Young horseowner killed by hunter

[Merle]

http://www.bangornews.com/news/t/default.aspx?a=143950&template=print-article.htm

This past week an 18 year old girl in my state, Maine, got killed by a muzzleloader hunter. I just wanted to put this up to show that we're all thinking of her and hoping she's in a better place.

When I got up this morning my Dad had tears in his eyes when he read the story aloud to me. I'm 20, the girl that was killed was 18, and we both have horses. This past week and weekend, my Dad (who is a gunsmith -- he's not anti-gun -- and knows about muzzleloading, etc) said that it'd be safe to ride wearing blaze orange. My Dad hasn't seen any muzzleloaders around where I live in a long time. I rode on the trails around my house during the hunting season last week (there weren't any footprints or anything in the snow) but never will I again. This morning he was so sad and thankful that it wasn't me that was shot because it very easily could have been. This girl wasn't even riding when she was shot -- she was at the edge of a field (I think a pasture). Just as a side note, I don't wear blaze orange outside when I'm with my horses (who don't have blaze orange on but will have next year) but from now on I will. It's ridiculous that being so close to my house and barn that I'd have to wear it but I just want to be safe.

This is just a tragedy.

[justjay]

that is so sad. prayers for her family

[GreyDun]

UGH! horrible horrible news.... how incredibly sad! :( :( :( I feel so terrible for her family...

[Cashela]

That is so sad.

What time is it getting dark now? That hunter shouldn't have been shooting if it was passed sunset.

[YoungFilly]

If you see my other thread here in off course your going to realize a very terrible coincidence. :( Shocking to say the least. I did post on the Maine site to the mother. :(

[Appassionato]

My condolences to the family. What an unexpected loss to say the least. :cry:

Does anyone know if the horse was injured? Did I miss that? Just curious.

[Huntertwo]

Poor poor girl.....:( No charges have been filed yet? hmmmm

[Babs]

Argh! Stories like this are way too common. In this area recently a child was sitting in his room when he felt something bump into his arm: a bullet. This bullet, shot by a hunter in the vicinity (near a subdivision??!!)went into the house; through a few layers of walls and bumped into this kid's arm.

I suppose many hunters are responsible but too many are not, like the ones seen spotlighting into my horse's pasture well after dark ... the ones hunting on Sunday (oh, we hear you) which is illegal in Virginia ... the ones hunting from the back of a pickup truck ...

[ddashaq]

OMG, that is horrible. My condolences go out to her family.:( And to think I was just teasing one of my friends for riding around the hayfield in blaze orange.:no:

[Huntertwo]

OMG, that is horrible. My condolences go out to her family.:( And to think I was just teasing one of my friends for riding around the hayfield in blaze orange.:no:


Please, if you go out wear your orange. I wear my vest, helmet cover and put bells on my pony. Not worth taking any chances.

[Daydream Believer]

How tragic. I just had this argument with my Stepdad over whether or not it was safe to go out in the woods and ride during hunting season. He said yes and I said no. Sounds like I have a sad story for him to read.

[Tiempo]

How terrible.
On Sunday I was going to head out for a trail ride as the weather was so unseasonbly warm for Michigan.
While I was grooming Tiempo ready to tack him up,I could hear so many shots in the woods,I just put him away and went home.
I felt bad afterwards that I had wasted a great day...but now not so much...it's just not worth taking a chance.

[Trakehner]

One thing to remember...this was not an accident.

The hunter had to load the gun.
The hunter had to cock the gun.
The hunter had to aim the gun.
The hunter had to decide what they were shooting.
The hunter had to pull the trigger.

At each step of this tragedy, the hunter could have stopped, decided what they were doing wasn't safe/sensible/an honest target etc....and stopped.
There would have been no injury, no death, no grieving parents and loved ones.

This wasn't an accident, it was a series of bad decisions that resulted in a girl's death. (and yep, I'm a hunter, fox and gun, and the hunter was 100% wrong!...and deserves to be punished severely).

[chai]

What a sad story. When we lived in Maine, my kids, dogs, horses and I wore blaze orange through the entire hunting season. The last year we lived there, a hunter killed a deer in our back field on the last day of hunting season while I had kids in our outdoor ring. It was way too close for comfort. The hunters literally take over the woods and it is way too dangerous to be out there. It is very dangerous for everyone, and sometimes there are repercussions if you post "No Hunting" on your land.
I feel so sorry for that young lady's family. It's a tragedy.

[philosoraptor]

Trakehner -- you said it better than I ever could. This was no "accident". How do you confuse a girl on horseback with a deer or pheasant? How blind is this guy?

And people don't get it when I express fear I can't ride this time of year. <sigh> Maybe 99.9% of times people who ride trails will be safe, but if you're wrong and you're that .1% the consequences are too great: serious injury or death.

[naters]

One thing to remember...this was not an accident.

The hunter had to load the gun.
The hunter had to cock the gun.
The hunter had to aim the gun.
The hunter had to decide what they were shooting.
The hunter had to pull the trigger.

At each step of this tragedy, the hunter could have stopped, decided what they were doing wasn't safe/sensible/an honest target etc....and stopped.
There would have been no injury, no death, no grieving parents and loved ones.

This wasn't an accident, it was a series of bad decisions that resulted in a girl's death. (and yep, I'm a hunter, fox and gun, and the hunter was 100% wrong!...and deserves to be punished severely).

Amen to that. I think one of the cause and/or symptoms of this problem with "accidents" like this is that in the hunter education courses, they teach you to wear orange so you don't accidentally get shot.

What they SHOULD be teaching is that if you are about to fire a gun, you should be 100% ABSOLUTELY SURE you have correctly identified what you are shooting at. If you haven't, then don't shoot it.

Theoretically, if everyone was responsible and knew what they were shooting at WASN'T a deer, then there would be no human lives lost to these "accidents". That being said, I am not holding my breath, and I have a BUNCH of orange gear.

