Hiker mistaken for a bear shot and killed in Wa.

[Frodo]

How can this even happen????

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=4226712&cl=9106527&src=news

All she did was stop to get something out of her pack and a 17 year old mistook this as a bear????

Unless you hike in a bear suit, this should never happen.

I hope he is charged with manslaughter...

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

Such a tragic story, and unfortunately, not uncommon except that it's usually a hunter that is shot by mistake. I doubt that any charges will be filed against the shooter, but I do hope that he is restricted from any hunting activity for a long time, if he even would ever want to pick up a firearm again.

I work in a big-box hunting outfitter store, and am scared by some of the people and their "hunting" stories. I didn't know that there was a hunting season anywhere this early in the summer, and this is why I stay home during hunting season. It's very sad, and that line "At least she died doing... ", etc. (sort of like what happened to Tim Russert) - I want to live to be very old, do the things I love for a very long time, and die an old man with my family and friends nearby. I do not wish to die on the trail...

 

[Chip]

It looks like there is legal bear hunting in WA Aug to Oct.
Very sad. It should not have happened. A hunter shooting at "something" not properly identified in the woods is obviously not what is supposed to happen. Not that it was the womans fault at all, but knowing the hunting seasons and wearing bright colors is never a bad idea.

I disagree that it's "not uncommon" though. There are alot of hunters out there every year and there are very few deaths, especially of non hunters.

 

[Little Rickie]

It's a tragedy for everyone involved. The women dies, the greater tragedy no exceptions about it and a young kids carries this stigman and burdon for the rest of his life. He should be punished. I'm not sure locking him up is the best way for him to atone for his crime but something has to be done. Stoopidity is no excuse for doing something so wrong. It's all very sad.

 

[chomp]

Locking up hunters that kill people and making them do serious jail time will make future hunters think twice before pulling the trigger. Apparently, fear of taking someone's life isn't enough incentive for more hunters to be careful. Maybe fear of prosecution would work better.

 

[Little Rickie]

Just out of curiosity, how do some of you picture this 14 yr old hunter?

 

[David Metsky]

<mod hat>
All hunting threads have the ability to generate a lot of emotion, especially one like this when a tragedy has occurred. Please, before you post, take a step back and think over your words. You can make your point without vilifying others.
</mod hat>

 

[Quietman]

Maybe Washington (the state) will rethink its rules that appear to have no age limit for hunting as long as a hunter education class has been taken. Ages 12 and under must attend with an adult. I'll have to check what the rules are in NH! I realize that age doesn't always equal maturity, but....

Tragic situation for sure.

Just found the NH rules:

There is no minimum age for youth hunting in New Hampshire
Youth hunters can hunt all species during the open season
All youth hunters under age 16 must be ACCOMPANIED by a licensed adult 18 years or older while hunting. "Accompanied" means within sight and hearing, excluding electronic devices, when actual physical direction and control can be effected, pursuant to RSA 207:1, XXX
Hunter education is not required for youth hunters under age 16...

I guess that Washington's rules are "stricter" than NH's. Interesting food for thought.

This seems to be a very isolated type of incident, and hopefully will remain so.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

While the shooting of a non-hunter anywhere is very rare, it is common that other hunters get shot during hunting season, in the sense that it happens every year here in New York, and I expect that NYS is not unique in that statistic. Thankfully, fatalities are not as frequent as gunshot injuries, but it seems that there is at least one fatal shooting each deer season as well. New York requires hunter safety courses for all new hunters of any age, but it doesn't help those who are shot because another hunter saw something move. The eagerness to get that big game animal seems to overwhelm common sense for what I hope is a small minority of hunters.

It seems that this was the culmination of more than just one tragic error in judgment. Did the hikers know about the bear hunting season? Were they on a marked trail, or were they bushwhacking? If they were indeed on a marked hiking trail, why were the hunters anywhere near a hiking trail? And if that was the case, did the hunters even know about the presence of a hiking trail? Tragically, the young man who pulled the trigger will suffer the consequences for a long time, as will the family and friends of the unfortunate woman. It all comes down to the fact that you need to research your trip and your route, and this applies to hikers as well as hunters.

 

[Chip]

I agree. "Uncommon" is a relative term. Stray shotgun pellet spray probably accounts for alot of "other hunter" injuries. It shouldn't happen at all, ever, with a rifle or bow, since you're not only supposed to identify the game properly but also have a clean, clear shot at the chest to avoid just injuring the animal. It obviously does happen too often.

 

[Tom Rankin]

If they were indeed on a marked hiking trail, why were the hunters anywhere near a hiking trail? And if that was the case, did the hunters even know about the presence of a hiking trail? Tragically, the young man who pulled the trigger will suffer the consequences for a long time, as will the family and friends of the unfortunate woman. It all comes down to the fact that you need to research your trip and your route, and this applies to hikers as well as hunters.

Here is another article, which answers some of your questions:

http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/young_bear_hunter_kills_hiker_by_mistake/

A brief quote:

"The woman was hiking on the mountain near Rockport with a friend, just five or 10 minutes from the trail head, when she was struck by a bullet, said Sgt. Bill Heinchk of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

According to a Sheriff’s Office news release, the woman had stopped on the trail to put something in her backpack when the hunter took one deadly shot.

The hunter and the victim were about 120 yards away from each other in an alpine area with trees, meadows and brush on very steep terrain, Heinchk said. The juvenile had been hunting with at least one adult at the time of the incident."

There are other articles as well...

 

[chomp]

Putting any sort of blame on the hiker for not wearing orange is, IMHO, akin to putting blame on a drunk driving victim for being on the road at 1 A.M. We all know that there are drunk drivers on the road, especially late at night and especially on the weekends.

