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Nov. 1, 1984
NeoBlackdog
Member Posts: 16,652 ✭✭✭✭
As many of us head to the hills to go hunting this fall I would like to remind everyone to please identify your target and be 100% sure what it is that you are shhoting at. On November 1st, 1984 my best friend was shot off his horse by a careless hunter. Delly was only 24 years old with an 18 month old son and his wife was pregnant with their second boy. The fella that shot him had seen a large bull elk in the area and was wired up pretty tight. Del was riding a red and white horse and had orange ribbons tied to both himself and his horse. He had stopped at a spring to water his horse when the careless hunter saw movement and fired. I was only a couple hundred yards away and heard the shot. There's not a day goes by that I don't think about that incident and how one mans careless actions ended a life and changed so many others. Pete Kershaw, founder of Kershaw Knives, was one of the members of our hunting party that awful day and designed the DWO model knife in honor of my friend.
Please be careful out there folks.
Edit 11/1/16
Well, it's that day again.
Just wanted to remind everyone how horribly wrong things can go when we become complacent/careless with our firearms.
During the last year I've had a number of opportunities to spend more time with Del's two boys and they have turned into remarkable young men. I know he would be very proud of them.
Edit 10/29/2017
In light of Sam06's recent post (http://forums.GunBroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=701810)
I thought I'd bring this up again a couple days early.
Be damn careful what you're shooting at, folks. A moments carelessness can and will lead to unthinkable tragedy.
11/1/018
Be Careful Out There!!!!
11/1/2020
Please share this story with any young hunters you know. Maybe by doing so we can head off another tragedy.
Be careful, folks!
Please be careful out there folks.
Edit 11/1/16
Well, it's that day again.
Just wanted to remind everyone how horribly wrong things can go when we become complacent/careless with our firearms.
During the last year I've had a number of opportunities to spend more time with Del's two boys and they have turned into remarkable young men. I know he would be very proud of them.
Edit 10/29/2017
In light of Sam06's recent post (http://forums.GunBroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=701810)
I thought I'd bring this up again a couple days early.
Be damn careful what you're shooting at, folks. A moments carelessness can and will lead to unthinkable tragedy.
11/1/018
Be Careful Out There!!!!
11/1/2020
Please share this story with any young hunters you know. Maybe by doing so we can head off another tragedy.
Be careful, folks!
Comments
it's too bad we have idiot shooters afield, i will never call them hunters, as they do not know the first thing about "HUNTING", i did learn from some experts, my Great Aunts and Uncles, my Great Aunt Minerva was the best at squirrel hunting she always made head shots, my Great Uncle Clyde was best at water fowl, my Great Aunt Viola was best at deer hunting, also a head shot hunter, my Uncle Orris was best at fishing.
Seems the ,"Wow!" from the Warden sounded like a Cow Elk to this color-blind Moron, and he figured to take an Elk with a couple well-aimed "sound shots".
We both hit the ground as I emptied my SKS in the direction the shots had come from, trying to gain the upper hand in volume of fire.
We heard the Moron yell something, and I yelled to Stop Shooting! You dumb SOB! We heard a meek response, and got in the Wardens' truck to see who it was.
We came upon a little old guy (just turned 50!) who was hunting Elk for the first time ever, and was trying a new technique of shooting at anything that made noise.
I had got him in the left shoulder; he had hit the Wardens' truck behind the door.
I applied a pressure bandage, checked his vitals, and determined he was going into shock (Hypovolemic-guess I got him good!).
The Warden drove him into town, took his rifle and ammo, left a number for him to call, and rejoined me at my campsite a few hours later.
We were still shaken that some Moron would actually shoot at noises in the woods, and were discussing what could be done about it when we heard a group of shooters zoom by in a pickup, blasting into the sides of the road and passing a bottle of booze.
It was almost dark by this time, and the Warden hit the spotlight on these slobs.
One guy fell out when the driver gunned it, the rest started hiding the booze and guns.
Needless to say; that was the last time I hunted Public Lands.
I will never hunt public land just for reasons just like that.
RIP
I got news for you that kinda crap doesn't just happen on public hunting grounds.
for attempted murder and I cannot believe
the game warden didn't do his job and arrest you.
The sound shot guy had no malicious intentions
as terribly wrong as it was but you
tried to kill him.
Either this is a manufactured story or
you're posting from jail.
Thanks for reminding us.
RIP.
Delly Wade Officer
All too often, the one doing the shooting knows the one he shot. Friends....family.
Be careful out there, guys.
My ex-wife used to put orange paint on the sides of her pasture horses during hunting season because some numbskull shot a 4H horse that we were boarding.
I will never hunt public land just for reasons just like that.
RIP
the same here[:(]
I remember hearing and reading about the incident at the time.
