Massholistani Trooper Accidentally Shoots Woman While Hunting

[DefiantSix]

Massachusetts Trooper Accidentally Shoots Woman While Hunting
Published January 01, 2012 | Associated Press

NORTON, Mass. –  An off-duty state trooper who was hunting in southeast Massachusetts shot and wounded a...

Why in hell does this bastard still have a job, with no better "shoot/no shoot" situational discernment than he has thus demonstrated???

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Why in hell does this bastard still have a job, with no better "shoot/no shoot" situational discernment than he has thus demonstrated???

I was all prepared to question whether or not the officer could have reasonably seen the victim. If not, then I was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

That was then.

This is now:

66-year-old woman who was out walking her two dogs when he mistook her pets for a deer.

Bad target ID and close to inhabited, trafficked areas.

[JohnnyReb]

That was then.

This is now:

66-year-old woman who was out walking her two dogs when he mistook her pets for a deer.

Bad target ID and close to inhabited, trafficked areas.

He could be the first member of the Obama healthcare rationing board.






That's is sad in so many ways.

[Gina]

66-year-old woman who was out walking her two dogs when he mistook her pets for a deer.

Did they have a rack?     Sorry but that is just funny that he sucks that bad as a hunter

[NHSparky]

And it wasn't a dog with a bobbed tail, fer Chrissakes--these were GOLDEN RETRIEVERS.

Granted, they have some weird-assed deer back east, but none that have yellow fur and long tails who go, "WOOF!"

Sit Officer Magoo behind a desk and don't give the guy anything any more dangerous than a burnt-out match.

[formerlurker]

I live in a rural area of MA.  When hunting season is on, there are wooded areas that you take precaution in when walking (wearing an orange reflective vest of course being a necessary precaution).   It's hunting season, and she was walking the dirt road that she should have known better to have walked without that gear.   

It happens.  Not just here, but pretty much everywhere.

[formerlurker]

And it wasn't a dog with a bobbed tail, fer Chrissakes--these were GOLDEN RETRIEVERS.

Granted, they have some weird-assed deer back east, but none that have yellow fur and long tails who go, "WOOF!"

Sit Officer Magoo behind a desk and don't give the guy anything any more dangerous than a burnt-out match.

You see tan from a distance and you could certainly think it is a deer.   Especially when there are two of them, and you see no orange in the mix.   

It happens.

[Gina]

You see tan from a distance and you could certainly think it is a deer.   Especially when there are two of them, and you see no orange in the mix.   

It happens.

Eh I don't know.  I always stare through the scope for a long time.  First looking at the ass (for the white) and then the body and then the rack.  I take a while to calm down before I can hold my gun steady enough to aim correctly.  I think you should be 100% sure it's a deer before you shoot all willy nilly into the woods at something you think is a deer.

[Eupher]

I'd agree with FL that shit happens.

If the woman walking her dogs isn't a hunter and doesn't really know and appreciate hunting season for what it is (lots of ****tards out there, no matter what anybody says), she shouldn't be expected to be wearing orange. She's walking her dogs, for God's sake, not walking around like an oversized pumpkin.

This story is only a story because the hunter is a state trooper. You'd think he would know better, and he should know better, but this is nothing more than "shit happens."

The woman is lucky she isn't dead. And so is the trooper. Had he killed her, I'm betting there would've been charges and he'd be looking for another line of work. As it is, this guy won't be seeing any sort of promotion for awhile.

[NHSparky]

You see tan from a distance and you could certainly think it is a deer.   Especially when there are two of them, and you see no orange in the mix.   

It happens.

Bullshit.  I've hunted for over 30 years and I NEVER, EVER, EVER take a shot unless I'm ABSOLUTELY ****ING SURE of my target. 

Color is not enough.  Hell, the difference in color between that dog and a deer is VERY substantial, not to mention the size.  Besides, deer slugs aren't meant to be used over more than a 100-yard distance, not that you'd ever be able to see that far in dense woods and brush.  Most deer around woods like this are taken at ranges of 30-50 yards.  Please don't tell me that you can't tell color difference at that range.  Please don't tell me a dog looks the same as a deer at that distance.

Bottom line, this guy screwed the pooch--figuratively and literally.

[Gina]

Bullshit.  I've hunted for over 30 years and I NEVER, EVER, EVER take a shot unless I'm ABSOLUTELY ****ING SURE of my target. 

