15 shot and 2 dead.

[tnanh]

An off duty Tennessee game warden shot two people yesterday on public land in Campbell County Tennessee while he was  turkey hunting. I don't know the details and all kinds of speculation about reaping, decoys, etc. but I don't think anyone not involved knows the facts yet. Not that this was the case but I can see TSS contributing. New turkey hunters eager to shoot 70 yards or shooting at a turkey and the shot traveling well beyond a gobbling bird that two people were hunting. They didn't know the other one was there and the shot travels past the intended target and strikes the other hunter. Who knows but 15 is way too many.

[Loyalist84]

I hate to say it, but I don't think any of these accidents can be chalked up to anything but stupidity and the unsuitability of that person to hunt or own guns responsibly. Even if a person IS reaping or calling to decoys - to take deliberate aim at what is obviously not a real, moving turkey, hold on wattles and pull the trigger is something that no person should be able to do and think themselves in the right. Accidents do happen as far as negligent discharge or shot travelling unseen beyond a clear and live target to another hunter. However, shooting at decoys, reaping fans or movement are all clear demonstrative signs that that person is more focused on the idea of killing than safety, and I would regrettably suggest that there are more folks like that hunting than we give credit for. Nothing can cure stupidity and willful ignorance of wellbeing.

[tnanh]

I agree with you completely. It can only be blamed on the person who pulled the trigger and I wasn't trying to blame it on anything else. I will tell you I was hunting a National Wildlife refuge a few years ago and saw the full red, white and blue of a turkey head bouncing on the inside of the woods across the field about 80 yards away. At first I really thought I had called up a tom but I thought, something isn't right. I then noticed it was a person with a gobbler he had killed. The head and neck were dangling and bouncing while hanging out of the back of his turkey vest. Actually scared the crap out of me and I never even aimed my shotgun in his direction.

[Loyalist84]

That's a scary scenario to be in for sure. Wasn't trying to make a point against you personally though! Just a general observation on some of the stuff brought up in the thread - no harm meant!

[jpc1317]

I agree with you completely. It can only be blamed on the person who pulled the trigger and I wasn't trying to blame it on anything else. I will tell you I was hunting a National Wildlife refuge a few years ago and saw the full red, white and blue of a turkey head bouncing on the inside of the woods across the field about 80 yards away. At first I really thought I had called up a tom but I thought, something isn't right. I then noticed it was a person with a gobbler he had killed. The head and neck were dangling and bouncing while hanging out of the back of his turkey vest. Actually scared the crap out of me and I never even aimed my shotgun in his direction.

This is why I like most new vests coming with a hunter orange flag. If I have a bird in my pack, I always have hunter orange on.

[tnanh]

That's a scary scenario to be in for sure. Wasn't trying to make a point against you personally though! Just a general observation on some of the stuff brought up in the thread - no harm meant!

No harm taken. I just wanted to make sure it didn't sound like I was blaming tss. Always the fault of the person pulling the trigger.

[Marc]

I hate to say it, but I don't think any of these accidents can be chalked up to anything but stupidity and the unsuitability of that person to hunt or own guns responsibly.

Hunting private land this year, I set up in the morning...  I had no idea that someone was close to me on adjacent land (also set up before first light).  He had no idea I was hunting there either.  Granted, in this particular situation, it would have been tough for an accident due to the terrain, but I was shocked when he shot at a bird we were both working.  (Shot at).

Someone shoots at a bird in range, not realizing that someone else is well-hidden just beyond the bird....

And...  I have seen plenty of smart (and good) people do stupid things...  While I have a difficult time wrapping my head around shooting at a decoy, or even worse someone simply calling (making hen sounds), I can see a situation in which two guys are both in range on a bird, and do not know about each other being there....

An off duty Tennessee game warden shot two people yesterday on public land in Campbell County Tennessee while he was  turkey hunting. I don't know the details and all kinds of speculation about reaping, decoys, etc. but I don't think anyone not involved knows the facts yet. Not that this was the case but I can see TSS contributing. New turkey hunters eager to shoot 70 yards or shooting at a turkey and the shot traveling well beyond a gobbling bird that two people were hunting. They didn't know the other one was there and the shot travels past the intended target and strikes the other hunter. Who knows but 15 is way too many.

I have to think that either he was shooting at a bird and hit two hunters behind the bird, or that he shot a decoy and lined the hunters up...  I certainly hope that he hit both hunters with one shot, and did NOT take two separate shots to hit these guys... 

Sounds like they were released from the hospital quickly, so it is possible that he "peppered" hunters behind a bird he was shooting.   I would be very interested to hear the details behind this event, as it could be a good learning experience for a lot of hunters to avoid....

