Woman fatally shot by boy hunting bear

[waffentomas]

From the Seattle Times

Rockport, Skagit County

A woman hiking on Sauk Mountain near Rockport was shot and killed Saturday morning by a boy who was hunting for a bear, Skagit County deputies said.

The 54-year-old woman, of Oso, Snohomish County, was hiking with a friend and stopped on the trail to put something in her backpack. The boy, who lives near Concrete, mistook the woman for a bear and fired one shot, according to the Skagit County Sheriff's Office.

After being alerted at about 10:30 a.m., search-and-rescue teams found the woman's body in steep terrain. The boy was accompanied by at least one adult, deputies said.

The Skagit County Sheriff's Office and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating.


_____________

Let's be careful out there.

Tom

 

[Art Eatman]

Folks out hunting do manage to mess up. Hunters in trees have been mistake for turkeys or for bears. One guy shot a boy on a trail bike, and then shot the boy's brother on another trail bike--allegedly as elk.

Some are comic, as years ago in Pennsylvania: A very frosty morning, so Mighty Nimrod draped a bearskin rug over the hood of his car. He took off into the woods, hunting. He came upon a desirable target and shot: Through the hood of his own car.

 

[JERRY]

the issue in many places is that "hikers" do not excersize common sence during hunting season...in fact some intentionally try to ruin a hunter's day with various antics....

simple solution, hunters dont go hunting during "hiking season", and "hikers" dont go "hiking" on public land declared open for hunting during hunting season.....

there are so many public areas that are desolate and off limits to hunting...why "hike" on land that is being legally hunted?

 

[qwert65]

simple know what you're shooting at

 

[ClarkEMyers]

There is no excuse -

There is no excuse - pays to have maps and know where the trails are - part of preseason scouting as well.

Part of hunter safety instruction has always been not giving off signals that look like fair game.

FREX I always carry properly colored bandanas in the field; I'm not going to wave a white handkerchief or white Kleenex or paper towel during whitetail season - and it gets tricky not looking like some part of a turkey head.

Motion and color can often combine to trigger an early blur wrong identification that is strongly held and leads to deadly mistakes.

 

[carnaby]

This is likely entirely the fault of the hunter. If you have not positively identified your game beyond all doubt, you have no business pulling the trigger. Shooting at unidentified game is unconscionable.

simple solution, hunters dont go hunting during "hiking season", and "hikers" dont go "hiking" on public land declared open for hunting during hunting season.....

Not a good solution in this case. Bear season in Washington in this GMU is August 1 to Nov 15.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Threads come up here all the time on bear, mountain lion, and wolf defense when in reality there is much greater risk from hunters than there is from bears, mountain lions, and wolves, combined.

In the field, just how do you defend against stupid, ignorant, or irresponsible hunters?

simple solution, hunters dont go hunting during "hiking season", and "hikers" dont go "hiking" on public land declared open for hunting during hunting season.....

Simple? That might protect hikers, but would not protect hunters from one another. More often than not, when hunters shoot other people, they shoot other hunters or folks associated with hunting parties.

Besides, why should hikers have to restrict their movements on public land?

 

[BIGR]

It all boils down to positively identifying your target 100 perecnt of the time, no excuses. People should not have to fear going into the woods at anytime. Thats one dang reason I stopped hunting federal game lands because there were too many idiots that would shoot at moving bushes.

 

[TAB]

Storys like this is why When I go anywhere in the back country during or close to a hunting season. I alway, Always wear something that is blaze ornage. Normally is a hat.

Way to many idiots out there.

 

[Shawnee]

"Besides, why should hikers have to restrict their movements on public land?"


Since everyone - campers, trail bike and mountain bike riders, horsemen, hunters, photographers, boaters and swimmers, etc. all have to live with restrictions on public lands and properties - I see no reason whatsoever to believe hikers should be exempted from restrictions.

 

[TCB in TN]

Blaze orange for ANYONE in the woods during open hunting season is a real good idea! BTW it may not be your fault you got shot, but you have to live (or die as in this case) with the results!

 

[DoctorJC]

But when I go hiking, I find that TRAIL BIKES (i.e. Honda) are the most dangerous wild thing out there.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

Blaze orange gloves work well - the combination of movement and color catches the eye.

 

[.38 Special]

simple solution, hunters dont go hunting during "hiking season", and "hikers" dont go "hiking" on public land declared open for hunting during hunting season.....

Sure, mate. It was the hiker's fault. She obviously looked too much like a bear.

But I'm sure the hikers would be fine with your solution, being as it is always "hiking season".

 

[Shawnee]

It would be very interesting to see a tally of the injuries on public lands broken down by activity type (or combination thereof), eg. Hiking related, Biking related, Boating related, Camping related, Hunting related, Horseback riding related, etc., etc.

Methinks hunting would have the lowest number in most places.

Would also be interesting to see the alcohol/drug abuse arrests on public land broken out the same way. I think hunters and horsemen would be the two cleanest groups there too.

 

[paintballdude902]

im in favor of a law that says ball hunter/hikers/ people in common areas hunted must have blaze orange on atleast a hat

 

[.38 Special]

I have no doubt that hunting is responsible for a very few number of injuries, relatively speaking.

However, I am also sure that hunting is responsible for a relatively high number of injuries caused to one person by another, which sets it apart from most other outdoor activities.

IOW, one generally does not have to worry about being killed by hikers.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

She obviously looked too much like a bear.

