Archery Hunter Killed by ML Hunter

[sndmn11]

I don't think we're going to agree. I applaud your commitment to safety and welcome a chance to review my own habits but I think we come at this particular situation from slightly different angles.

My point, which I admittedly didn't do a great job of articulating, was that even if this guy had done what we all agree is wrong, which was verify that this was or wasn't an elk over his rifle barrel, but still had taken the time to check for legal antlers, this would have never happened. It appears this individual was not concerned with the minimum point rule at all.

I also feel that there is a vast gulf between my wife and a bull elk that I'm 90%+ sure is legal quarry.

Regardless, as posted above, what a tragedy, and very avoidable. My heart goes out to the victims family.

My point is that it is not a far step from making a habit out of aiming at an elk as step one in determining legality, to aiming at a something to determine if it is an elk. The only way to make safety paramount and the priority is to make it an absolute. By aiming first, you are prioritizing the sight picture over safety and creating a habit of putting sights on first.

 

[tdhanses]

Barring a return of spring bear hunting, September is the most effective timeframe to hunt bear in CO. Outside of that sept mast feeding frenzy window, bear hunting is almost entirely random and unpredictable. Since Elk can be effectively hunted over a much larger window of time and the CPW has a specified goal of knocking down the bear population a bit, which one of these seasons should be given biological preference if it comes down to one vs. the other?

People will always be selfish and feel their needs should be met before others, truthfully archery season has little impact on any wildlife management and could be either done away with or reduced to a 5 day season.

The spring bear season will never open back up and predator management is huge for fawn and calf mortality rates, bears have a huge effect on calf and fawn survival which also has a huge effect on growth of elk and deer populations.

 

[SpringTom]

lots of folks that carry weapons should not be doing so...prayers for the dead man.

Most definitely

 

[Coveyleader]

That's the same scenario I found myself in years ago. Ironically, a guy from PA as well who hunts the area. Same thing, elk bugling hard, a swarm of them, all of a sudden I found a blood trail, I didn't hear a shot, and thought it was from the bulls fighting. I came over a rise with a lot of vegetation and the guy had the drop on me with a scoped ML here in CO tracking an elk. I was wearing my brown shirt. Crazy scenario, and I was lucky to walk away. I've hunted ML season very little since. It really makes you think when you're in the bees nest of elk and think your alone!

It's a true tragedy what happened, no excuse. I can't imagine the thought of walking up on a guy you just shot.

 

[sndmn11]

It's a true tragedy what happened, no excuse. I can't imagine the thought of walking up on a guy you just shot.

I can't decide if it would be worse walking up to the spot thinking you had shot an elk, then finding out it was a person. Or, taking a shot and realizing it was a person, then having to make probably the longest walk of your life over to that spot hoping like hell you missed your mark.

 

[KHNC]

Barring a return of spring bear hunting, September is the most effective timeframe to hunt bear in CO. Outside of that sept mast feeding frenzy window, bear hunting is almost entirely random and unpredictable. Since Elk can be effectively hunted over a much larger window of time and the CPW has a specified goal of knocking down the bear population a bit, which one of these seasons should be given biological preference if it comes down to one vs. the other?

Outside of September, i think most are in agreement that elk are very tough to kill with archery equipment. Tough enough in september with archery already. I am a proponent of having two separate bow seasons in CO, with it closing 5 days in the middle for ML. Dont really care on the bears. I agree to shoot as many of them as possible til numbers are under control. Same issue here in NC with bears. Too many!

 

[tdhanses]

Outside of September, i think most are in agreement that elk are very tough to kill with archery equipment. Tough enough in september with archery already. I am a proponent of having two separate bow seasons in CO, with it closing 5 days in the middle for ML. Dont really care on the bears. I agree to shoot as many of them as possible til numbers are under control. Same issue here in NC with bears. Too many!

I doubt you ever see a reduction in ML season, archery will take the hit being it‘s a longer season, personally I hope nothing changes because of fear and a few stupid people. Archers have shot archers, it’s sad all the way around but more people are killed by lightning each year.

 

[KHNC]

I doubt you ever see a reduction in ML season, archery will take the hit being it‘s a longer season, personally I hope nothing changes because of fear and a few stupid people. Archers have shot archers, it’s sad all the way around but more people are killed by lightning each year.

How long is ML? its only 6 days right? What said is a 5 day reduction of archery and a separate tag for each. This should reduce numbers of archery hunters in sept season by 40-50%. Better for everyone seems like.

 

[tdhanses]

How long is ML? its only 6 days right? What said is a 5 day reduction of archery and a separate tag for each. This should reduce numbers of archery hunters in sept season by 40-50%. Better for everyone seems like.

I want to say 8 or 9 days

 

[BBob]

I want to say 8 or 9 days

This year 9 days, Sept 11-19.

 

[Laramie]

The problem that 3 separate seasons would create is additional elk killed. Success rates will increase, maybe significantly for ML. That creates additional management problems for the biologists that will likely have to result in fewer tags being issued.

 

[ganngus]

How are y'all drawing conclusions based on almost zero facts? I just looked online and can find no additional information so far.

No conclusions necessary. A person with a firearm is always responsible for the projectile that flies out of the barrel...

 

[big44a4]

No conclusions necessary. A person with a firearm is always responsible for the projectile that flies out of the barrel...

Even when it’s a bow and you are shooting in your backyard and miss target. That’s how it goes.

 

[Elkfitness]

I’ve shared this with my 12 yr old who will be hunting elk with me this fall for the first time with a rifle. It provides lots of weight for the stuff he went through in hunters Ed (besides basic gun safety)

Be sure of your target
Know what’s behind your target (people/property/other animals,etc…)


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[Laramie]

I’ve shared this with my 12 yr old who will be hunting elk with me this fall for the first time with a rifle. It provides lots of weight for the stuff he went through in hunters Ed (besides basic gun safety)

Be sure of your target
Know what’s behind your target (people/property/other animals,etc…)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have as well with my 12 year old. That is the only good that come from this imo.

 

[Laramie]

I was born and raised in the west but have lived all over the country. Where you are from has no bearing- there are good people everywhere just like there are idiots everywhere.

 

[tdhanses]

I was born and raised in the west but have lived all over the country. Where you are from has no bearing- there are good people everywhere just like there are idiots everywhere.

Completely agree, the west has plenty of idiots just as does everywhere.

 

[justin davis]

I was born and raised in the west but have lived all over the country. Where you are from has no bearing- there are good people everywhere just like there are idiots everywhere.

True but people that are raised in the west seem to know what an elk looks like. I’ve heard some wild stories of people from back east hunting the west. Like a check station in Montana where some guys from out east had a llama in the back of their truck that they thought was an elk

 

[Sled]

Arrest affidavit details fatal hunting incident in Dolores County

An arrest affidavit reveals that two hunters from Pennsylvania were calling in an elk Friday morning in the San Juan National Forest north of Rico when one mistook a bow hunter for their prey and fata...

www.durangoherald.com

 

[Jbehredt]

I wonder how many bowhunters get shot AT by muzzleloaders every year? I’ve seen some of them shoot and I know there has to be misses that aren’t making the news…