Otsego County hunting fatality

[PREDATE]

http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Police-investigate-hunting-fatality-232269181.html

 

New York State Police are investigating a hunting fatality that happened on the day deer hunting season opened.

State police said Charles Bruce, 52, Franklin Square, NY, was shot in the chest and died at the scene Saturday morning.

They said Bruce was shot in the woods near Steve Braun Road in the Town of Westford, Otsego County.

State police, along with the Otsego County District Attorney's Office and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation are investigating.

[Five Seasons]

That sucks. How people mistake hunters for deer, even without orange amazes me. Perhaps this was an actual murder over something?

[NFA-ADK]

Such a shame.  I wonder if it was self inflicted or if they are looking for someone. 

RIP

[letinmfly]

Such a shame. I wonder if it was self inflicted or if they are looking for someone.

RIP

From what I've heard, mind everyone it's what I've heard. He was shot by a member of his hunting party. Supposedly the shooter heard a noise in the brush and shot. Unfortunate for the victim. Prayers for the Bruce family.

[jjb4900]

From what I've heard, mind everyone it's what I've heard. He was shot by a member of his hunting party. Supposedly the shooter heard a noise in the brush and shot. Unfortunate for the victim. Prayers for the Bruce family.

that's all too often the case........what a shame.

[NFA-ADK]

Condolences to the family.

[NY Indy]

VERY sad....Condolences to family and to shooter, who's life will never be the same.

 

At 51 years old, I still can't understand how ANYONE, EVER, shoots at movement or noise in the "brush". I have shot many, many deer, and I have always know the sex, and size of the animal before shooting. AND, I have always made sure whats behind the deer is case I miss.

 

Hunters safety courses spend hours on this....How does it happen almost every year?????

[Hunter1]

Rip  Condolences to all

[bubba]

VERY sad....Condolences to family and to shooter, who's life will never be the same.

 

At 51 years old, I still can't understand how ANYONE, EVER, shoots at movement or noise in the "brush". I have shot many, many deer, and I have always know the sex, and size of the animal before shooting. AND, I have always made sure whats behind the deer is case I miss.

 

Hunters safety courses spend hours on this....How does it happen almost every year?????

 

 

There are a few reasons as I see it

 

1. The safest people in the woods are the ones who just finished a course.  As we get older, we get sloppy cut corners

 

2. Hunter competition  having to be the first to get a deer on the ground.   A six pack to the first guy etc.  

 

3. DMP's  no need to identify a target if you have a tag for everything

 

4. Illegal activity.  Almost every one of these incidents involves some sort of illegal activity   Could be sharing doe tags trespassing and being nervous about it etc

 

5. Just plain stupidity.

 

I have said several times I were to be involved on one of these situations please let me be the guy getting shot.  

[Waldershrek]

I'm going with number 5. Who in their right mind would hear movement in the bushes and just shoot?

[jjb4900]

they just ran the story on my local News Station, shot by a friend who mistook him for a deer.............

[Steve7]

What bothers me most is the desperation factor some people have on killing a deer. I almost got shot by a tresspasser 3 years ago that really freaked me out when he shot a buck 50 yards in front of me from the opposite wood line. Terrible situation that should've never happened.

[First-light]

This can happen to anyone of us. Bubba makes some good points. Until the investigation is over we are all speculating. 

Prayers to them all.

[rotorooter23]

Bunch of idiots out there... thats why I try and stay on private land.

[First-light]

Bunch of idiots out there... thats why I try and stay on private land.

 

I hunt private and all the land around me is private. Still you have to watch where everyone is and what they are doing. You also can have lowlife trespassers that can give a rats ass about your  life.

[jjb4900]

Bunch of idiots out there... thats why I try and stay on private land.

yeah, if those two were on private land this never would have happened...........

[bubba]

Why not. He was shot by a party member reportedly shooting at a noise in the brush. That can happen andd has happened on private land

Sent from my LGL35G using Tapatalk 2

[skeets716]

It's unethical for any hunter to shoot at movement or sounds in the brush...and to correct myself, anyone that does that is not a hunter.

[jjb4900]

Why not. He was shot by a party member reportedly shooting at a noise in the brush. That can happen andd has happened on private land

Sent from my LGL35G using Tapatalk 2

I guess my intended sarcasm was somehow lost along the way.....

[First-light]

When I'm looking for deer it is slight movement or the color white I pick up first. Flick of a tail or white on neck and legs. Then identify it is a deer.

I was field dressing my deer in 50 degree weather Saturday. I stripped off layers and got down to my long johns which are white. I took off that shirt quickly but

that may have been enough for someone to shoot. Just a thought and I will do things differently in the future.

[bubba]

My bad

Sent from my LGL35G using Tapatalk 2

[First-light]

New update: I've seen deer there before so I shot.........

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/11/19/malverne-firefighter-killed-in-upstate-hunting-accident/

[bkln]

You can't fix stupid unfortunately, there is always one genius a year that does that....amazing....I hope they revoke his hunting license permanently....

[Catskill Hunter]

I really dont want to open a can of worms here, but I still cant understand how anyone would go in the woods full of gun hunters without wearing blaze orange ! ( not sure that was the case here ) I dont get it. I understand the whole concealment thing, I wear camo during the gun season but put an orange vest and hat on. BUT it's only a deer, I rather come home at night.

 

I was hunting with a friend of mine Sat afternoon. We split up and I went about 200 yards from him. I got out of my stand at sunset and as soon as i started walking all I can see was the orange glow of his jacket from over 150 yards away. Because of that I knew right where he was in the low light. It convinced me even more not to be caught in the woods without it. Just my opinion.

 

Prayers to the family from a fellow firefighter.

Edited November 19, 2013 by Catskill Hunter

[First-light]

I really dont want to open a can of worms here, but I still cant understand how anyone would go in the woods full of gun hunters without wearing blaze orange ! ( not sure that was the case here ) I dont get it. I understand the whole concealment thing, I wear camo during the gun season but put an orange vest and hat on. BUT it's only a deer, I rather come home at night.

 

I was hunting with a friend of mine Sat afternoon. We split up and I went about 200 yards from him. I got out of my stand at sunset and as soon as i started walking all I can see was the orange glow of his jacket from over 150 yards away. Because of that I knew right where he was in the low light. It convinced me even more not to be caught in the woods without it. Just my opinion.

 

Prayers to the family and fellow firefighter.

Totally agree, second report said it was around 4:30. You need to be seen especially if your on the move at the first and last hunting hours of the day.