Hunter shot, rescued

[Kevin]

Thought this may be of interest to some...

What caught my eye was the comment about the cellphone coverage... NEWS FLASH... Your cell phone may not work in the mountains like it does in the mall... Sorry, a bit of a wise a** comment, but true. I am glad that the outcome is better then what could have happened though.

From the Times Heral Record Newspaper:
Hunter Shot, Rescued

Hunter shot, rescued

By Ramsey Al-Rikabi
Times Herald-Record
[email protected]

Denning – If it weren't for that slightest bit of cell phone signal, Jason McCarthy might not have made it down the mountain alive.
McCarthy, 24, was hunting in Catskill Park with four other people yesterday when his younger brother mistook him for a bear and shot him at about 11 a.m., police said.
Nathaniel McCarthy, 21, was between 50 yards and 75 yards away from his brother when he fired, state police said. One .250-caliber Savage bullet went through Jason's left hand and left thigh.
State police said someone in the hunting party was able to get a cell phone signal up in the Catskills near Grahamsville, where cellular phone service is spotty at best.
Although Jason had lost a lot of blood, he was still conscious about an hour later when rescue crews made it to him on a mountain off Sugarloaf Road, near the border between the Town of Neversink in Sullivan County and the Town of Denning in Ulster County. He was carried about a mile down the mountain on a makeshift stretcher made of two branches and clothes.
Jason was flown to St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, where he was listed in critical but stable condition last night.
State police said the shooting appears accidental.

Hope the guy makes it OK, but I am sure there will be a little tension at the dinner table!
Kevin

 

[Jay H]

Hey, that's right by Red Hill firetower..

Surprised they got cell coverage too myself, but there might be some towers floating around in Grahamsville, since that is the very border of the high peaks area of the catskills...

Jay

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

I hope he gets better so he can kick his little brothers a$$!

 

[MonadnockVol]

Sadder Note

He was luckier than the 13-year-old kid in Orange County, NY. He was hunting on Thanksgiving Day, was shot (also by a relative, I think) and died in the hospital.

 

[Maddy]

Hiker BEWARE
These are some of the stories I heard today on a radio talk show.
Hunter shoots farmer riding his tractor in VT!
Hunter shot his relative when he mistook him for a large boar!
Hunter found dead by hanging when he tangled himself up in the ropes on his tree stand.
Hunter shoots himself in the foot.
There were so many I can't remember them all.
I think I'm staying out of the woods for a few weeks.

 

[Klutz]

From the Conway Daily Sun:

2005-11-26

Man shoots foot accidently in hunting mishap in Bartlett

David Carkhuff

BARTLETT — The Veno family of Bartlett had a rough Thanksgiving holiday.
Jason Veno broke his foot playing football at his home on Dundee Road on Thanksgiving, requiring a trip to the hospital.
Then, in the first serious hunting accident in Carroll County this year, brother Robert Veno, 34, visiting from Barrington, south of Rochester, shot himself in the right foot while loading a rifle in the family's driveway on Friday, reported New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officer Brian Abrams.
"He came up with his family on Thanksgiving, and he planned to go deer hunting up behind the house on Dundee Road, and while Robert was loading his .308-caliber rifle, he had the tip of the barrel resting on his boot," Abrams said. "He put a cartridge in the chamber and let the action slide forward, and that caused the firearm to go off."
Jason Veno's sister, Katherine, of Center Conway, was at the house, and she and Robert's wife, Michelle, transported Robert to The Memorial Hospital, where he underwent operation on Friday, Abrams said.
"He was lucky he had two really good surgeons that were on staff. They thought the surgery went well, and that he'll save the forward part of the foot and the toes," Abrams said.
Abrams and Lt. Jim Goss and conservation officer Chip Joseph, all of N.H. Fish and Game, responded. Officer Sean Mask of Bartlett Police Department also assisted.
The accident occurred at about 7 a.m. The rifle, a Remington semi-automatic, was found with its safety on, Abrams said. There was no indication that alcohol or drugs were a factor, he said.
The rifle is an older model, Abrams said. Typically, the action or operating mechanism and cartridge would slide forward together.
"It's not designed (for the user) to manually insert a cartridge directly in the chamber and drop the action," he said.
To load this type of Remington rifle, the user should attach the loaded magazine to the rifle and cycle the action to remove a cartridge from the magazine and seat it in the chamber, Abrams said.
Fish and Game plans to test the rifle, he said.

