Any hunter knows the hazards of not wearing blaze orange when hunting.
In addition, any hunter knows the dangers of brush hunting, meaning, hearing a noise in the brush and shooting in that direction, thinking it’s a game animal.
According to Fox News, Vermont, 35-year-old James Cameron was shot in the belly walking to a deer stand by Alex Gaudette, 25, of Bolton, Vermont, who thought he was shooting at a bear. Neither hunter was wearing blaze orange, and the accident occurred on private land.
Although the man was severely injured from the wound, he’s expected to make a full recovery. The shooter? Not so much…
He’s facing felony charges of aggravated assault and negligent use of a gun, as well as a misdemeanor charge for reckless endangerment. Ge pled not guilty.
Game Warden Detective Sergeant Robert Currier called the incident preventable:
“These incidents are highly preventable and highlight the importance of positively identifying your target while hunting.
The Vermont Warden Service encourages hunters and the general public to wear blaze orange while in the field during Vermont’s hunting seasons.”
It’s just stupid to not identify your target before you shoot. Around 1,000 hunting accidents, mostly shooting injuries, happen each year. About 10% are fatal, according to the International Hunter Education Association.
Accidents like this simply gives hunters a bad name, and although hunting numbers increased slightly during the COVID shutdown, hunter numbers have been declining since the 1980’s by about 1.5 million.
This trend threatens wildlife conservation efforts, as hunting licenses fund state agencies, with less money to put towards saving and improving habitat.
Headlines like this turn more people off to hunting and hunters in general rather than highlighting the fun and adventure of getting out in the woods, and the importance hunting plays in wildlife conservation.
And with this being private land, it seems like there could be an issue of trespassing as well?
Nevertheless, mistakes can happen while hunting, but for these two, carelessness on both sides contributed to the accident.
This article by Leif Hanson was first published by Whiskey Riff on 5 October 2022. Lead Image by Elle Hughes.
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