Thanks for reminding us.
RIP.
Delly Wade Officer
That's the one.
I stopped by his gravesite a couple months back and had a good long chat.
It irritates me when they are advertising the DWO knives that some of the sites refer to him as a 'legendary game warden'. He wasn't a game warden, he was a rancher and during deer and elk seasons his family ran guided hunts on their land and on the adjoining national forest.
I unloaded my 9MM into that area of his truck. He did jump into his truck and drive off but we saw him later walking out of the woods. But that is why I stopped hunting. It happens every year here.
quote:Originally posted by dennisnielsen
I will never hunt public land just for reasons just like that.
RIP
+1
I got news for you that kinda crap doesn't just happen on public hunting grounds.
gunnut 505 -you should be arrested
for attempted murder and I cannot believe
the game warden didn't do his job and arrest you.
The sound shot guy had no malicious intentions
as terribly wrong as it was but you
tried to kill him.
Either this is a manufactured story or
you're posting from jail.
Nope, I was never charged with anything for shooting in self defense; even the guy I shot declined to press charges. Seems he had been shot at once, but failed to learn from it.
Warden James McDaniels was also a close friend; he was the one that got me into acting as bait alongside another Warden when we had a problem with "deer poachers"; as in some armed pinhead comes into your kill's zone and proclaims it his kill at gunpoint, and chases the hunters off, keeping their guns and usually their truck.
Easily traced, happened in Tijeras Canyon East of Albq. in 1986.
The shooting was never in the paper.
quote:Originally posted by dennisnielsen
I will never hunt public land just for reasons just like that.
Thank you! That's very reassuring, as we don't need "high fence" hunters (read: inexperienced, captive game, "zoo hunters") like you out there jeopardizing the safety of real hunters like my friends, my family and myself. [8]
"J"
Take your beef with Dennis somewhere else....don't piss on this thread.
Being that there was no time to switch mags, I plunged my bowie knife deep into the last guy's eye socket.
This story is only mildly less believable than some I've read in this thread.
Oh yeah I almost forgot, the bullets in the campfire started a forest fire that burned half of Montana and also resulted in a C-130, which was dumping fire retardant, to crash, killing all aboard, except the pilot, who was unscathed but was mauled to death by a bear as he tried to hike off the mountain. The end.
The splinter pattern bright orange hunting vest/jacket
is used because deer are color-blind, and will only see
the camo pattern.
So..what if the hunter is color blind? I had to take a
color-blindness test each time I got a flight physical,
and pass it, or no medical clearance!
No medical clearance=no flying!
So, as has been mentioned further up this string,
when that blaze 'international distress' orange vest was
flashed, could it have been a color-blind shooter noticing it?
..which leads to my thought:
If I had to take a C/B test to be legal to fly,
should hunters also be required (perhaps on a one-time basis)
to take a C/B test in order to qualify for a hunting certificate?
Opinions? Thanks, Joe
Edit for spelling
I'll second the "Be Careful Out There"...
Deer or Elk don't look anything like an Orange Wearing Hunter...
But... When the fever sets in... The mind plays tricks...
And public lands with fevered trigger happy hunters hell bent on gettin' that first kill of the season...
Can make a Great Huntin' Trip go South... Real Quick!
But accidents can happy anywhere... Safety First... Good Luck to ALL this season.
Given my experience, I'm of the opinion that there is no safe color. When you pick up that shotgun/rifle/pistol and head to the woods you have taken responsibility for everyone's safety. You need to positively identify the object at which you aim your firearm. This is done by the shape of the object, not it's color. My buddy was shot off his red and white paint horse from about 40 yards away through light mountain mahogany brush and a few pines. The shooter did not identify the target, he heard a noise, saw a movement, and shot.
Edit for spelling
I'm gonna have to second NeoBlackdog's comments here...
Color is only secondary to visual confirmation...
If you can't confirm WHAT IT IS... Or confirm WHAT IS BEYOND your intended target...
It is a NO SHOOT Situation... PERIOD.
Doin' Anything less is just damn stupid IMO...
And I'm gonna further say that huntin' accidents should be non-existent...
Given the responsibility accepted by the hunting community...
The fact that typical public lands hunters DON'T abide by the common sence rules of the woods...
Is exactly why I don't hunt public lands.
While these stories are scary and some end in tradgey, there is something you can do,instead of quitting a sport you enjoy. Take up teaching a HUNTER SAFTEY COURSE. Pass on to other hunters and new ones that want to be hunters how to hunt safely. In Wisconsin we had our first non death hunting season because myself and other hunters give up some free time every year to new hunters and older ones saftey in the woods and handleing of firearms safley. Don't give up hunting, teach others to do it safeley. Have a happy and safe hunt. Wildthing
While in theory your comments have merit...