[Cketch80]

Novice, first timer, savy veteran it doesn't matter. It's hard to imagine any of these being mistaken for game. How do you say "oh sorry Mrs. Shot turkey hunter , I thought your husband was a strutting Tom". Accidental discharges do happen I suppose but it's unreal to me to see that statistic without wondering how on earth it could even happen. Rifle season I expect to hear of a few scattered reports but that's a projectile that can go well over a mile and still maintain lethal energy and penetration. A shotgun however is very limited in downrange ballistics.

[Cketch80]

First thing you hear before you ever even tough a firearm is about the operation of the safety mechanism. It's mind boggling how the stars would have to align for 1. gun not being on safety, 2. Being in a position to even pull the trigger on anything other than a turkey, and 3 barrel pointing in the direction of anything other than a turkey with the gun on safety. Maybe I was raised differently to fear the consequences of what bad could happen with the safety in the red than the good that can come. I've killed more than my share of wild animals and having the safety in before I spotted or expected to spot an animal prevented me from sending what I think to be an accurate send. Ive hunted with guys that take of safety as soon as they sit down hunting turkey. Doesn't fly with me. They put the safety just a close to your fingers as they do the trigger for a reason. It's not like it's in an inconvenient spot. Im rambling

[GobbleNut]

Can't say for sure, but the warden shooting incident could likely be what I call a "lightning strike" incident, similar to what Marc talks about, where the cards just lined up for something bad to happen without anybody truly being at fault.  Of course, we all hope that we will never be party to one of those, but the fact is that in pretty much every aspect of life,..."sh*t happens"!

No matter how careful one might be, there is always the possibility of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Best any of us can do is be as vigilant and careful as we can be,...and we should reasonably expect the same from others.   

[Sir-diealot]

I hate to say it, but I don't think any of these accidents can be chalked up to anything but stupidity and the unsuitability of that person to hunt or own guns responsibly. Even if a person IS reaping or calling to decoys - to take deliberate aim at what is obviously not a real, moving turkey, hold on wattles and pull the trigger is something that no person should be able to do and think themselves in the right. Accidents do happen as far as negligent discharge or shot travelling unseen beyond a clear and live target to another hunter. However, shooting at decoys, reaping fans or movement are all clear demonstrative signs that that person is more focused on the idea of killing than safety, and I would regrettably suggest that there are more folks like that hunting than we give credit for. Nothing can cure stupidity and willful ignorance of wellbeing.

Okay first let me say I agree with almost everything you say, the one area that I feel can be a bit fuzzy is in this line "Even if a person IS reaping or calling to decoys - to take deliberate aim at what is obviously not a real, moving turkey, hold on wattles and pull the trigger is something that no person should be able to do and think themselves in the right."

Now let me say you are right and they should not try to justify it in any way, but the thing is that you line is not completely accurate, these decoys have been made to look so real that they have fooled many people including professionals in the game field with their looks. Maybe in the attempt to make decoys look real we have made them look to real, lets face it in most cases these decoys are made for us more so than the turkey when it comes to looks. I remember reading about guys taking a old Clorox bleach bottle, putting a black cloth on it and calling in turkeys with that as a decoy.

The second part about ".....not a real, moving turkey....." is also something I disagree in part with, they are now designed with motors in them to have lifelike movement to them, they have stakes made in a particular way to make them "move more naturally" and then these are those that attach a fishing line to the decoy and pull on that to make it move in a more like like way.

Understand I am not making excuses for it happening, in the end it is the person with the firearm that has been discharged that is at fault, but maybe we have gone to far in the design of decoys and that is a contributing factor?

Just a few thoughts.

[silvestris]

I disagree that in all cases the fault is that of the shooter, but in most cases it is.

[fallhnt]

I disagree that in all cases the fault is that of the shooter, but in most cases it is.

So you can "accidentally" shoot a person?

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[Sir-diealot]

I disagree that in all cases the fault is that of the shooter, but in most cases it is.

So you can "accidentally" shoot a person?

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Just read a story of a 5 year old that found and gun in the woods and shot his 12 year old brother killing him with their 7 year old brother watching, so yes, a person can be accidentally shot. When it comes to hunting I was always taught there are no hunting accidents, only hunting incidents.

[Marc]

I disagree that in all cases the fault is that of the shooter, but in most cases it is.

So you can "accidentally" shoot a person?

I doubt if any of these turkey hunters were shot on purpose (unless someone took an angry spouse with them)...

But I do agree with Silvestris...  Most shooting accidents are the fault of the shooter...  But not all.

Many of us consider our own hunting situation and extend it to all hunting experiences and hunters...  The reality is, we hunt different types of terrain in different types of conditions.  And as I stated on a different thread (in a different forum), as a previous scuba diver, I have noticed a similarity in in tragedy between shooting and diving accidents...  It is often the ignorant and inexperienced, or the very experienced and over-confident...