Free Republic

Byron Maharrey knows what a Florida panther looks like. The former chairman of the board for the Florida Sportsmen's Conservation Association had seen the elusive cats near Palatka and around his home by Lake Kissimmee before. And he swears he saw one of these rare cougar subspecies while hunting there last month. Maharrey was sitting in a chair surrounded by decoy turkeys when an unseen force knocked the outdoorsman onto his gun and ran away. The tawny color and the long tail were dead giveaways that this was no mere bobcat. "Florida Wildlife Commission has always said there's no documented...

The Belle Plaine man who fatally shot his 8-year-old son while turkey hunting last month had alcohol and marijuana in his system at the time of the incident, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in Sibley County. Anthony Klaseus mistook his son, Hunter, for a wild turkey last month and shot him in the chest with a 12-gauge shotgun, according to police. When officials arrived at the scene, they smelled alcohol and asked Klaseus if he had been drinking. Klaseus stated he had consumed one beer several hours earlier in the day and agreed to take a preliminary breath...

Shooting suspect fled Illegal immigrant sought in death of turkey hunter By Ellen Miller, Special to the News June 17, 2005 GLENWOOD SPRINGS - A ranch hand working in the country illegally is suspected of fatally shooting a Qwest executive May 14 and then fleeing to Mexico, Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario said Thursday. Vallario said he doesn't believe the ranch hand knew he was shooting at Jeff Garrett, who was turkey hunting and heavily camouflaged, but the man apparently realized he had done so and fled the same morning. The sheriff refused to name the suspect or his hometown...