Very few things get me as worked up as reading about so-called "hunting accidents". In 25 years of hunting I have yet to see a deer wearing an orange vest, a bear wearing camo, or a flippin 9 year old boy that looks like a bleepin' turkey. My heart of course goes out to the family, and I do not know how the father could ever face them, or himself again...but damn it, no one can ever explain to my satisfaction how this type of thing happens. So sad for so many reasons...

http://www.startribune.com/local/17948304.html

It's possible that this wasn't a situation where the boy was mistaken for a turkey, but instead one in which a negligent discharge caused the death. We'll have to wait to hear the official report of what happened.

Regardless, what a horrible thing to happen to any child.

This does read like it was an accident. Reminds me of the death of a young hunter Brandon Lanie not too long ago, where stupid factored into the equation...

http://www.kare11.com/news/ts_article.a ... yid=139967



It is hard for me to imagine the pain of killing my own child, or having someone else kill them, however that happened. [/quote]

It's a sad story, I saw it on the evening news. Kids don't always stay where they are told to stay. The guy thought his boy was back where he left him and fired at movement he thought was a turkey without being sure that it was.

No game animal is worth someones life. This guy learned a very hard lesson that will change his life forever no matter if he is charged or not. He's probably feeling suicidal about now....

Sounds like the father did mistake his son for a turkey.

May he rest in peace.

This is of course very sad, and my heart goes out to the family. That being said, one of the first rules you learn in the gun safety course is, "Be SURE of your target, and what is beyond."

This senseless death was entirely preventable.

-Mark

I agree. I have said on other forums, this was no accident, it was plain stupidity that took the life of this 9 year old.

There is no such thing as an accident, it's always a NEGLIGENT

An accident is something that cannot be prevented, this could most certainly been prevented.

For those not familiar with turkey hunting, it has some dangerous aspects about it. I think that turkey hunting has statistically more accidents per thousand than any other domestic hunting activity.

In turkey hunting you dress in full camouflage. Not unlike a deer bow hunter. You are supposed to sit tight and call the turkeys in to you. You identify the tom or jake by his beard. You make sure you have a clear shot without any brush in the way to impede the shot column. You make sure he is in range, usually less than 40 yards, and you take him via a headshot, the surest way to kill a turkey.

It takes skill to call a turkey in. With the lottery system in Minnesota, you don't always get a tag every year. Some guys get desperate and do stupid things.

What turkey hunters need to know:
#1 Identify your target and what's beyond
#2 Stalking turkeys is always a bad idea
#3 Only turkeys with visible beards may be taken in MN
#4 Don't use a gobble call (it may bring in other desperate hunters stalking you)
#5 Don't wear anything colored red, white, blue, or solid black. (the colors of a turkey)
#6 Be very careful transporting turkey decoys to/from the field

How did this guy know whether this was a tom, a hen, or his son? You legally must see the bird's beard before you can take him.

I'm sorry for this guy's loss, but he is going to be a classic example of exactly what not to do for a long time.

WRT to desperate hunters, I'd think that when taking youngsters hunting that bagging something should be right near the bottom of the importance ladder where as having fun with the kid and teaching good safety practices should be right at the top. Probably should be that way regardless of who you're hunting with.

Clearly, this guy was "sound/movement" shooting - not the first time this has happened, and won't be the last (why I don't like hunting public land). His prison will surround him for the rest of his life.

Admittedly, this is straight from the MSM (and we all know their track record on getting the facts straight), but this AM (there are probably more facts out now) either channel 9 or 5 said the father told his son to stay put while he went to try and drive some turkeys over to his son's position and shot at a sound in the brush while away from where he expected the boy to be.

That sounded sooo.... (no pun intended)

I have heard this as an excuse a couple times and it has nothing to do with it. So the 9 year old stayed where he was suppose to, but another hunter or kid was making the noise instead, the father would have just killed someone else's kid.

I've only hunted turkeys a few times: it seemed like the safest thing in the world. It's just a 40 yard potshot at a rooster with No 4 birdshot.

I can't imagine how people can mistake each other for turkeys. Even in tall grass you just stand up to see when you shoot.