Color is not enough.  Hell, the difference in color between that dog and a deer is VERY substantial, not to mention the size.  Besides, deer slugs aren't meant to be used over more than a 100-yard distance, not that you'd ever be able to see that far in dense woods and brush.  Most deer around woods like this are taken at ranges of 30-50 yards.  Please don't tell me that you can't tell color difference at that range.  Please don't tell me a dog looks the same as a deer at that distance.

Bottom line, this guy screwed the pooch--figuratively and literally.

You go Sparky!  I am so on your side.  You should never shoot until you are sure that deer is going down with a clear shot.  If you aren't sure, don't shoot. 

[thundley4]

You go Sparky!  I am so on your side.  You should never shoot until you are sure that deer is going down with a clear shot.  If you aren't sure, don't shoot. 

Better to let that tasty hunk of venison get away than to risk harm or death to an innocent creature.

[Gina]

Better to let that tasty hunk of venison get away than to risk harm or death to an innocent creature.

and then there is jail

[Wineslob]

Bullshit.  I've hunted for over 30 years and I NEVER, EVER, EVER take a shot unless I'm ABSOLUTELY ****ING SURE of my target. 

Color is not enough.  Hell, the difference in color between that dog and a deer is VERY substantial, not to mention the size.  Besides, deer slugs aren't meant to be used over more than a 100-yard distance, not that you'd ever be able to see that far in dense woods and brush.  Most deer around woods like this are taken at ranges of 30-50 yards.  Please don't tell me that you can't tell color difference at that range.  Please don't tell me a dog looks the same as a deer at that distance.

Bottom line, this guy screwed the pooch--figuratively and literally.

+1

Until I see horns........no way. (no, we don't hunt does)

[NHSparky]

+1

Until I see horns........no way. (no, we don't hunt does)

Even then...I've heard of cases where guys got shot carrying their kill out and the other hunter didn't even notice the guy in the orange vest carrying the deer out.

[Gina]

Even then...I've heard of cases where guys got shot carrying their kill out and the other hunter didn't even notice the guy in the orange vest carrying the deer out.

My dad always put an additional vest on the deer for when he was carrying it out. 

[Rebel]

You see tan from a distance and you could certainly think it is a deer.   Especially when there are two of them, and you see no orange in the mix.   

It happens.

To idiots. If you're hunting any big game, you better be damned certain what you're firing at. Down here you can lose your firearm, your truck, and your freedom for killing a button buck, thinking it's a Doe, when you already have your limit of antlered deer.

This idiot should lose his hunting license permanently. He's obviously lacks the judgement to be hunting with a high-powered rifle. Give him a pellet gun and show him where the squirrel's nests are.

[BlueStateSaint]

I've got to echo Gina's sentiment (along with a lot of others in this thread)--make abso-effin'-lutely sure of the target before firing.

[Gina]

I've got to echo Gina's sentiment (along with a lot of others in this thread)--make abso-effin'-lutely sure of the target before firing.

Echo me anytime!   "if it's brown it's down" is one of the stupidest comments evah 

[Rebel]

My dad always put an additional vest on the deer for when he was carrying it out.  

I knew a guy in Mississippi at our camp in Carroll County that was shot at because he had antlers hanging from his waste. ...WHILE he was wearing a vest. I seriously have no tolerance for idiots when it comes to this.

EDIT: the idiot is the guy that shot at him, not the guy carrying the antlers. We use them to call deer during rut. He could have probably used better judgement on where he carried them, like a backpack, but if the idiot that fired didn't see all that orange, he needs to find another hobby.

[Gina]

I knew a guy in Mississippi at our camp in Carroll County that was shot at because he had antlers hanging from his waste. ...WHILE he was wearing a vest. I seriously have no tolerance for idiots when it comes to this.

EDIT: the idiot is the guy that shot at him, not the guy carrying the antlers. We use them to call deer during rut. He could have probably used better judgement on where he carried them, like a backpack, but if the idiot that fired didn't see all that orange, he needs to find another hobby.

Doesn't anyone get buck fever like I do?  It takes me a few minutes to calm down enough to steady myself.  Damn deer takes a nap while I ready myself.

[cmypay]

I'd agree with FL that shit happens.

If the woman walking her dogs isn't a hunter and doesn't really know and appreciate hunting season for what it is (lots of ****tards out there, no matter what anybody says), she shouldn't be expected to be wearing orange. She's walking her dogs, for God's sake, not walking around like an oversized pumpkin.

This story is only a story because the hunter is a state trooper. You'd think he would know better, and he should know better, but this is nothing more than "shit happens."

