Teen Accidentally Killed By Father While Hunting

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

son of a gun

member
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
366
Location
ClearWater Florida USA
Teen Accidentally Killed By Father While Hunting

POSTED: 10:32 PM EST January 18, 2004

TAYLOR, Fla. -- A 14-year-old boy Jacksonville boy was shot and killed by his father Saturday morning in what the Baker County sheriff called a tragic hunting accident.

Dennis Plucknett was on a weekend trip in a hunting camp near the Georgia state line with his two sons, 14-year-old Alex and 17-year-old Jonathan.

Video


Sheriff Joey Dobson Says Father Mistook Son's Hat For Hog




Investigators said that about 9:30 a.m., Plucknett asked his older son to see if he could see an animal moving in the woods. He couldn't, so he handed the .308 rifle to his dad. Thinking it was a hog, Plucknet fired one shot, hitting his son in the back of the head.

When the father called 911 on his cell phone, authorities said he was so distraught they could not get enough information to locate him. Another hunter then called and got rescuers to the scene, but Alex was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Unbelievable," Baker County Sheriff Joey Dobson said Sunday. "Of course he couldn't believe it."

Dobson said it was painful to see the father so distraught. He said the state attorney's office would review the case, but there is no evidence of foul play.

http://www.local6.com/news/2774627/detail.html
 
Im trying not to be insenstive here but if he had actually been hunting safely.. Know what you target is and whats behind it b4 you shoot.. there would be no accident.

Since he didnt know what his target was this is what happens i do feel for the family though
 
Sheriff Joey Dobson Says Father Mistook Son's Hat For Hog
Click to expand...
Wearing Hunter Orange is a Good Thing. Mandatory! I've never seen a Hog or Deer dressed in Orange, or wearing a hat.
Not being a moron while hunting and taking a "Sound" shot is another... Those were two of the VERY FIRST THINGS my Dad taught me while deer hunting way back when and why I prefer to hunt alone or "still/blind" hunt along a trail.
Knowing where your hunting buddies are at all times is a must!

I hope the Good Lord forgives him... I'm sure he'll never forgive himself.

A tragic lesson for everyone.
I'd bet that family never hunts again.
 
Breath-takingly awful.
I can't imagine what that guy must feel like. I have children, I have gone shooting with them. The pure disaster of blowing your child's head open is beyond my comprehension. But I have never been able to understand how you can shoot at something that you can't accurately identify. It is hard enough to hit a target you can see clearly. I would not have taken that shot.
 
I care enough about the animals that I am hunting to not take a shot unless I am sure of a clean kill.

Just what part of the hog did he think the hat looked like ....?

( I didn't even know that hogs wore hats )
 
That's really awful, and a good example of why my father insists I wear an orange hat when hunting. In MD, it's not mandatory that if your body is 30% orange, but that wouldn't have saved the kid.
 
I am appalled at the scale of this tragedy ........ the Dad will suffer the flames of hell in his own mind ... wishing he could call the bullet back.

Senseless - avoidable .. and yeah - orange, orange and more orange ... an orange cap would have negated this event.

However foolish he was - my heart bleeds for him as a father.:(
 
I care enough about the animals that I am hunting to not take a shot unless I am sure of a clean kill.
Click to expand...

Just what part of the hog did he think the hat looked like ....?
Click to expand...

That's what I always wondered when reading about these kinds of incidents.
 
I spoke with a local kid in line at the grocery about his upper arm scarring. He was shot by his uncle while deer hunting. Fortuntately, his uncle did not make a good shot, but what his uncle was shooting at was movement in the brush.

The other stupid thing I have heard of people doing is making shots at "sounds" they hear.

Be scared. Be very scared.
 
That's terrible.

I'm sure there's nothing that we could say that the father hasn't already thought of, though. Rest assured, he'll never forgive himself, and he's probably through hunting -- maybe even with gun use -- for the rest of his life.

I can't imagine how horrible he must feel. We could all do well to learn from this tragedy.

Wes
 
Man, I spend all day at work anticipating getting home to play with my 2 year old son.

He likes to "rassle daddy!"

His brother will be here in about 9 weeks.

I just cannot imagine what that man must be feeling. I can't think of anything worse that could ever happen in a persons life than that.

He will certainly relive that moment a thousand times a day for the rest of his life. How could you ever even function after that? The mind boggles at the pain.

May God grant him some relief, somehow.
 
i completely agree twoblink. I saw another article about this story (that said the shot was made at 250 yards btw) posted on another board with the title "why you should never take your kids hunting.":rolleyes: Some people just don't understand that shooting at anything you see move IS NOT a part of hunting or shooting.
 
It's mandatory to wear orange here on the body, but not on the head. I always wear a hat anyways. I recall on more than a few occassions i've spotted what looked like a boar's head poking out of the bushes or from behind a log. Watched it for several minutes but it didn't move. Passed on the shot only to see it really was a pig as it pulled it's head back into the brush, and ran out the other side. An easy shot in hind sight but in 30 years of hunting I never regret passing any these shots, better safe than sorry. No orange does not automatically mean it's game, always be sure.
 
I have 2 sons ages 14, and 19, and I can only imagine what this guy's going thru, I know I could never live with myself if it were me.
 
Anyone remember in Godfather III .. Al Pacino (Mikey) is on the steps of (court house? ... I forget) .... and his daughter is shot and dies in his arms ... and then he yells/screams the most awful gut wrenching cry .....

THAT is about the only way I can envisage this man's feeling of loss. That would be me , in such a nightmare situation. It is haunting me now even as I write.
 
What this family really needs, IMO, is our prayers...or for those of you who may not pray...at least positive thought and sympathy.

I cannot imagine the pain this entire family is going through right now. A terrible mistake has caused an unfathomable tragedy.

As several others pointed out...this man faces a lifetime of living with himself, and without his beloved son.

I got this info from a hunting forum:

If anyone is interested...The family has requested through the Funeral Home;
East Coast Crematorium
1701 Beach Blvd.
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
(1-904-249-2374)

that all donations go to Boy Scout Troop 623. In care of:

Isle of Faith Church
1821 San Pablo Road
Jacksonville FL 32224
 
Disturbing and tragic. I always require at least a blaze orange hat and encourage kids to wear it even while at the range or just plinking in the woods where another shooter may be in the area. My prayers go out to this unfortunate (STOOPID) soul.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
Man accidentally killed by friend on camping trip
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
rjohnson4405
R
R
  • Locked
Teen accidentally shoots, kills father (NC)
Replies
4
Views
844
otasan
O
S
  • Locked
Boy 10 shoots father at shooting range
2
Replies
46
Views
7K
rbernie
rbernie
E
  • Locked
Whoa...father shoots son, cites self-defense (Sacramento)
Replies
19
Views
1K
Tharg
T
Steve in PA
  • Locked
(PA) Son shoots father after father kills his mother
Replies
8
Views
908
38SnubFan
3
Back
Top