Hiker Killed by Bear Hunter
What kills me about these articles about hikers who get murdered by bear hunters is that they always give hikers advice on how not to get shot—things like “wear orange” or “don’t put antlers on your hat.” Those might be wise choices, but I have advice for bear hunters: Don’t shoot things that aren’t bears. It’s a fairly simple concept. Also, if there’s any doubt in your mind that you won’t be able to tell a bear from a human when the time comes, then find a new hobby.
By- rockythompson
This entry was posted on THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2008 - 4:25 P.M. and is filed under Story, Backpacking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
August 7th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Err…guns don’t kill people…really dumbass hunters kill people.
Arm the bears!
August 7th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I can see it now, hunters and bears killing each other and the innocent hikers
August 7th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Hey Rocky,
I’ve started to notice an anti-gun bias to your blogging. It’s really bumming me out man. I find the rest of your witticisms generally amusing enough to stop by on a daily basis. Nowadays, the anti-gun nuts are the ones who are narrow minded white-necks. I’m sure that’s not you though.
-M
August 7th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
As somebody who enjoys both backpacking and hunting I see both sides of this argument. Anybody in the woods during a hunting season that values their life should be wearing orange ESPECIALLY horseback riders and mountain bikers. That said any idiot who fires at the first thing that moves is not a a hunter but just some asshole looking to blow a hole into something. Rule number one in hunting is don’t fire unless you’ve got a clear shot and the target identified. Unfortunately we have idiot backpackers that think they own the woods and shouldn’t have to do anything they don’t want and we also more frighteningly have hunters who they they are John Rambo and must shoot anything that moves in the woods.
For disclosure I now usually carry a firearm with me at all times in the woods. It is protection from idiot and malicious humans not protection from animals.
August 8th, 2008 at 5:59 am
I say people should start hunting bears with their bare hands! This way no bystanders will get shot, if they do confuse a hiker with a bear, at worst the hiker may get an accidental punch in the face or kick in the nuts.
Also M, maybe you should think about the full scope of the definition of ‘narrow minded’ that’s all I’m sayin…
August 8th, 2008 at 6:32 am
is that the guy who got shot?…. the one with the Bears shirt on? wow.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:40 am
How is suggesting that people PAY FUCKING ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO SHOOT BEFORE PULLING THE TRIGGER evidence of an anti-gun bias? I think finding an anti-gun bias in that sentiment is evidence that you probably should not own a damn gun. Jesus.
August 8th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Yup, that’s the guy that got shot. No more “Man vs. Wild”
August 8th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
That chick looks like Gram Parsons.
August 9th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
No Beth. That’s not what I’m saying. Get a hold of yourself.
August 9th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
My comment relates to my perception that sometimes in our haste to make fun of idiots there might be an unwarranted tendency to lump gun owners in that category for no other reason. Believe me, if there is an idiot around who needs some makin’ fun of, I am first in line. I read this blog every day because I can count on Rocky to keep it real. But I have deduced from several entries in this blog that he probably doesn’t pack heat.
August 9th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
The hiker was wearing a bright blue ponco, as was her hiking partner according to the news. Besides that, nobody said she WASN’T wearing anything orange on her person… it just wasn’t published in the media. The only person who knows what happened on that VERY POPULAR HIKING trail is the boy who took the shot. We have heard his story (or at least the media’s version of it) but like most kids that get in trouble, I wonder how much of it is the whole truth. Most kids skew the truth when they do something wrong that isn’t that critical. As a parent, I know that when my kid is not telling the whole truth, I have to investigate to see what really may have happenend.
Since the victim cannot tell her side… I think we are going to have to wait and see what the investigation unfolds. The longer they take to release the police report and file charges, if any are filed, the more investigating they are doing… which screams that there is more to the story, or a least that is how I see it.
I have a hard time seeing this as an accident. He aimed at a living creature and pulled the trigger on his own free will. How is this accidental? But I don’t think the “Oops… my bad… thought it was a bear” defense is considered a mistake either, and usually a mistake is something that you can easily fix. I feel horrible that the choice he made was one he will have to live with for the rest of his life…. but it was still his CHOICE none the less. One he will have to live with, and the victim now can’t.
August 10th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Davy Crockett had a gun, but would rather wrestle bears just for the fun of it. I saw this on The Wonderful World of Disney in 1958.
August 11th, 2008 at 7:35 am
I love it when the response to things like this are to “wear orange” as if it was the wrong color of clothing that had this hunter mistaking someone a few hundred pounds smaller than his/her intended target “didn’t you know? Bears hate orange, they always wear blue!” About the only way any of these situations can NOT be 100% the hunter’s fault would be if the hiker/victem was wearing a fur suit the color of the intended animal and was mimicing its behaviour.