The woman is lucky she isn't dead. And so is the trooper. Had he killed her, I'm betting there would've been charges and he'd be looking for another line of work. As it is, this guy won't be seeing any sort of promotion for awhile.

Every single year, at least for the last three, my house gets hit by mis-directed bullets during hunting season. We are surrounded by woods and farmland. Last year, I bought everyone blaze orange hats to wear during hunting season. Some crazy people out there.

On the other hand, a state trooper should know better than to shoot when he can't positively identify what he's shooting at.

[formerlurker]

Forget the source for a minute as the link just brings you to a collection of hunting accident reports:

http://www.all-creatures.org/cash/accident-center.html

Where the woman was shot:

“The season is too long, the hours pre- and post-true daylight too dark and the areas allowed too close to people just trying to live — like walking their dogs. It is time Massachusetts’ legislators forget about the lobbying power of hunters ... and pass laws to guarantee the safety of the rest of us.”

Cheryl Blair, 66, was accidentally shot by off-duty trooper John Bergeron Saturday when he mistook her dogs for a deer. She was the 11th person injured by a hunter in Massachusetts in 2011, police said. State laws prohibit hunting within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling and within 150 feet of a roadway — requirements Bergeron is believed to have met.

State law does not require hunters to fully identify their intended target before firing a shot but, environmental police spokesman Reginald Zimmerman said, a state-mandated hunting safety class strongly recommends all hunters fully identify their targets.

State police yesterday defended Bergeron, saying he’s a licensed and permitted hunter.

“The trooper is an experienced hunter who lives in the area. He did not see the woman and mistook the tails of the two dogs (retrievers) the victim was walking as the tail of a deer he had seen earlier in the afternoon,” said state police spokesman -David Procopio.

http://bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1392583


She was 500 feet from a dwelling, and 150 feet from the road in an area that is known for hunting (which if she lives there, she should certainly know this).   

I previously lived near a large farm that was surrounded by woods -- prime hunting location.  Even though the very wealthy farmer ran security patrols through his expansive property, and had no trespassing/no hunting signs everywhere, the hunters were pretty common.  I never walked my dog in hunting season without a vest on.   Never.

[DefiantSix]

Forget the source for a minute as the link just brings you to a collection of hunting accident reports:

http://www.all-creatures.org/cash/accident-center.html

Where the woman was shot:



http://bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1392583


She was 500 feet from a dwelling, and 150 feet from the road in an area that is known for hunting (which if she lives there, she should certainly know this).   

I previously lived near a large farm that was surrounded by woods -- prime hunting location.  Even though the very wealthy farmer ran security patrols through his expansive property, and had no trespassing/no hunting signs everywhere, the hunters were pretty common.  I never walked my dog in hunting season without a vest on.   Never.

While fine arguments on behalf of the idiot behind the trigger, all of them combined do not negate the man's FIRST RESPONSIBILITY as a hunter: to know what the hell his boomstick was pointed at BEFORE letting his booger hook tug on the bang switch.  I can't begin to count the number of times that was drilled into my head at the hunter safety course I was required to take before I could get my hunting license. 

If you don't know, don't shoot; it's that simple. 

Let's put it another way: it's 01:30 in the morning, and you hear burglar-type noises coming from the front of your house, and call 9-1-1.  Now, knowing that this idiot believes a couple of golden retrievers in a wooded area, under reduced visibility, with whatever that is between them is a definite "GO for shoot" situation, are you sure you want him to be the one answering that 9-1-1 call, busting into your darkened house with his weapon drawn and "looks like a burglar to me" running through his wee mind?

[formerlurker]

While fine arguments on behalf of the idiot behind the trigger, all of them combined do not negate the man's FIRST RESPONSIBILITY as a hunter: to know what the hell his boomstick was pointed at BEFORE letting his booger hook tug on the bang switch.  I can't begin to count the number of times that was drilled into my head at the hunter safety course I was required to take before I could get my hunting license. 

If you don't know, don't shoot; it's that simple. 

Let's put it another way: it's 01:30 in the morning, and you hear burglar-type noises coming from the front of your house, and call 9-1-1.  Now, knowing that this idiot believes a couple of golden retrievers in a wooded area, under reduced visibility, with whatever that is between them is a definite "GO for shoot" situation, are you sure you want him to be the one answering that 9-1-1 call, busting into your darkened house with his weapon drawn and "looks like a burglar to me" running through his wee mind?

How the hell is that the same as hunting in the woods?