I don't understand why some people try to put some of the responsibility for an incident like this on a hiker not wearing bright colors or hiking off-trail. Hunters should not get any kind of pass for an incident like this. This isn't a BB Gun or lawn dart - hunters carry high-powered rifles that are designed to kill large animals. Pulling the trigger when you are not 100% sure of what you are shooting at - its gross negligence.

I only harp on this point because I feel that this is an area where the general opinion needs to change. Quite a few people feel like hunting "incidents" are inevitable and that the victim could have somehow changed the outcome. Dick Cheney shooting someone in the face was a national punchline. Yet nobody would ever say this about a drunk driving fatality. Or accident for that matter. So why do we offer these excuses for people who know they are holding a weapon that is designed to kill?

 

[Quietman]

I don't think "blame" is involved. Just ways to lower the chances. I try avoid driving on Friday and Saturday night to avoid the higher risk of drunk drivers. Shouldn't have to, but I do.

If I know that hunters are out, I have my neon orange bandana visible. Shouldn't have to, but I do. Just trying to lower the chances of anything happening.

This poor hiker carries no blame on her part.

 

[Viewseeker]

Ages

the age at which a person is able to hunt and the age at which they are to hunt safely is mostly the issue.. Young hunters need more supervision and onhand training to look, decide what they are looking at and then taking the shot safely. They think its more about the kill than the harvesting of the animal for wildlife managment and much like hiking the enjoyment being out in the wilderness. It is ok to let an animal pass, to me it means the same as killing it sometimes to watch it move thru its "backyard". Thus being a young hunter you never think more than just about the harvesting the animal....just my two cents...anyone got change?

 

[forestgnome]

Condolences to family and freinds. We have lost a fellow hiker who died while hiking.

Accidental shooting by a hunter is probably the statistically least common cause of death for hikers, yet it gets the most emotional response from other hikers, specifically non-hunting hikers. (I'm not a hunter.)

It's really horrible when an innocent person dies at the hands of a negligent person. IMO, there should be a serious consequence for the young hunter. If a 17yo killed the woman while DUI, there would be serious consequences.

The accompanying adult has the responsibility of guiding the young hunter. Where was he?! He should also suffer serious consequences. Otherwise, there is no meaning to the requirement of an accompanying adult. This person should have instructed that you not only have to identify species, but you have to have a clear kill shot (neck, chest, etc). It's impossible to mistake a human under this condition.

 

[Chip]

The accompanying adult has the responsibility of guiding the young hunter. Where was he?!

New news, other person was not an adult. It was the shooter's 16 year old brother. They were dropped off by their Grandfather. No charges yet. I'd be very surprised and disappointed if there were none, including charges against the parent or Grandparent for lack of supervision, child endangerment, whatever.

 

[peakn]

...you not only have to identify species, but you have to have a clear kill shot (neck, chest, etc). It's impossible to mistake a human under this condition

A case in point- I was deer hunting with a friend in the Lake Canandaigua area of NYS when we were both 18 (a very long time ago!!!). We were working our way up a steep hillside about 50 yds apart (we thought) when I ran into a thicket so dense that the only way through was to crawl for 10-15 ft. We were both wearing red so I felt safe. When I emerged from the brush I was looking into the barrel of my friends gun. He was convinced I was a bear because I appeared black in the brush, but waited to properly identify.

I was lucky! That's what SHOULD happen if hunters are properly educated. Unfortunately there are many factors contributing to improper hunter behavior. As was already mentioned, inexperience, the focus on harvesting the game, but also from personal observation, there are hunters that are "impaired" when they enter the forest and their judgement can't be very good. Is there an HUI/HWI offense, and if not why not?

The accident shouldn't have happened. I doubt that wearing orange would have helped this poor woman though.

 

[Chip]

A couple more detail in this article.

"State law does not currently require juveniles to have an adult with them while hunting, Hebner said.

However, "We would recommend that any young person be accompanied by an experienced hunting adult," he said.

The Fish and Wildlife agency has asked the Legislature to impose minimum age requirements for lone hunters.

Almli's death on Sauk Mountain is the first time a non-hunter has died in a hunting incident in Washington within the past 25 years, said state Fish and Wildlife Capt. Bill Hebner."

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

There is very little that a prosecutor can do to a 14-year old who commits even a serious crime with intent. This shooting, although without a doubt negligent, was accidental in nature, and will likely result a slap on the wrist. Because no adult supervision is required in that state (according to the news report), the parents, or grandfather, will not likely face any repercussions either. BUT, what I've read about this so far tells me that the hikers were "near the trail head", and "Their grandfather drove them to the mountain and was waiting in the vehicle about a quarter-mile away".... sounds like Grandpa might have dropped the youthful hunters off at the tail head parking lot. I think we'll hear still more about this.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

"State law does not currently require juveniles to have an adult with them while hunting", Hebner said.

However, "We would recommend that any young person be accompanied by an experienced hunting adult," he said.

The state of Washington doesn't have clean hands in this tragedy. Isn't the above statement like saying, for example: "our state does not have any laws regarding drinking and driving but we recommend that you don't do that". If there is no law against a dangerous activity (unsupervised young people carrying lethal weapons), why would the people refrain from it (other than common sense, which is not all that common, it seems)...

Hunting permits are in decline all over, and there is an effort to involve our youth in order to preserve the activity and prevent further restrictions - I don’t think that many hunters will have much to say about this. If we are to encourage youthful hunters, our states must educate them properly and require the necessary supervision to prevent the trauma that has occurred to both of these young men. There are always living victims in accidents like this.