[macmtn]

Maine passed a target identification law after Karen Wood was shot here in Maine in her own back yard during hunting season a few years ago. She was hanging clothes on a line-wearing a brown coat and white mittens. The law simply states that any hunter must have Clear and Positive identification of the target before shooting. Maine also requires a hunter safety course be taken before getting a license. Obviously a VERY FEW hunters are giving the whole sport a bad name. Itchy trigger fingers? blood lust? :no: I am not anti-hunting ( far from it with the large-need to be thinned out- deer herd in my back yard)but I am anti getting shot by idiots. I work hard to make sure animals are identified as domestic during hunting season. Unfortunately blaze orange is a basic safety necessity here in the late fall...whether your in your own field or out in the woods. My property is posted, but backs on to town owned land-where anyone with a gun can hunt-resident or not. My Arabian wears his orange from Sept until Dec. Until now I have never worried about muzzle loading season..figuring they are not long range or powerful and the hunter HAD to be so close to the target mistakes were not possible. New muzzle loaders are a LOT more powerful than ever before. My thoughts are with that family and the family of the hunter.

[Snappy]

Why do people that hunt find it acceptable to shoot bullets on land that is clearly marked "No Hunting?" Please someone try to explain this to me....

The other day, a trespassing pick-up truck drove a herd of deer right past the ring, down a hill and "bam" into the trap....what happens to one's rational thought process when hunting season starts?

[kellyb]

That is awful. How the hell do you mistake a girl for a deer. :cry:

[sid]

Trakehner....your post is unquestionably right on.

What a tragic and preventable death of a young person that had a life ahead of her. No accident at all. A bad choice that resulted in the loss of a precious life.

I've been shot AT before on horseback and I've never forgotten it...mulitple shots, apparantly by a hunter who decided to shoot at the noise of my horse walking through the crispy fall leaves.

I GALLOPED as fast as I could away from the gunfire and called the Park Police. Turns out the guy they pulled out of the woods who was shooting at me was hunting for turkey.

If a 1200 lb. horse could me mistaken for a turkey...well, that says it all about how safe it is to ride where hunting is going on. Thank God, the guy was a bad shot.

I made it a rule that during hunting season I would sit out trail riding and do ring work instead. I figured losing 2 months of trail riding was little to sacrifice to protect my own life.

[Touchstone Farm]

sid, so agree with your post. The problem is, some of these "hunters" pick up their guns once a year. I'm not anti-hunting at all. In fact, I am encouraging my brother-in-law and a couple of friends to PLEASE come to our house during turkey season. We're over-run by these birds! But...any time I hear about an accident like this, it reminds me of when I was a kid and boarded my horse at a retired farmer's place. He was great with horses, had several boarders...and during hunting season, was shot walking around his farm. The hunters shot at the "sound." Fortunately they didn't turn tail and run when they saw what they did and called an ambulance. Unfortunately, Harold was paralyzed. I watched this spry retired gentleman turn into a depressed, overweight man in a wheelchair. It was so sad.

[YankeeLawyer]

Argh! Stories like this are way too common. In this area recently a child was sitting in his room when he felt something bump into his arm: a bullet. This bullet, shot by a hunter in the vicinity (near a subdivision??!!)went into the house; through a few layers of walls and bumped into this kid's arm.

I suppose many hunters are responsible but too many are not, like the ones seen spotlighting into my horse's pasture well after dark ... the ones hunting on Sunday (oh, we hear you) which is illegal in Virginia ... the ones hunting from the back of a pickup truck ...

Wow -- I didn't even know it's illegal to hunt on Sundays in VA. I often hear gunshots on Sundays

[MacknCody]

Thats awful. Hows the horse? Do we know yet?

Something the barn I'm at now does for hunting season is to warn the boarders away from areas they think have ANY possible chance of getting in range of bullets and we have orange vests in the office anyone can take on trail rides. I thought it was awesome the BM thought to protect the horses and boarders.

What are muzzle-loaders?

[RNB]

Wow -- I didn't even know it's illegal to hunt on Sundays in VA. I often hear gunshots on Sundays

Yes it is illegal......

[naters]

Maine passed a target identification law after Karen Wood was shot here in Maine in her own back yard during hunting season a few years ago. She was hanging clothes on a line-wearing a brown coat and white mittens. The law simply states that any hunter must have Clear and Positive identification of the target before shooting. Maine also requires a hunter safety course be taken before getting a license. Obviously a VERY FEW hunters are giving the whole sport a bad name. Itchy trigger fingers? blood lust? :no: I am not anti-hunting ( far from it with the large-need to be thinned out- deer herd in my back yard)but I am anti getting shot by idiots. I work hard to make sure animals are identified as domestic during hunting season. Unfortunately blaze orange is a basic safety necessity here in the late fall...whether your in your own field or out in the woods. My property is posted, but backs on to town owned land-where anyone with a gun can hunt-resident or not. My Arabian wears his orange from Sept until Dec. Until now I have never worried about muzzle loading season..figuring they are not long range or powerful and the hunter HAD to be so close to the target mistakes were not possible. New muzzle loaders are a LOT more powerful than ever before. My thoughts are with that family and the family of the hunter.


I second the orange!!! Because as we all know, its not the RESPONSIBLE people with guns that we have to worry about!!!

Just like if you post your acreage for no hunting, its not the responsible hunters that follow the rules that are the problem, its the yahoos who don't obey no hunting signs, and shoot at people instead of deer.

[naters]

Trakehner....your post is unquestionably right on.

What a tragic and preventable death of a young person that had a life ahead of her. No accident at all. A bad choice that resulted in the loss of a precious life.

I've been shot AT before on horseback and I've never forgotten it...mulitple shots, apparantly by a hunter who decided to shoot at the noise of my horse walking through the crispy fall leaves.

I GALLOPED as fast as I could away from the gunfire and called the Park Police. Turns out the guy they pulled out of the woods who was shooting at me was hunting for turkey.

If a 1200 lb. horse could me mistaken for a turkey...well, that says it all about how safe it is to ride where hunting is going on. Thank God, the guy was a bad shot.

I made it a rule that during hunting season I would sit out trail riding and do ring work instead. I figured losing 2 months of trail riding was little to sacrifice to protect my own life.


only two months? Man, you are lucky!

[hosspuller]

What are muzzle-loaders?

