5 year old boy shot while turkey hunting in SE WI!!!

[lohaus]

http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-20110417-child-shot,0,1511709.story

I just thought I would share this link.  I'm putting my son through hunter safety in the last few weeks.  I, for sure, will have him watch this news story.  It sounds like the boy sustained non-life threatening injuries.

I always harp on my son that safety is first.  From the story, it sounds like the hunter took a 50 yard brush shot at what he thought was a turkey.  Myself, I think he should lose all privileges for a few years.

[Hognutz]

This was about 30 miles from my house. It makes me crazy when I hear how some slob hunter mistakes a human for a turkey. This kid was 5 years old. You have to shoot a tom. Where in the world did this guy see a beard on the youngster? He absolutely did not see a turkey. What WAS he shooting at? This guy should not ever be allowed to hunt again. Ever. What a dork.........O.K. I am better now..Mike

[wisconsinteacher]

I am thankful the kid is okay.  I hope this does not scare him from hunting.  As far as the shooter, it is hard to understand what happened in his eyes.  I hope he can pass this learning experience along so others do not get hurt.  I am a WI hunter's safety instructor and feel that kids are sometimes safer in the woods when compared to older hunters who know it all.  I know I will use this in my class this summer.  Be safe guys, it is only a turkey we are after.

[Struttin Spurs]

I hope the boy is ok. And yes, he should lose all hunting privileges in my opinion. If you can't tell a boy from a turkey you have no business being in the woods.

[Mailman]

I think if I ever shot anybody it would bother me so bad that I would never hunt again. And I love to hunt.

[MC]

What a shame. It is every year there are a few stories like this. The opening weekend of our lowcountry season in SC there was a guy shot by his friend and hunting partner at a distance of ~25 yards. He was absolutely eaten up with #5's in his back, shoulder and neck. Luckily he survived.

I try to refrain from passing judgement, but I cannot for the life of me understand how most of these things are anything other than gross negligence. I too think I would vote to take away their privilege to hunt or shoot permenately. In most cases, it is by shear luck if they haven't already taken away somebody else's privileges.

[Scout24]

   Until I retired, I was a State Parole Officer and the most unusal parolee I ever supervised went to Prison for mistakenly shooting an older hunter from Maine at about 40 yards while turkey hunting. It was about 20 years ago when there were few turkeys in NH and he had shot his first the year before and everyone made a big deal of it, I remember. I specifically remember him telling me that his desire to succeed again clouded his judgement and he took a shot that he was unsure of but "thought" it was a turkey. If I remember he served 2-3 years for his recklessness.
   I remember talking to the victim who still had dozens of copperplated birdshot throughout his side and he was pretty much left disabled from the shooting.

[willy8457]

About twenty years ago i was hunting fall turkeys with a couple of Friends and we had a large  flock of birds  split up. We had set up and was calling and had killed a couple birds, when one of us was moving across the top of one of the hills we was hunting and was shot by a sixteen year old kid. clearly he had shot at movement , in the excitement of all the calling and the shooting he just didn't identify his target. My Friend had called and moved on the top of the hill , A lesson i want forget, Walking and talking can be a dangerous game.

[kamski1151]

No excuse for this, careless use of a firearm charges, loss of hunting privilages. Thanks the lad will be OK.

[fallhnt]

Another fall hunt story...A guy shot a bow hunter in a tree stand.How do you think that was a turkey.This happened on public land in IL.about 5 years ago.