As previously stated, rule #1 in gun safety is identifying your target. It’s not asking too much to expect that the shooter knows what they’re shooting. This isn’t a 50/50 resposibility issue either–not unless it would seem reasonable for me to–what was the technical term? “Pack heat?” and when I was shot at I decide to fire back, because even though I can’t see who did it through the brush, I’ll assume it’s the Ruskies finally making the movie “Red Dawn” a reality.
If a hunter is on private land I can see asking why the hell someone is wandering around in your woods, but if the hunter is on public land he/she has the supreme responsibilty to confirm the target. If that’s too much to ask then the hunter should switch to something they can hunt with a bow, or perhaps fishing as we don’t hear about people hooking swimmers, hauling them into the boat and beating them with the fish bat by accident.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:31 am
As a hunter and backpacker I also can see both sides of legitimate accidents (where appropriate precautions are taken by the hunter and the accident occurs in any case), but this does not seem to be one of them. The real point here: Minors lack the experience and judgment that comes with that experience to handle high power firearms. They should not be permitted to hunt without the direct supervision of a licensed adult. Period.
This scenario is tragic, but it is still safe and smart practice to wear hunter orange during big game season(s). Not a big price to pay for sharing the woods - same deal as wearing bright clothes and reflectors/lights on your bike if you’re on the road. Hunters contribute more to conservation (including license fees to support Dept’s of Fish & Wildlife) than any other group, and 9 times more than taxpayer funds. http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/Info/Conservation.htm
August 11th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Yea,
I once almost shot a guy with a bow and arrow. I was hunting on the edge of an alfalfa field and it was aaaaalmost dark but just light enough to still see. Some deer had just come out from behind me just out of range and headed for the field to feed. If you have ever been in this situation, after waiting for hours, it makes your adrenalin rush. Moments after the deer came I heard another noise walking down the edge of the field towards me. Naturally, I assumed it was another deer. I had my bow drawn and was looking for a target when one of my good friends came into view in my sights. I didn’t ever consider releasing the arrow before being absolutely sure, but it was a scary moment all the same. The point is, no matter what the weapon is, it is 1000 percent the hunter’s responsibility to know the target (and beyond). Having said that, it wouldn’t have even come that close if he had been whistling or something. That’s just how accidents usually happen… in the grey area.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Oh yea, and I was 16.
August 11th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Is the hunter’s first name start with “Dick”?
Nothing wrong with the gun, it is clearly something wrong with the people who do not know how to use it properly.
Bears know better which one is human or food. They can even smell it 2 miles away.
I Agree, arms the Bears! They will get the right target, idiot hunters.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:19 am
I like the fact that, according to the article, if you’re wearing orange you’re only going to be shot 5% of the time. I presume that 5% of hunters are colour blind? (Sorry about the humour, I’m British - the safest thing to be dressed in over here during the hunting season is tweed or a Land Rover).
August 12th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Any hunter who shoots a person should go to prison. There is a huge difference in what a person looks like and what a bear looks like. Before you pull the freaking trigger, you should know what the heck you are pointing your gun at. This post is right on target, and such accidents don’t happen without the hunter being careless, or a murderer, or both.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I think wearing any color but brown and black should help any hunter to see you are not a bear, deer, elk or moose. Just keep the antler hat at home when you go hiking….because then the “Oops… my bad… thought it was a deer” might actually hold up in court.
August 14th, 2008 at 11:51 am
My favorite is “m’s” lecture to Rocky about not having the same principles as him. “God damn you Rocky for ruining my whole morning!”
MORE IMPORTANTLY, I was wicked excited when I saw the photo attached to the article, I thought Bear Grylls was shot!
I also predict a future article reading “Bear Grylls fan dies because he did what Grylls taught him to do: be retarded”
August 15th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I wasn’t lecturing anyone. I’m just trying to keep it real from another perspective. Eventually the “reals” may balance out to the enlightenment of all.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Oh yea,
I used to think BG was cool until I heard that his show was fake. Then I watched some of the new season. I’ll give him one thing, he ain’t afraid to eat some NASTY S*%$.
August 16th, 2008 at 12:04 am
i actually love shooting guns. super fun. i’m not anti-gun. i’m anti accidentally shooting people. that’s an easy stance to take. it’s like being anti murder or anti-rape.
there’s a time and a place. my high school teacher was shot by a hunter while sitting in his car. he almost died, but came out okay in the end. he hated me for all the wrong reasons and was kind of jerk, but that’s beside the point. the guy who shot him was some old guy who never knew what the hell he was doing and had no business being out there going after some deer to make into hot sticks. people in my class clamored for my teacher to sue the guy, but he had nothing. as much as i like the freedoms in this country, i think we could stand to take a driver’s ed style test to wield weapons on public land.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:48 am
I think I’ve seen people taking that test, they put it on the Vs. Network. It’s the one where the guys with mustaches and yellow shooters glasses walk through the cardboard town putting multiple holes in things with handguns that have 17 round clips, laser sights and counterweights.
America, F#$@ YEAH!!