Muzzle-loaders are a type of weapon (gun) that is loaded with powder and a bullet from the front (muzzle). It is a single shot of relatively short range. Some states have a separate season for muzzle loaders, arrows, shot guns and rifles.

[snowpony]

One thing to remember...this was not an accident.

The hunter had to load the gun.
The hunter had to cock the gun.
The hunter had to aim the gun.
The hunter had to decide what they were shooting.
The hunter had to pull the trigger.

At each step of this tragedy, the hunter could have stopped, decided what they were doing wasn't safe/sensible/an honest target etc....and stopped.
There would have been no injury, no death, no grieving parents and loved ones.

This wasn't an accident, it was a series of bad decisions that resulted in a girl's death. (and yep, I'm a hunter, fox and gun, and the hunter was 100% wrong!...and deserves to be punished severely).

I agree. If someone kills another person in a car "accident" while drunk, they serve jail time. WHy is this any different?

[Coup De Des]

The thing is... She wasn't even riding or with her horse. So shocking :( :( I agree.. No accident... but a terrible tragedy all the same.

http://www.bangornews.com/news/t/default.aspx?a=143950&template=print-article.htm

[Reynard Ridge]

Prayers for the family. A horrible, horrible thing to have happen. I would tend to agree with posters who are just waiting for the guy to be charged. Shooting another human being in this situatin skirts the wrong side of my definition of "accident."

I am pro-hunting, we eat a lot of venison here, so I am not going to come down hard on responsible hunters, but there are irresponsible people out there who make it bad for the rest.

(Note to YankeeLawyer, etc on gunshots on Sunday - a lot of hunters target practice and site their guns, etc on Sunday. While I am sure there is poaching that goes one, it is more likely what you are hearing are people preparing to hunt the following day than people actually poaching game.)

[Hazelnut]

My prayers are with this girl's family and friends.

People poach 7 days a week, all fall and winter. Poaching is hunting when and where a hunter is not allowed. The worst, shooting right from the vehicle they are spotlighting from.

There are web sites on where the best poaching is around the country for specific game types.

Sad, but I deal with poachers on a regular basis.

[enjoytheride]

The young girl killed was a BB poster on a maine horse BB. Here is her mother's post signing her daughter off.

http://mainehorse.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=760&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

[Hucklebug]

HOw horrible and tragic. and what a wonderful mother.

What is muzzleloading? I'm not very familiar with hunting terms.

[xeroxchick]

I just don't get it - when you hunt, you AIM. How does someone shoot a person?
Doesn't make sense, especially with a muzzle loading rifle - very accurate.

[mayhew]

Forgive my ignorance--what is muzzleloading? Never mind--answered upthread.

This year, an elderly woman was killed by a hunter near here. She went on her walk through the woods as she did every day, not realizing that hunting had started, and was shot.

[dirteater]

I'm from a very rural area of western Massachusetts where at least one person is shot every hunting season because they weren't visible enough or because the hunter made a mistake. Where I grew up, you just don't go in the woods without orange gear on during hunting season.

Now that I live in more suburban MD, I wear orange, as does my horse, when out in the woods, especially trail riding. I'm made fun of constantly for being so vigilant, told I'm paranoid, and the people I interact with just don't understand my reasoning, even though the woods where we trail ride allows hunting, and horses and hunters do cross paths.

Well, it's stories like the OP that provide reasoning for being so vigilant. It only takes one mistake.

[sprucie]

This is an absolutely horrible, preventable tragedy! My deepest condolences to all of her family and friends. It sounds like she was a wonderful young lady, and the post from her mom on the other BB was heart-wrenching :cry:.

The biggest problem is not hunting, but the citiots that come into the rural areas during hunting season who just have NO CLUE! Why can't they learn that in order to hunt correctly, they must drop the animal with one bullet, which means they MUST have a completely clear shot with nothing else around, OR THEY SHOULDN'T SHOOT AT ALL!

[LessonLearned]

I have no idea why they would not post the name of the hunter in the report. What a cowardly thing to do. And WHY is he not facing prosecution?!?!?

I had the great misfortune of going to look at a horse on the first day of deer hunting season in South Carolina. I had to drive a main road to get there that wound through the Francis Marion Forest. For about 10 miles about every 50 feet lining the roads on BOTH sides were pick up trucks with hunters standing on and behind the trucks. They had sent their hounds in to flush the deer to the roads. All I could think was that I was about to experience a shooting gallery (something I never really wanted to do). Supposedly they have banned this form of hunting (I saw this two years ago). A local woman had to start a rescue for all of the hunting dogs who got lost and/or were abandoned at the end of the season. She would find them starving on the sides of the roads.

I had never seen anything like it (and I hope never to again). Hunting is "tradition" in many areas and there will sadly always be yahoos that want to be weekend warriors. I have no objection to hunting per se but all too often innocent people and domestic animals are the ones to pay.

My condolences to the family of the young woman :(

[Synrgystyk]

When I was a kid we used to make a game out of hopping off our ponies and crouching down whenever we heard gunshots. (You can do this repeatedly if you ride Shetlands. :lol: ) It was no longer a game after a bullet hit the barn. (My father was a local judge -- the cops caught the hunter and let him know it was not a good idea to hunt on the judge's property without permission.)

Recently I got an opportunity to go hunting for the first time. (Ok, I sat in a shanty about 50' outside a friend's back door.) I figure that if I'm going to accept the offer of venison from a hunter, I ought to be willing to try to get my own. My friend taught me how to shoot with a scope (on a Sunday -- target practice) and helped me figure out which gun was the most comfortable for me. (The recoil doesn't bother me, but all his guns are set up for 6'8" him and not 5'5" me. :D )

Just from that experience, I can't *imagine* pulling the trigger without knowing exactly what I was aiming at. Shoot at a sound? Shoot at something white and bouncy? Not a chance. Sorry, but that hunter didn't make a mistake; he committed negligent homicide.

My friend feeds his family for most of the year on the deer he shoots. He's also a big advocate of "one shot, one kill." Too many "hunters" are too eager to pull that trigger and shoot at anything that *might* be whatever they're after. Not only is this the source of "accidental deaths," its the reason my friend ends up shooting deer like the one he got while I was there: another hunter had shot it and shattered its knee very early in the hunting season -- the poor thing's forearm was swollen and infected, and you could see the shattered bones in the open wound.