If you only knew what some of those women hikers looked like after being on the trail for a week with no bath...not trying to make a joke there, but me and Dad used to do a lot of backpacking (we've hiked the AT from Carlisle, PA all the way south) and some of the people look rather "rough".

 

[wyocarp]

It would be nice to know a little more about this story. It would be nice to know how far away the boy was. Had he seen a bear in the area? Hikers go hiking without giving any thought to where they are hiking which is crazy. Although, I think that the game and fish ought to post signs to warn people of hunting areas, hikers and bikers ought to exercise a little bit of wisdom. Of course, the boy is ultimately at fault no matter how stupid the hiker was. Us hunters need to constantly be aware that we have to know what we are shooting.

It is easy to see what you want to see. I was out looking for bears with a friend just a few weeks ago when he found three grizzlys on a hillside while glassing. The rest of us saw three elk when we glassed them. So, we do often see what we want to see. I'm sure the boy saw a bear.

 

[.38 Special]

I think people ought to be able to walk in the woods without having to worry about getting shot. I think it's a shame that there are people who disagree -- and I guess I hope I'm never hiking in the same woods as those people.

 

[Shawnee]

"I am also sure that hunting is responsible for a relatively high number of injuries caused to one person by another, which sets it apart from most other outdoor activities."

I would disagree with that - bigtime. I've never seen anyone hurt by hunters on Public Land but have seen several people hurt by the actions of irresponsible mountain bike and trail bike riders - most often the non-motorized bikers - as their bikes make little noise so people have little time to dive for cover. And, at least in my experience, the mountain bikers are by far the nastiest people on Public Lands today aside from outright criminals.

 

[Zip7]

There's no excuse for it. Hunting requires a LOT of patience, and no matter what, there is no excuse for firing at something unless you can identify it beyond any shadow of a doubt.

I've seen plenty of hunters I don't want to be in the woods with. And ultimately, if a troop of girl scouts comes prancing through the woods wearing deer costumes, it's still the hunter's responsibility NOT to shoot them. We get enough bad press as it is.

 

[GRB]

I think people ought to be able to walk in the woods without having to worry about getting shot. I think it's a shame that there are people who disagree -- and I guess I hope I'm never hiking in the same woods as those people.

I almost agree with that sentiment, but I differ in that I doi worry when I go hiking. I worry about falling down and getting hurt so I take a first aid kit, I worry about having enough water to drink so I take a canteen and a camelback pack, I worry about getting lost so I have a compass and a knife and spare food and matches and a magnesium firestarter, I worry about getting shot so I wear colors easily seen (but no red, white or blue during turkey season). I do not wear brown or gray in deer season, and would not wear black or brown in bear season. I carry a whistle to blow if I see a hunter, or I announce myself in a loud voice so I do not get shot. I take precautions as should all hikers.

I also take precautions when I hunt. I usually shoot game only within 50 yards of me (actually more like 35 yards, but I try to make 50 my maximum range). That way I am sure to be able to see that at which I shoot. I do not shoot animals behind bushes. I do not shoot at moving bushes. I try not to shoot at running game. I look around 45 degrees left and right of my intended target to make sure the area is clear of others before I shoot.

We do need to worry a bit, enough to make sure we take precautions. Of course if the woods are public and open to general use, then a hiker has as much liberty to be there as does a hunter.

It all boils down to positively identifying your target 100 perecnt of the time, no excuses.

It is a shame this happened. My initial guess is that it is the fault of the hunter, but time will tell. I have seen antis going into the woods dressed as deer to harass hunters. More information is needed before anyone condemns anyone on this issue, or any other issue based upon absolutes. Yes target identification is extremely important, but if the hiker was mimicking a bear to promote some anti -hunting sentiment, well then she looked like a bear. I am not saying, or even suggesting, it happened like that. I am saying that the possibility exists, and we need to get more info. Heck we don't even know if the shot went through a bear and hit her, or if it was a ricochet. All possibilities even if not likely.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[buck460XVR]

The 54-year-old woman, of Oso, Snohomish County, was hiking with a friend and stopped on the trail to put something in her backpack. The boy, who lives near Concrete, mistook the woman for a bear and fired one shot, according to the Skagit County Sheriff's Office.

To mistake two people walking on a trail in the open enough to make a clean kill with one shot is definitely the case of a trigger happy kid without proper adult supervision. Altho the story says he's was accompanied by at least one adult, where was that adult at the time of the shooting? There, beside the child shooter or off on his own, not wanting his hunting hampered by the clumsiness of a kid tagging along. Both need to be held responsible for their improper actions.

As far as limiting access to public land during hunting seasons, we have to pull our heads outta our butts and remember that we as hunters are in the minority of the overall population. Altho most large tracts of public land are used the most by hunters, they majority of folk around these same areas are non-hunters. To restrict their use of these public area to benefit hunters for extended lengths of time is just gonna turn them against us...and we don't need anymore antis. Yes, they should be aware there are hunters in the woods during hunting season and it would be wise for them to wear blaze orange, but to tell them they have to stay outta the area for several months of the year when the weather and the scenery is most advantages to hiking is not the answer.

 

[pbearperry]

Ihave hunted for about 40 years and I truly believe any hunter who kills a human thinking he or she is an animal should be at least arrested for manslaughter.I also believe if the same hunter was ever caught hunting again,he or she should be arrested again and put away for a long time.That is unless the victim was wearing an animal suit of some kind.