that most of them can even read their scripts...much less find toilet paper to wipe...AH! never mind!

[F-117A]

I think what really has the MSM's shorts in a knot -- they were scooped by the local paper.

How can the White House cover up a non-story?

Bird hunters Reporters become so focused on their fast moving targets that their visual background may become blurred. "In hunter education, we refer to that phenomenon as 'target fixation'"...

[LibSnubber]

"I'm "struck" by every hunter I hear on tv or radio saying thay have been sprayed with birdshot. I believe the owner of the property in this incident said it has happened to him as well."

My husband says this "news" has gotten the attention of some coworkers, who by the way, don't give a flip about politics. They, too, say incidents like this happen all the time and they're laughing at the MSM for making a big deal out of it. Me thinks the lamestream media has shot themselves in the foot... so to speak.

[RAY]

28 gauge shot gun?? Never heard of one of those.

I have noticed that the 28 gauge is usually part of a brace of skeet guns. Yes, I've heard of the 28 guage, but I have never seen 28 guage shells for sale in any of the sporting goods store I once frequented.

I suspect the lower recoil is preferred along with it might be a tad more sporting because of the lessor shot than a 12 or 20 gauge gun.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Best deal on 28 ga Winchester AA is at Wally World.

[Sybeck1]

My dad had a 8 gauge at one time, that was a brute!

[syriacus]

At least Cheney got help for his companion, rather than abandoning him while he spoke with his lawyers.

[Sybeck1]

By the 1970's, again according to Jack O'Connor, the sales of 12 gauge guns and shells had declined somewhat to less than 50% of the market. The 20 gauge had taken over second place with about 20% of the market, and was still increasing its market share. The 20 had become the favored upland gauge, and the 20 gauge 3" magnum load with 1 1/4 ounce of shot (the same as the traditional 12 gauge "duck and pheasant" load) had become popular for waterfowl. The 16 was in third place, with something less than 20% of the market, and fading. The .410 was up to 10% and the 28 and 10 gauges brought up the rear, with the 10 still slipping.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/intro_gauges.htm

[tcostell]

There is a concept of "too much gun" where you use a large bore gun to shoot a small thin skinned bird. If you do this there isn't much left to eat. So small gauge guns are popular when hunting small birds like quail, woodcock or partridge. (This line was actually uttered by Rooster Cogburn when his partner shot a turkey but had tore it up a bit)

Pheasant are larger and tougher so you use a 20 or 12 gauge for those, and for Turkey and Duck or Goose it's usually a 12 or 10 gauge with Magnum shells.

There is a great deal of science and physics to it because the shot sizes change as well.

With all that said, a 28 gauge is usually the first choice on a skeet field for women because of it's low recoil, and for those shooters who are so expert that they prefer a greater challenge. My 5'1'' 103 lb wife shoots my Benelli 12 gauge just fine, but we're getting her a smaller gun this year so she can shoot more regularly. We're going to try her with a 20 gauge because the shells typically cost less, but if it's still too much for her we'll go with a 28.

[frankjr]

Here is a chart of shot sizes. Per the police report, Cheney's shot size was 7 1/2 (on right side of chart 4th shot down):

Police report: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0213061cheney2.html

I am sure a 7 1/2 still hurts, but it looks better than getting hit by a "000" buckshot.

[Racehorse]

No offense...just the irrationality of the current MSM and the glee they seem to be finding in this whole thing. I'm amazed that most of them can even read their scripts...much less find toilet paper to wipe...AH! never mind!

Didn't find a hint of offense anywhere . . . so, I guess none can be taken.  :-)

But watching Scott McClellan's press briefing via the cable was a hoot.

You woulda thought Cheney did something really horrible, like slander the country in a speech to the Jiddah Economic Forum.  Not so surprising, Al Gore's name and words did not evoke so much as a whisper from the press corps. 

[Fawn]

I Never realized how many people get shot accidentally either......
No worry....pretty soon hunting will be gone.....the animals are almost all gone.

[mcshot]

I too have been on both sides of shot dusting but at sufficient distant that the shot barely broke exposed skin. The MSM are really thirsting to make hay without seed. I wouldn't talk to them at all as they reek of hate and disrespect and their jihad against the administration runneth over.
I like the 28 ga., as well.

mc

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Most quail hunters around here shrug their shoulders and wonder what all the fuss about? Happens all the time, they'll tell you.

Happens all the time?

I don't know about that---I've been bird hunting now for over a decade and it hasn't happened to me or to anyone with whom I hunt. But that's because we're careful enough not to draw a bead on anything below eye level, lest you run the risk of hitting the dog mid-point or mid-flush.

There is no excuse for what Dick Cheney did. None.