Taking a gun into the woods is a huge responsibility. If you aren't 100% sure that what you're aiming at is the animal you're after, you shouldn't have your finger anywhere near the trigger. I hope the hunter who killed the girl faces criminal charges. Her death was no "mistake."

Lorree

[Huntertwo]

Muzzle-loaders are a type of weapon (gun) that is loaded with powder and a bullet from the front (muzzle). It is a single shot of relatively short range. Some states have a separate season for muzzle loaders, arrows, shot guns and rifles.


Aren't these loud as all heck too! It is muzzle loading season here also, if I'm right, they sound like cannons going off.

[Huntertwo]

Maine passed a target identification law after Karen Wood was shot here in Maine in her own back yard during hunting season a few years ago. She was hanging clothes on a line-wearing a brown coat and white mittens. The law simply states that any hunter must have Clear and Positive identification of the target before shooting. Maine also requires a hunter safety course be taken before getting a license. Obviously a VERY FEW hunters are giving the whole sport a bad name. Itchy trigger fingers? blood lust? :no: I am not anti-hunting ( far from it with the large-need to be thinned out- deer herd in my back yard)but I am anti getting shot by idiots. I work hard to make sure animals are identified as domestic during hunting season. Unfortunately blaze orange is a basic safety necessity here in the late fall...whether your in your own field or out in the woods. My property is posted, but backs on to town owned land-where anyone with a gun can hunt-resident or not. My Arabian wears his orange from Sept until Dec. Until now I have never worried about muzzle loading season..figuring they are not long range or powerful and the hunter HAD to be so close to the target mistakes were not possible. New muzzle loaders are a LOT more powerful than ever before. My thoughts are with that family and the family of the hunter.


I remember that *killing*. In fact, weren't they trying to blame her for wearing white mittens in her OWN backyard??
And didn't the *killer* get off?

Hey, society if finally cracking down on drunk driving and jailing people.

When are we going to start holding these *killers* accountable and throwning their asses in jail?

[Claddagh]

Why do people that hunt find it acceptable to shoot bullets on land that is clearly marked "No Hunting?" Please someone try to explain this to me....



Very good question.....

One day I saw a hunter on my (posted) land. I yelled out to him that he was on private property and had to leave. When he wouldn't leave I called the police. They came right out and went and got him. The policeman asked the hunter this very question - "why are you on private, posted land when bordering all of this private land is a huge state owned preservation where hunting is allowed?" The hunter looked at the policeman and said..."there are too many guys with guns out there!" :eek:

Can you believe this - he didn't want to take a chance of getting shot so just thought he'd be safer hunting/shooting on private land where there were no other hunters!!! :mad:

As the policeman said to me, it never ceases to amaze us what they'll do next! He also thanked me for calling for police help and told me never to confront one of these trespassing hunters myself because it is just too dangerous - you never know what they will do! :rolleyes:

[jilltx]

My deepest sympathies to the family. What a horrible thing. :cry:

[Cherry]

Yes, such a preventable tragedy!

Some years back a young mother of twin babies was shot and killed near her home in New England, I think. The hunter who shot her (near her home I might add!) said all he saw was white (she had a pair of off-white mittens stuck in her back pocket)--what a sorry excuse for a human being he is. That guy was acquitted (twice, I think) of killing her!!!! :eek: I could not believe my ears!!!! It's time hunters were held accountable for these "mistakes"! What business did he have of shooting so close to houses???? "Behavior seen as rewarded tends to be repeated!" :mad:

My condolences to this young girl's family..... :cry:

[Liberty]

I don't hunt game (never have, never will), but as to the subject of why hunters illegally hunt on private, posted land, I'd have to say it's probably primarily due to the thought of easy/numerous kills since the wildlife is not accustomed to the 2-legged predators with firesticks. Easy pickin's, so to speak.

Not only a very dangerous practice, but very cowardly as well, of the hunters who do this.

Back when my husband and I were thoroughly involved in the game of paintball, I was in the grocery store and overheard two of the produce guys discussing their upcoming weekend hunting jaunt and how much fun it was going to be. I turned to them and proposed if they wanted a real challenge, in an environment where the "game" shoots back and has half a chance, they were welcome to come out to the paintball field and give it a shot (no pun intended). It would be as, if not more, fun for them too. ;)

Well, gee, what a surprise that neither one had the guts to show his face and experience the thrill of a true hunt. Guess they preferred to continue exercising their macho-ness and getting their kicks by gunning down defenseless Bambi's in the forest. :rolleyes:

[drmgncolor]

how tragic.

hunting season scares the heck out of me... and i am sure to stay out of the woods during this time of year. It was nice our barn neighbors to actually come down to the barn this year and ask that we not ride in the woods mon-sat until hunting season was over.

recently, nc wildlife officials had proposed to drop the no hunting on sunday rule, but that did not go over really well and after a survey taken, it was found that the majority htought the law should stay put. that included a survey of hunters. so for now... sundays are safe, well... except from the poachers.

any hunter that "accident'y" shoots a person should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. trakener was right on in his post.

thoughts and hugs to the family for their loss.

[MeredithTX]

What a senseless tragedy. :(

[A. P.]

This is so sad. when I was very, very young, in Maine, the 15 year-old twin brother of my babysitter was standing in an open field, wearing blaze orage, near a highway, and whistling (to alert hunters of his presence). He was shot int he chest and killed. :cry:

For this reason I have never been a hunting enthusiast.

For those who do hunt, and those who venture out during hunting season, BE CAREFUL!

[A. P.]

"How do you confuse a girl on horseback with a deer or pheasant? How blind is this guy?"

I do not know the circumstances of this incident, but it may well be that he was not aiming at the girl: bullets don't stop once they pass their intended target: it could be she was not at all visible to him. A bullet from a high-powered rifle can go a long, long way. This is why it is safest when hunters use deer-stands: they are shooting at a downward angle, so a bullet that misses it's target hits the ground soon after.

[Liberty]

but it may well be that he was not aiming at the girl: bullets don't stop once they pass their intended target: it could be she was not at all visible to him. A bullet from a high-powered rifle can go a long, long way.