In practicality, you have to have willing STUDENTS before you can teach 'em anything...
As my Dad always said... "You can take a horse to water... BUT, you can not make 'im drink."
Someone intentionally shooting at and killing a human being while hunting is murder.
Fixed it for you.
It may also be considered Manslaughter, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, 2nd Degree Murder, or Attempted Murder if charges are pressed.
Shooting in Self Defense is a different kettle of fish, whether the shootee is killed or not.
Easily traced, happened in Tijeras Canyon East of Albq. in 1986.
The shooting was never in the paper.
seems to me that the rend and green statements above are conflicting ideas.
if it was never in the papers, how could it be easily traceable?
me thinks this story is:
Be careful out there!
Know beyond the shadow of a doubt what you're shooting at!
quote:Originally posted by NeoBlackdog
Given my experience, I'm of the opinion that there is no safe color. When you pick up that shotgun/rifle/pistol and head to the woods you have taken responsibility for everyone's safety. You need to positively identify the object at which you aim your firearm. This is done by the shape of the object, not it's color. My buddy was shot off his red and white paint horse from about 40 yards away through light mountain mahogany brush and a few pines. The shooter did not identify the target, he heard a noise, saw a movement, and shot.
Edit for spelling
I'm gonna have to second NeoBlackdog's comments here...
Color is only secondary to visual confirmation...
If you can't confirm WHAT IT IS... Or confirm WHAT IS BEYOND your intended target...
It is a NO SHOOT Situation... PERIOD.
Doin' Anything less is just damn stupid IMO...
And I'm gonna further say that huntin' accidents should be non-existent...
Given the responsibility accepted by the hunting community...
The fact that typical public lands hunters DON'T abide by the common sence rules of the woods...
Is exactly why I don't hunt public lands.
While I agree with many of your points, your statement:
"The fact that typical public lands hunters DON'T abide by the common sence rules of the woods..."
In my experience this isn't even remotely true. There is nothing "typical" in the behavior you describe. In fact, it is not typical of most public land hunters.
quote:Originally posted by dennisnielsen
I will never hunt public land just for reasons just like that.
Thank you! That's very reassuring, as we don't need "high fence" hunters (read: inexperienced, captive game, "zoo hunters") like you out there jeopardizing the safety of real hunters like my friends, my family and myself. [8]
"J"
I don't hunt public lands either. Maybe someday I will and become a "real hunter" like you. Until then I'll just stick to hunting on my own land.
quote:Originally posted by gunnut505
Easily traced, happened in Tijeras Canyon East of Albq. in 1986.
The shooting was never in the paper.
seems to me that the rend and green statements above are conflicting ideas.
if it was never in the papers, how could it be easily traceable?
me thinks this story is:
Think whatever you wish; just try and comprehend what you read.
The "easily traceable" was for the Deer hunter poacher; the shooting was never in the paper because he never pressed charges, and the "investigation" was concluded at the hospital.
I don't have to embellish anything in my life's experience; especially to someone's 9 Y.O. kid or some anonymous boaster on the interwebs.
I was deer hunting in 1986 with a game warden friend of mine when several bullets blasted into the campfire where we were roasting smores. I knew the shots were from nearby so I hit the dirt, checked to make sure my 1911 was still holstered on my side, stuck my bowie knife between my clenched teeth and began a rapid army crawl toward the shooter. Imagine my surprise when I lurched out from behind a bush to confront...them. That's right, there were 8 of them, all drunk with their deer rifles still in their hands. I shot 7 of them between the eyes then heard a nauseating click sound as my 1911 ran out of ammo.
Being that there was no time to switch mags, I plunged my bowie knife deep into the last guy's eye socket.
This story is only mildly less believable than some I've read in this thread.
Oh yeah I almost forgot, the bullets in the campfire started a forest fire that burned half of Montana and also resulted in a C-130, which was dumping fire retardant, to crash, killing all aboard, except the pilot, who was unscathed but was mauled to death by a bear as he tried to hike off the mountain. The end.
That was bad *.[:D][:D][:D]
I would have probably filled my pants and someone would have had to dig me out from under a log.[;)]
gunnut 505 -you should be arrested
for attempted murder and I cannot believe
the game warden didn't do his job and arrest you.
The sound shot guy had no malicious intentions
as terribly wrong as it was but you
tried to kill him.
Either this is a manufactured story or
you're posting from jail.
Agree 100% What you did was much worse in my opinion and I concur that this was a made up story most likely.
NeoBlackdog - Thanks for the thoughtful reminder and the sage advice, appreciated. [^]
You're welcome. Most folks on here strike me as responsible folks, but a little reminder now and then never hurts.
NeoBlackdog - Thanks for the thoughtful reminder and the sage advice, appreciated. [^]
+1