All the more reason to stay the heck out of the woods during hunting season! Dum a$$e$!!!!Great white hunters! Yeah right!

 

[jade]

Is this Views from the Shotgun???

 

[imarchant]

All the more reason to stay the heck out of the woods during hunting season! Dum a$$e$!!!!Great white hunters! Yeah right!

Wait a minute, this incident did not even happen in the woods. All these incidents happened to hunters, presumably within their own hunting parties. When is the last case of a hiker being shot?

 

[Tom Rankin]

Wait a minute, this incident did not even happen in the woods. All these incidents happened to hunters, presumably within their own hunting parties. When is the last case of a hiker being shot?

The last one I remember was the blueberry picker. It was discussed at some length a while back on this board.

For a contrast to this thread, see the one I started a few days ago....

 

[SAR-EMT40]

All the more reason to stay the heck out of the woods during hunting season! Dum a$$e$!!!!Great white hunters! Yeah right!

Aside from the fact that his weapon was pointed at his foot, this sounds like a weapon malfunction. I worked in a gun store for 15 years and their are several older models that were prone to this type of malfunction. Some were a design flaw and others from part wear. Several guns were redesigned over the years because of this. Remember it was stated that the safety was on. He had the weapon pointed in a generally safe way (down towards the ground) but it is unfortunate that it was actually pointed at his foot.

There are only two rules with a weapon and I teach it all the time. Treat every weapon as if it is loaded and don't point it at anything you don't want to kill (and that includes behind what you are pointing it at). If you live by those simple rules you will never have a problem.

Keith

 

[Mr. X]

It wouldn't be hunting season with out stories like that!

 

[RGF1]

Hiker BEWARE
These are some of the stories I heard today on a radio talk show.
Hunter shoots farmer riding his tractor in VT!
Hunter shot his relative when he mistook him for a large boar!
Hunter found dead by hanging when he tangled himself up in the ropes on his tree stand.
Hunter shoots himself in the foot.
There were so many I can't remember them all.
I think I'm staying out of the woods for a few weeks.

Maddy that list is kind o of funny in a black humor way.
But then
I have a relative many would mistake for a Bore. using the vernacular of the UK
DId he shoot himself in the foot figuratively or litterally? J/K
But every one knows that deer are using tactors to harvest ther food thease days.
.
I have been shot at in a huge Cat D963, as you know deer use thease huge machines to clear thier herd paths.
Note I am being sarcastic.
On the seruios side I like white mt hike hike hope he recovers so he can kick the nitwits butt . and I hope no one died in any of theaser shootings .

I think that all rehtoric aside it treally is time to rethink how we regulate the privlege of hunting and who is granted the privlege to hunt .
I still do not get how any one can mistake a guy on a tractor for a deer.
Or beter yet a huge D963 the damn thing is about the size of a tank and make as much noise

 

[Jeff-B]

Acceptable Risks

Accidents are all relative to the sport of choice.

If you “XX” then sooner or later you may get “XX”

Hike, you may sprain an ankle, or break a leg.
Climb, you may fall and die.
Fish, you may get hooked, or tossed overboard.
Parachute, you may fail to deploy.
Skateboard, you may get road rashed.
Hanglide, you may fail to stay airborne.
Race cars, you may crash.
Skiing, you may break a leg.
Play Football, you may get paralyzed.
Hunt, you may get shot!

It’s knowing and understanding the risks that make it an “acceptable risk”, but only acceptable if result is to oneself and not to others..IMO.

Jeff

 

[carole]

I still do not get how any one can mistake a guy on a tractor for a deer.

Maybe it said deere on the side.

 

[darren]

Accidents are all relative to the sport of choice.