True; however, I'm assuming the shooter (I refuse to call him a "hunter") was using a muzzleloader, since it was muzzleloader season. They don't have NEAR the range of a rifle (high-powered or otherwise). From what I've been told by a gun enthusiast friend of mine, you pretty much have to be on top of the target to hit the mark with a muzzleloader.

Which makes this killing all the more senseless and tragic. I surely hope the shooter is held responsible for that poor girl's death and is punished appropriately. There is NO excuse for what happened there.

[Mtn trails]

One thing to remember...this was not an accident.

The hunter had to load the gun.
The hunter had to cock the gun.
The hunter had to aim the gun.
The hunter had to decide what they were shooting.
The hunter had to pull the trigger.

At each step of this tragedy, the hunter could have stopped, decided what they were doing wasn't safe/sensible/an honest target etc....and stopped.
There would have been no injury, no death, no grieving parents and loved ones.

This wasn't an accident, it was a series of bad decisions that resulted in a girl's death. (and yep, I'm a hunter, fox and gun, and the hunter was 100% wrong!...and deserves to be punished severely).

That's true, however, too many times the hunters are: A) drunk; or B) shooting by sound, not sight. Happens all the time. Already out here at least 2 hunters were killed by fellow hunters who were drinking and not fully identifying what they were shooting at.

[marta]

i take it for granted that when i go out on trails on sunday, there is no hunters out there since it's illegal to hunt on sundays. i guess i really shouldn't hearing all these horror stories.

last week we rode in a national park where there is no hunting. i was debating where to go this weekend but i think after reading this thread i will stay off the land open to hunters and venture out on sundays only.

you know, it's not even a sport here in jersey anymore. there are so many deer you could stand in a middle of a field and sooner or later one will bump into you. but somehow, these 'sportsman' still feel the need to bait the deer. so 2 years ago at 6 mile run in the middle of somerset county we see a guy crouching in a field of soy, dressed in camo from top to bottom w/ a bow in his hand, sitting directly across from a very obvious deer path and in the middle of the deer path is a salt block!!!!
i just don't get the appeal...:no:

[Trixie]

Just from that experience, I can't *imagine* pulling the trigger without knowing exactly what I was aiming at. Shoot at a sound? Shoot at something white and bouncy? Not a chance. Sorry, but that hunter didn't make a mistake; he committed negligent homicide.

Just from that experience, I can't *imagine* pulling the trigger without knowing exactly what I was aiming at. Shoot at a sound? Shoot at something white and bouncy? Not a chance. Sorry, but that hunter didn't make a mistake; he committed negligent homicide

I *fully* agree with you. Hunters need to be respectful of the thought that those things are meant to *kill* and shooting at a sound or the like is just deadly.

however, too many times the hunters are: A) drunk; or B) shooting by sound, not sight. Happens all the time. Already out here at least 2 hunters were killed by fellow hunters who were drinking and not fully identifying what they were shooting at.

They should be shot. Or at least jailed. There are simply no excuses - they need to be made to take responsibility for their actions.

My condolences to the family of this girl. How utterly senseless. :(

[Aggie4Bar]

I say hang 'em. "Misidentification" is just another word for "careless". Drunk, sober... doesn't matter. Make an example of these folks. The shooter may be devastated and vow to never hunt again, but that doesn't bring the girl back to life. Not too long ago, a teenager got off after "accidentally" shooting a farmer on his tractor. Would someone please tell how the hell you mistake a man on a tractor for a deer? It's plain carelessness and disregard for gun safety. If they can't handle the excitement of hunting and rein in their itchy trigger fingers, they shouldn't be hunting. If they kill another human as a result of that lack of control, they should be put away for murder.

[ShortStirrupMom]

How very, very sad.

We live on over 40 acres, surround by forrest where hunters love to hunt. I will NOT trail ride during hunting season - orange clothing or not. I'm just too terrified. I won't even let my son or daughter near the woods to play for the same reason.

I thought about it this year, getting the horses orange halters, etc. "just in case" they got loose and happened into the woods. I didn't do it - but will seriously consider it for next year.

Prayers and jingles to this poor girl's family.

[Huntertwo]

Yes, such a preventable tragedy!

Some years back a young mother of twin babies was shot and killed near her home in New England, I think. The hunter who shot her (near her home I might add!) said all he saw was white (she had a pair of off-white mittens stuck in her back pocket)--what a sorry excuse for a human being he is. That guy was acquitted (twice, I think) of killing her!!!! :eek: I could not believe my ears!!!! It's time hunters were held accountable for these "mistakes"! What business did he have of shooting so close to houses???? "Behavior seen as rewarded tends to be repeated!" :mad:

My condolences to this young girl's family..... :cry:

Cherry, you are right. That happened in Maine. She was in her own back yard and the town folk blamed her!!! That is the reason that the Jack.A$$. got off. :no: All because she was wearing white mittens, which resembled a white-tailed deer. Unreal....

[OnyxThePony]

Tragic :(

My experience is that it's not an 'accident" at ALL. ONe barn mate was shot at.. a few times, and was so close at one point that she spoke to the hunters, who sort of sheepishly laughed. And came up with this excuse: "Well, ya, you caught me shooting at you.. hahaha.... well, you know, you and the horse were out in the woods (private, I may add) and well, there wasn't much ELSE to shoot at.... huhuhuh." And this was not an isolated incident. Other 'excuses' were, well it's hunting season (no it wasn't).. well the nearby gun range was too busy (hence illegal firearms on private property), well I"m not a very good shot.. well I didn't think a bullet could kill a horse...well I was aiming for the horse, not you.. and on and on.
Bloodlust and stupidity.

[inca]

How very sad.

This is one of my BIG concerns about our new place. I KNOW they hunt on the 24 acres right next to our place. Scares the heck out of me that one of my horses (or me!) might get accidentally shot. I have already decided that the horses will stay in the front pasture by the barn during hunting season. That way they will NOT border the other property and NOT be in a pasture with woods. But, as someone else said, bullets don't stop until they hit something!

For those of you that say your horses wear orange during hunting season - are you just talking about orange halters or is there something else you put on them?

