Hunter Fatally Shot Near Kremmling CO

[Dos Perros]

Isn't it likely this was a negligent discharge situation vs not knowing your target or what's behind it situation?

 

[el_jefe_pescado]

Negligence is negligence no matter where you’re hunting. I’m sure plenty of accidents have happened in low pressure units and it sounds like this instance involved members of the same party. Sad for everyone involved...

...Having said that my wife and I were driving through grand county on monday and I was astounded at what a mess it was. 20-30 rigs at some of the more popular trailheads. Par for the course in that country I suppose but nevertheless it did not look like fun to me. I’ve been peppered in the woods a few times and it is an unnerving experience.


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[Beendare]

I can believe most shooting cases were from accidental discharge.

I stopped rifle hunting 35 years ago...due to seeing other hunters watching me through their scopes.

My buddy I used to guide hogs with had a cousin shot in the head with a shotgun at close range....blew the kids head in half by his best friend, died instantly.

They were Duck hunting those sunken barrel blinds in muddy shallows and when the friend went to sit down he slipped with his gun aimed at his Best friends head and finger on the trigger.

That was in the 1980's...only fatal hunting accident that year as I recall.

_____

 

[MooseKnuckle]

He was from a town across the Potomac river from my home town, where I grew up. I vaguely remember his family. So sorry to hear that their son got shot out there.

 

[Rob5589]

It's funny, getting shot never entered my mind until I started taking my daughter. Now I have to say, it's something I definitely think about.

 

[Sacpd70]

Prayers for all of those involved. Tragic

 

[huntsman22]

Very sad.
Story says in the 1960’s an average of 10 people shot a year? Could that actually be accurate?

yep. But it is not accurate when it said hunter safety started in the 1950's. In fact, it didn't start until the late '60's....

 

[Next Ridge]

Definitely sad and unfortunate regardless of how it happened, hard to say what really happened based on the articles so far.

 

[unclericco]

Sad to hear. My buddy and I were nearly shot while quartering up a bull in south central Wyoming about 20 years ago. We were on the back side of a bull that was being shot at repeatedly from the other side in some aspens and high grass. We both went prone and could hear the bullets hitting stuff behind us, pretty scary

 

[OXN939]

due to seeing other hunters watching me through their scopes.

This is way more common than most people think- to make it worse, the ones I've personally seen and I would imagine to comprise the majority of cases are new hunters who don't have binos, and who also don't have the best trigger discipline. I honestly had never even considered this as a possibility until I watched some guy "glass" a treestand using a scoped rifle to make sure it was occupied. The guy in the stand was very clearly wearing blaze orange, too.

Between that and the low rates of success to competition, that's why my hunting season here ends as soon as general firearms season begins.

 

[Broomd]

As a 30 yr Colorado volunteer Hunter Ed instructor from 1976 to 2006, I can say yes, we did have 10 fatalities per year in the 1960s. That is why the state passed laws mandating Hunter Ed if you were born in 1949 and later, plus enacted the 400 square inches of blaze orange requirements.

I don't have the data anymore, but the impacts of this were very positive with each decade following the '60s having about a 50% decline in fatalities, to where we were having about 1 fatality per year when I was last active in CO. Sounds like it is even better now.

As per the fatalities...I remember around half being around the vehicle...loading guns, unloading guns, pulling them out of vehicles, etc...basically unsafe gun handling. Mistaken identity was a lesser factor.

Be safe and good luck!

I know of two Idaho people killed in the last 10-12 years by handling loaded guns around the vehicle/fourwheeler.
The one fella killed his 6y/o son when the rifle went off getting out of the SUV for an elk hunt. Safety was obviously OFF. That boy was borther to my daughter's best friend. That disaster destroyed that marriage and family.
The other incident a fella grabbed his grouse shotgun off the wheeler and it went off shooting himself in the gut. I know his father well, he has never been the same.

There are other Idaho fataliaties as well, mostlly fellas walking field edges at dark mistaken for deer/elk. I won't walk those areas unless it's completely dark and not without a headlamo facing both front and rear.

 

[All American Boy]

My former pastor, years ago in Colorado, got shot in the calf by another hunter while riding his horse elk hunting. Jeez.

The only thing worse than getting yourself killed is having to live with the fact you killed an innocent person.

Prayers for this family.

 

[xziang]

Sad, If your not absolutely sure of your target don't shoot.

Could have been an accidental discharge too. Still always keep firearm pointed in safe direction. We are also assuming rifle hunting too.

 

[Mr. October]

There was a young man killed accidentally by, presumably, a hunter at a State Park here in Pennsylvania this year. It was a warm and beautiful October weekend and the park was open to hunting. There were several seasons open including early muzze loader. The 18 year old was sitting at a lake with his girl friend and was shot. The investigation is still on-going. I mention it because I couldn't believe the amount of victim blaming done by hunters. "He should have been wearing orange".

It doesn't matter if he was dressed in a fake deer suit. The person pulling the trigger must know their target AND beyond. Not sure what happened in the case posted here but you can't unpull a trigger. Safety, safety, and more safety.

 

[Finch]

There was a young man killed accidentally by, presumably, a hunter at a State Park here in Pennsylvania this year. It was a warm and beautiful October weekend and the park was open to hunting. There were several seasons open including early muzze loader. The 18 year old was sitting at a lake with his girl friend and was shot. The investigation is still on-going. I mention it because I couldn't believe the amount of victim blaming done by hunters. "He should have been wearing orange".

It doesn't matter if he was dressed in a fake deer suit. The person pulling the trigger must know their target AND beyond. Not sure what happened in the case posted here but you can't unpull a trigger. Safety, safety, and more safety.

I've known of a few cases of people here in Virginia getting shot and/or killed because they were mistaken for turkeys. No excuse and completely unacceptable.

 

[Dos Perros]

When I first started hunting I definitely glassed with my rifle scope. Just didn't know any better and didn't have anyone to teach me. I didn't put a round in the chamber until I was ready to shoot, though. Still, obviously now not the right thing to do.

A high school friend of my sister's got killed in WY on an antelope hunt. He was driving and his rifle discharged in the back seat. I could never really find any news articles on it with details even indicating that.

 

[wind gypsy]

Infuriating. I don’t understand how the hell this happens.

I do. Large portions of our community play fast and loose with gun safety. In my younger years i even tolerated it a bit.

It's a sad deal but good for us to share stories like this to make sure people dont lose focus of the risks at play.

 

[Laramie]

Couple weeks ago in Nebraska- https://journalstar.com/news/local/...cle_badbcd82-c714-5fa6-b378-cd4e1bfbd3b4.html

I post this as another reminder to be safe and use good judgement at all times.

 

[Front Range FNG]

It doesn't matter if he was dressed in a fake deer suit. The person pulling the trigger must know their target AND beyond. Not sure what happened in the case posted here but you can't unpull a trigger. Safety, safety, and more safety.

Well said

 

[Str8shooter]

Hunter densities are nuts in these units around Kremmling...dont really understand how CPW justifies that many hunters.