If you “XX” then sooner or later you may get “XX”

Hike, you may sprain an ankle, or break a leg.
Climb, you may fall and die.
Fish, you may get hooked, or tossed overboard.
Parachute, you may fail to deploy.
Skateboard, you may get road rashed.
Hanglide, you may fail to stay airborne.
Race cars, you may crash.
Skiing, you may break a leg.
Play Football, you may get paralyzed.
Hunt, you may get shot!

It’s knowing and understanding the risks that make it an “acceptable risk”, but only acceptable if result is to oneself and not to others..IMO.

Jeff

GREAT point. I wonder how many "hiker gets hurt/lost and was rescued" stories the hunters read and then think "gee, what a bunch of losers those hikers are. They are always just walking around in the woods for no reason and always getting themselves into trouble."

I have never hunted, but I know a lot of hunters. I've never known one that has shot themselves or someone else. I have known a lot of hikers that have gotten themselves into serious trouble though. I've also known a few hikers that have died and I almost croaked several years ago on the trail (well, I was off trail but that is a different story). Hmmm, "per capita" I wonder which activity is more dangerous.

- darren

 

[Rik]

GREAT point. I wonder how many "hiker gets hurt/lost and was rescued" stories the hunters read and then think "gee, what a bunch of losers those hikers are. They are always just walking around in the woods for no reason and always getting themselves into trouble."

I have never hunted, but I know a lot of hunters. I've never known one that has shot themselves or someone else. I have known a lot of hikers that have gotten themselves into serious trouble though. I've also known a few hikers that have died and I almost croaked several years ago on the trail (well, I was off trail but that is a different story). Hmmm, "per capita" I wonder which activity is more dangerous.

- darren

Good point Darren. And the primary hunting seasons are only a few weeks long. Most of us hikers are out year round in a variety of conditions.

 

[Chip]

I've looked at various statistics re. accidents and accidental deaths. It's difficult to find exactly what we're looking for, but "you" are something like 100 times more likely to die from a serious fall than from a gun shot. Not that that excuses slob hunters, but I think a helmet in the woods is more likely to save your life than an orange vest.
If you can find an orange helmet, so much the better.

 

[sierra]

I used to hunt in the Whites years ago. One day I was looking down a long clearing with my binocs and saw a hunter pointing his gun at me I fired 2 shots in the air and then waved at him before approaching him. I was pissed, he said he saw something (me) and was just looking threw his scope which of course was mounted to his high powerered rifle. I informed of the dnger of this and that if any shots from him happen to come near me I would definetly be returning fire. Actually I left after the incident to hunt elsewhere, kind of scary, that was my only bad experience hunting.

 

[jade]

Darren.....for the animals, hunting is by far the most dangerous

I heard a ballerina chipped her nail driving up the Mt Washington Auto Road this past weekend. She survived after being rescued by a drag queen who just happened to be carrying some 'mend-a-nail' in his, no her, um his pack......Those silly ballerinas! Thank goodness for hiking queens!!!

I have a little orange vest magnet on my fridge......each hiking season it becomes full of newspaper clippings of hunters shooting their toes, sideview mirrors, cows, dogs, thier buddies.....I don't find accidental death humorous but all the other mishaps make me smile inside......especially when the 'big one' gets away.....

 

[slamdog]

Outted

I'd like to come out of the closet, and admit that I am a hunter. I have wandered through the woods for more than thirty years with a number of hunters. I have also been in the woods with a couple of people who "thought they were hunters". No true hunter would make these referenced mistakes (although ropes on treestands can be tricky, just like climbing ropes). That's one of the reasons why hunters I know and hunt with have excellent optics/binnoculars. That's what is used to identify game (as well as the traditional views, flora....). Once game is identified you have decisions to make. This all comes from training and experience in the woods with an experienced hunter,not "Uncle Buck" who has an extra .308 semi automatic lying under the bed. I would really like to know the years of experience that these individuals had. I think we would see a direct correlation. Unfortunately these accidents will still occur, but as one of the other posts indicate, it doesn't seem that (thankfully) they are shooting a lot of hikers. I'll apologize in advance if I've offended anyone. Lance