My thoughts and prayers are with the girl's family and friends.

[Aggie4Bar]

For those of you that say your horses wear orange during hunting season - are you just talking about orange halters or is there something else you put on them?I have blaze orange sheets I purchased last month from Adam's horse supply. They also sold the blaze orange "protectavests", which cover the shoulders and chest. I'm not too worried about my horses throughout the midday, but I do worry about my BO's little buckskin pony. The pony babysits a little weanling arab, so there's an appropriate size/colour combination that could be "misidentified".

[inca]

Thanks - guess I will have to look into getting blaze orange sheets for all my horses when we move them out to the new place. That will look just lovely on chestnut horses - maybe we will set a fashion trend - LOL.

My neighbors will probably think a crazy lady moved into the area but better safe than sorry!

[Aggie4Bar]

That will look just lovely on chestnut horses - maybe we will set a fashion trend - LOL.It actually doesn't look that bad! It looks cuter on my redhead than on my dark bay. I don't know how it'd look on a lighter, more orange chestnut though. My mare is more of a dark red.

[Drvmb1ggl3]

They are trying to pass a law in texas to let blind people hunt.
I kid thee not... http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4393713.html

[millwrightmomma]

First off, the tragedy hat happened to the young girl is murder, and should be tried as thus.

Secondly , hunting blind in Texas, might as well be drunk, too.
Although that is too often the case. What is carrying proof of blindness??? a white cane :rolleyes:

[citydog]

I say hang 'em. "Misidentification" is just another word for "careless".

Yup.

[drmgncolor]

That's true, however, too many times the hunters are: A) drunk; or B) shooting by sound, not sight. Happens all the time.

:(

being drunk or shooting by sound is NOT an excuse. drinking while hunting ought to be as punishable as drinking while driving. both times you are in control of a deadly weapon. shooting by sound is STUPID. anyone who admits to hunting like that is NOT a true hunter in the least.

[awqawq]

My condolences to the family. I agree that this is an all to often occurence. When I was 16 my first horse was shot by a deer hunter and killed. Of course I realize that it was no where near the likes of mistaking a human for a deer however there were ten horses in our herd at the time. Out of those ten 1 was solid black, 1 was grey but looked white he was so old, and the rest were chestnuts. The hunter shot my solid black horse out a field full of chestnuts!

[Kimberlee]

Tragic... if someone can get life in jail for DWI manslaughter, how can they let these guys off!!!!!

[macmtn]

[quote=Huntertwo;2057712]I remember that *killing*. In fact, weren't they trying to blame her for wearing white mittens in her OWN backyard??
And didn't the *killer* get off?

Yes- the prevailing attitude locally by some was she was partially at fault. Her only sin was ignorance:no: ...she was a city girl-recently moved to her country home- who did not have the country living experience to know that hunting season was Not the time to be dressed in brown deer colored clothing with white mittens next to woods where hunting was a daily occurence. She was only a few feet from her own back door.:cry: The hunter who shot her was from Massachusetts....he got off by claiming he saw a deer. ( and he was with a guide!) Hence the Target Identification Law. My personal feelings are out of state hunters tend to leave their common sense at the state line when entering Maine for the purpose of killing something...

[azeventer]

[quote=Huntertwo;2057712]I remember that *killing*. In fact, weren't they trying to blame her for wearing white mittens in her OWN backyard??
And didn't the *killer* get off?

Yes- the prevailing attitude locally by some was she was partially at fault. Her only sin was ignorance:no: ...she was a city girl-recently moved to her country home- who did not have the country living experience to know that hunting season was Not the time to be dressed in brown deer colored clothing with white mittens next to woods where hunting was a daily occurence. She was only a few feet from her own back door.The hunter whoshot her was from Massachusetts....he got off by claiming he saw a deer. ( and he was with a guide!) Hence the Target Identification Law. My personal feelings are out of state hunters tend to leave their common sense at the state line when entering Maine for the purpose of killing something...

Actually, the hunter who shot this woman was not from Massachussettes......he was a life long Mainer with plenty of hunting experience. So he doesn't even have the excuse that he was a inexperienced "city-folk" hunter........he actually worked in the grocerey store where I worked when I was in high school, so I knew him slightly. I had since moved away when this had happened, so I don't know how he felt.......I remember him as a nice guy. A nice guy who made a horribly stupid, unforgiveable error in judgement. I agree, he should have been prosecuted and found guilty of negligent homicide, just as all the "nice guys" who kill people drinking and driving. People need to take responsibility for their actions. If you cannot be cautious and use good judgment while holding a loaded weapon, you need to pay the price if you make a mistake. Whether it is a mistake or not. Unfortunately, it will still be too late for the victim, but maybe if the shooters are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, the will think twice before they pull the trigger......

And yes, I remember.....a LOT of the hunters in Maine at the time of that shooting felt the woman was partially at fault because she was not wearing blaze orange in her own back yard. THAT is a very scary attitude...

[citydog]

Actually, the hunter who shot this woman was not from Massachussettes......he was a life long Mainer with plenty of hunting experience.


Indeed. It's not just "citiots" and out-of-staters--we've all got our share of the homegrown irresponsible, unskilled, and careless.

[Teach]

For those of you that say your horses wear orange during hunting season - are you just talking about orange halters or is there something else you put on them?


You can get nice canvas-like turnout sheets, which may be embellished with flourescent/reflective strips. One of my students refers to them as the "Don't shoot me, I'm not a moose!" blankets.

[mairzeadoats]

They announced on the news tonight that she was shot at about 3:45pm, so it was before dark. The muzzle season -- which had been extended this year -- ended that same day at 4:25pm, which is when it's dark these days. The state ranger they interviewed said they're almost finished collecting evidence, which they will give to the district attorney (I think he said tomorrow). The DA will decide what, if any, charges to file. They said the hunter, who until tonight hadn't been named, has been cooperating.

She was in her own back yard, about 1200 feet from her house at the edge of a field.

All my critters and I wear blaze orange during hunting season. But I had no idea it had been extended this year and my dog and horse haven't been wearing our orange since Thanksgiving. Luckily nobody seems to hunt too close to my place, although I can sometimes hear a shot go off well in the woods.

I cannot imagine how anyone could confuse a person with a deer. What a tragic loss....

[Nootka]

ok, at the risk of sounding horribly stupid.. How the hell did he shoot the girl and not the horse. Ok, it is not better that he shoot the horse but geeeeez that is a MAJORLY large deer he thought he was shooting. It must have been part Meese:eek:

That was a sttttttuuupid mistake but it seems to happen quite often. I know of a lady that was riding out in the Quantico Marine Corps base that was shot at (with a bow n arrow because that is all you can use there) and he almost hit her in the head. She was riding a VERY light grey horse at the time. What was it an ALBINO deer? Same question goes here.. Rider almost hit not horse.

Then, to top it all of BLIND HUNTERS. What in the heck has this world come 2???????:mad: :confused:

[clanter]

hunter's name is Timothy P. Bean, 51 of South Paris

http://www.sunjournal.com/storyupdate.php?PHPSESSID=7d324a89330d6a63fb9ad6cf 473391ed#177

[clanter]

by the way it is already legal in Michigan for a hunter to be blind as long as the person is legally blind and he has a spotter who assists him with the shot which is the same as the Proposed Texas Law

[Kementari]

The girl, while a horse person, was not riding when she was shot. So there was no horse to shoot at, and presumably her equine(s) have not suffered from the attack.

I don't see why there is any question of pressing charges: how can shooting a person NOT be a violation of the Target Identification Law?! :no:

I'm just glad that the last vestige of deer season (bow hunting) ends here in NH this Friday. Though I refuse to allow the hunters to chase me out of the woods each fall and wear a ton of orange and bells, I sure do feel more comfortable once the deer hunters are gone. :yes:

[Huntertwo]

hunter's name is Timothy P. Bean, 51 of South Paris

http://www.sunjournal.com/storyupdate.php?PHPSESSID=7d324a89330d6a63fb9ad6cf 473391ed#177

Okay, so because he had no traffic violations in the last 10 years means what as far as charging this guy?? :mad: :mad: :mad:

And no criminal record? Is this going to be his defense?

[SLW]

I just can't get my hands around how this guy confused her w/ a deer or shot not knowing where his stray ammunition was going. Prayers to her family.

[YankeeLawyer]

Prayers for the family. A horrible, horrible thing to have happen. I would tend to agree with posters who are just waiting for the guy to be charged. Shooting another human being in this situatin skirts the wrong side of my definition of "accident."

I am pro-hunting, we eat a lot of venison here, so I am not going to come down hard on responsible hunters, but there are irresponsible people out there who make it bad for the rest.

(Note to YankeeLawyer, etc on gunshots on Sunday - a lot of hunters target practice and site their guns, etc on Sunday. While I am sure there is poaching that goes one, it is more likely what you are hearing are people preparing to hunt the following day than people actually poaching game.)

Oh no .. these yahoos are definitely hunting deer. And my turkeys. All 40 or so of them are gone now : (. They used to play with my horses.

[JumpingPaints]

A very sad story. One has to wonder that if there was an automatic manslaughter charge for this type of offence if hunters would be more careful identifying their targets before shooting them??

We are surrounded by state forest, and my guys all wear blaze orange sheets during hunting season. Yesterday was the third day of muzzleloader season, and I hadn't seen or heard any shots all week, plus it was rainy and cold and the orange sheets were soaked, so I switched to green rainsheets. Two hours later I hear a really loud gunshot and see the horses galloping like banshees to the far end of the pasture where they pranced around snorting and staring where they'd come from :no: Scared the #*&%!& out of me. We are definitely back to blaze orange until deer hunting season is over.

A couple of weeks ago, during shotgun season, a guy was shot here in the Berkshires while putting up Christmas lights :rolleyes:

[Huntertwo]

Thank goodness Muzzle loading season is over here in CT on 12/19. :yes:

[Purely4Pleasure]

A very sad story. One has to wonder that if there was an automatic manslaughter charge for this type of offence if hunters would be more careful identifying their targets before shooting them??

Yeah, I have to think that would have a positive impact. The responses to SWI (shooting while intoxicated) and simple carelessness should at least be similar to DWI and careless driving.

[west5]

I am so ANGRY at people who are careless with their guns!

WHEN WILL PEOPLE REALIZE THAT WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE WITH A GUN THE OTHER PERSON DIES.

as posted by an earlier person

"One thing to remember...this was not an accident.

The hunter had to load the gun.
The hunter had to cock the gun.
The hunter had to aim the gun.
The hunter had to decide what they were shooting.
The hunter had to pull the trigger.

At each step of this tragedy, the hunter could have stopped, decided what they were doing wasn't safe/sensible/an honest target etc....and stopped.
There would have been no injury, no death, no grieving parents and loved ones.

This wasn't an accident, it was a series of bad decisions that resulted in a girl's death. (and yep, I'm a hunter, fox and gun, and the hunter was 100% wrong!...and deserves to be punished severely)."

[Mtn trails]

:(

being drunk or shooting by sound is NOT an excuse. drinking while hunting ought to be as punishable as drinking while driving. both times you are in control of a deadly weapon. shooting by sound is STUPID. anyone who admits to hunting like that is NOT a true hunter in the least.

Of course they don't admit to it but speaking to friends of the deceased or to friends of the perpetrator you can piece together the story. My former neighbor (the father of two small children) was killed by his hunting buddy. He was sitting on a stump to rest and his buddy heard a sound and didn't bother finding out what was making the sound but shot in that general direction and killed his friend.

Another friend was on high hunt, where he had to pack in on horseback, and his horse was shot at night by hunters who were drunk. They come running in to camp to find out what they hit and here's our friend with his dead horse's head in his lap.

[Chester's Mom]

And utmost respect for the mother's request (on the mainehorse.com thread)

"Many have asked what they could do to help us out and I have a request for you…..please keep ________ and his family in your prayers. I dare say they are having a much harder time with all of this than we are. I cannot even begin to imagine how this man must feel. God had a plan and we are all a part of it. We trust and have the hope that ____ will heal and eventually put this behind him. Megan knew and loved one of his nieces. She let her ride Diva a few times and always answered the young girls questions with patience and understanding. Megan had a heart for his niece and always told me what nice girl she was. I hope she is doing okay through this."

(Note: I deleted the hunter's name here as it had not yet been posted on COTH).

If Megan's own mother can forgive, we need to temper our anger.

[carolprudm]

Yeah, I have to think that would have a positive impact. The responses to SWI (shooting while intoxicated) and simple carelessness should at least be similar to DWI and careless driving.
Was he drunk? I hadn't heard that he was. Have any more details been released?

[marta]

i don't think i'd find it in me, especially not so soon after the incident.

[citydog]

I am amazed at the mother's ability to forgive, but hope that that doesn't somehow prevent future prosecution of these sorts of cases.

There is *no* excuse for shooting anything you can't absolutely identify.

[Estelle]

And utmost respect for the mother's request (on the mainehorse.com thread)


If Megan's own mother can forgive, we need to temper our anger.

That's Bull! I was bred, born and at 45 still live in Maine and have to deal with these mororns every hunting season! He and every hunter that shoots and kills a person when they think they are aiming at a deer needs to be charged and prosocuted for manslaughter with a minimum mandatory jail sentence. If they dont start doing this and doing it now then the rest of use living in the country in Maine can just keep on worrying every hunting season.. NO THANKS. As has been stated on here several times, if they charge and prosocute drunk drivers for manslaughter and they should and do the same should go for hunters mistaking a human for a deer!

[west5]

I will not temper my anger.

If one of my kids was shot I would not feel forgiveness.


and for the record I am not anti-gun just anti-morons wielding guns

[onelanerode]

I agree with Trakehner. There is quite simply no excuse for a hunter to not identify his target before he pulls the trigger. We all stopped trail riding during deer hunting season at my old barn after my trainer and I were shot at one Sunday in Eastern N.C. She was on a chestnut horse, and I was on a gray (white) horse. We both had our orange vests on. Some dumbasses will shoot at anything that moves/makes noise. Those people absolutely deserve to be charged with negligent homicide and spend some time in jail. How any sane person could show such a blatant disregard for other people's lives is beyond me. :mad:

My thoughts are with Megan's family. I can't imagine something so horrible. I know I would not be able to forgive as easily as her mom has ... even reading about it makes me livid.

[Aggie4Bar]

If Megan's own mother can forgive, we need to temper our anger.

I disagree. This is where the line is drawn between individual perception and the law of the land. I certainly admire the girl's mother for having the strength to accept and forgive. I also imagine the knowledge that he killed a young girl is probably far worse for the shooter than any legal sentence that could be handed down. It will haunt him regardless of whether he spends his nights as a free man or behind bars. However, the law is the law, and it needs to be upheld such the consequence of his carelessness is witnessed by others who may be inclined to make the same mistake.

[gieriscm]

I hunt deer annually and have lifetime licenses in two states. In Hunter Ed classes you are taught that you are responsible for the damage that is caused by every round you fire. There is absolutely NO excuse for this kind of accident. I don't take a shot unless I have a good backstop in case I miss or the round goes through the deer.

This hunter needs to be prosecuted for manslaughter.

[Huntertwo]

I hunt deer annually and have lifetime licenses in two states. In Hunter Ed classes you are taught that you are responsible for the damage that is caused by every round you fire. There is absolutely NO excuse for this kind of accident. I don't take a shot unless I have a good backstop in case I miss or the round goes through the deer.

This hunter needs to be prosecuted for manslaughter.

I don't hunt, but I wish all hunters (the careless ones) thought more like you. :yes:

As far as her mother forgiving the killer? It probably has not totally sunk in yet that she will never see her daughter again, never knowing what kind of young lady her daughter would have been, no wedding, no grandchildren and the list can go on and on.:cry:

[macmtn]

Ok- the shooter WAS charged with manslaughter today in Maine.

[mairzeadoats]

Yes, the hunter was charged with manslaughter, presumably due to not identifying target. And then they interviewed 4 local people who said they thought that was too harsh. Sheesh!

They also revised the story. Initially they said she was walking in her backyard in a field by the woods. Now they're reporting she was in the woods.

[jerry]

I am in the middle on guns and hunting. I am pro both, but despise the radical stances of the NRA. I have 9 guns, my 14 YO son already hunts deer. If you cannot distinguish an animal from a human, you should be beaten bloody with your own weapon for having pulled the trigger. There are no limits to human stupidity. All safety courses teach the necessary basics that any idiot could understand. I have the same sympathy for slob hunters that I have for drunk drivers.....NONE!

[paw]

What's puzzling me about all this is that (IME) folks who shoot with muzzleloaders are generally pretty careful about what they shoot at (since it takes a fair amount of time to reload). So how could this happen accidentally?

I'd rather be in the woods during muzzleloader or bow season than when all the yahoos with their rifles show up... OTOH, there just aren't that many woods in SoCal, so it's no longer something I think about every fall.

[Jewels]

Jingles and prayers for the family. What a terrible tragedy :no:

[CTDarkhorse045]

thats awful I feel so sorry for her family, and its a little scary too!

[marta]

not that i feel safe w/ maniacs carrying rifles but aren't muzzleloaders like shotguns, you get a spray?

well, anyway, i'm glad he got charged. maybe it'll work as a deterrent for others... maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part.

so sad:(

[mairzeadoats]

not that i feel safe w/ maniacs carrying rifles but aren't muzzleloaders like shotguns, you get a spray?

well, anyway, i'm glad he got charged. maybe it'll work as a deterrent for others... maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part.

so sad:(

I don't know what you get or how precise it is, but she was shot in the chest.

[LockeMeadows]

This story is so sad. Not that any time is good to have a child killed, but the family has to deal with this right before Christmas. It sounds like the mother *may* have strong religious beliefs and that is how she is coping much better than many of us would be able to.

Jingles for the girl’s family as well as the hunter’s. I can only pray that I am not judged the rest of my life for one horrible mistake. Just remember, we all take our eyes off the road occasionally or maybe speed a little because we're running late. It only takes a split second for many lives to be changed forever. No, I’ve never had something like this happen personally, but that is simply pure luck. Let he that is perfect cast the first stone.