could be. but speculating seldom gets the truth. I suspect the authorities involved are pursuing all leads and following he evidence.
can't speak to wether the killer was an idiot or a murderer but there can be no doubt he was one or the other.
Dolores County Colorado Hunting Accident
- Thread starter Colorado Cowboy
- Start date
can't speak to wether the killer was an idiot or a murderer but there can be no doubt he was one or the other.
mallardsx2
Veteran member
- Jul 8, 2015
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KHSRanger23
Active Member
The hunter from Penn. is due in court today here in Cortez. There is a story in out local paper (google The Cortez Journal). Apparently the 2 muzzle loader hunters were into some bugling bulls and one was coming to their calling. The shooter saw a movement and shot, killing the archery hunter.
Like I said before....sad deal for sure.
Like I said before....sad deal for sure.
RICMIC
Veteran member
If you follow the links and read the report, it is clear that the basic rule of identifying your target and what is beyond was not followed. No excuse. I wouldn't be suprised if the investigation shows that there weren't even any elk involved, and that the archery and muzzy hunters were calling to each other while they were moving closer.
You might be right. I know the area where it happened pretty well and there are lots of elk there......lots of hunters too.
Hilltop
Veteran member
Here are the reported details for anyone interested - https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/arrest-affidavit-details-fatal-hunting-incident-in-dolores-county/
I feel bad for all involved- just a sad story.
I feel bad for all involved- just a sad story.
Winchester
Veteran member
dan maule
Very Active Member
What a horrible thing! I can only imagine how many lives are changed forever in one instant. I’ll be praying for the families of all involved.
I know the adrenaline that goes through my veins when in the middle of screaming bulls, but you just can’t shoot at a flash in bushes. Really sad deal!
I know the adrenaline that goes through my veins when in the middle of screaming bulls, but you just can’t shoot at a flash in bushes. Really sad deal!
mallardsx2
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Hard article to read.
I have met 50 serious goons in the back country I can see how this could easily happen. They will sell anyone a hunting license. I have encountered a lot of people who had no business hunting with a bow let alone something with powder packed in it.
I had a guy tell me at the butcher shop yesterday that "if its brown its down" on his upcoming rifle hunt to Colorado. I said "Well make sure its an elk first....."
I have met 50 serious goons in the back country I can see how this could easily happen. They will sell anyone a hunting license. I have encountered a lot of people who had no business hunting with a bow let alone something with powder packed in it.
I had a guy tell me at the butcher shop yesterday that "if its brown its down" on his upcoming rifle hunt to Colorado. I said "Well make sure its an elk first....."
yep, sad deal!
sounds like they may have been bugling to each other??
still , only an idiot shoots before they are 100% certain of what they are shooting at.
if that is what happened , shooter should at least be charged with manslaughter , if for no other reason then to punish him for being a fool. actions have consequences regardless of intentions.
Muley bound
Active Member
It’s a sad deal all around. I absolutely cannot stand the “if it’s brown it’s down” mentality. Just promoting bad ethics and accidents such as this one. Here in Wisconsin, we have way too much of this crap going on. I understand unfortunate accidents do happen, that’s why they’re accidents. But incidents like this can completely be avoided. I’ve probably missed dozens, if not more, shot opportunities due to a deer being in the brush and not feeling 100% confident in the shot. And that’s KNOWING it was a deer, not just seeing movement
JimP
Administrator
The problem with saying if it is brown it's down is that it just may not mean what a lot of us would infer that it means such as any animal.
I am as conscious of a hunter as you are going to find, but I will at times jokingly say something just as stupid in jest. Now if the wrong person heard me they may be dialing the authorities on their phones as fast as they can but then they are not in on the joke.
When it comes down to this case it is a sad bunch of affairs on how it went down from what I have read, I know just how close a person can come to letting a arrow fly at a animal only to realize at the last second that there was a person right behind that animal. That happened to me. I watched some deer coming off of a edge of a hill, once they got withing range I drew my bow and settled the sight on the vitals, just as I did this I saw something white just over that bucks back. It was a kid about 5 or 6 years old. How he got into that position without me seeing him I still haven't figured out in 40 years but he was there. If I would of overshot or if that arrow would of passed through the buck completely I just may of hit that kid, the thought of it still haunts me to this day and I can still see his face.
But still taking a sound shot or shooting at a brown spot in the brush or something moving in the brush is just wrong no matter what.
On a side note this reminds me of a hunter from back east a number of years ago here in Colorado. He was out here archery hunting for elk and if I remember right it was up around the Gramby area. He saw what he thought was a elk so he let the arrow fly and surprisingly the animal crashed to the ground. As he was walking up to it he thought that it stood back up. So old Robbin Hood drew another arrow back and let it fly, only this time the animal ran off a ways before it finally died. As it turned out he had shot two moose. The first one he shot was hit in the spine and the reason it dropped, the next one was just a unlucky moose. He had two illegal moose down in 50 yards that he thought were elk.
I am as conscious of a hunter as you are going to find, but I will at times jokingly say something just as stupid in jest. Now if the wrong person heard me they may be dialing the authorities on their phones as fast as they can but then they are not in on the joke.
When it comes down to this case it is a sad bunch of affairs on how it went down from what I have read, I know just how close a person can come to letting a arrow fly at a animal only to realize at the last second that there was a person right behind that animal. That happened to me. I watched some deer coming off of a edge of a hill, once they got withing range I drew my bow and settled the sight on the vitals, just as I did this I saw something white just over that bucks back. It was a kid about 5 or 6 years old. How he got into that position without me seeing him I still haven't figured out in 40 years but he was there. If I would of overshot or if that arrow would of passed through the buck completely I just may of hit that kid, the thought of it still haunts me to this day and I can still see his face.
But still taking a sound shot or shooting at a brown spot in the brush or something moving in the brush is just wrong no matter what.
On a side note this reminds me of a hunter from back east a number of years ago here in Colorado. He was out here archery hunting for elk and if I remember right it was up around the Gramby area. He saw what he thought was a elk so he let the arrow fly and surprisingly the animal crashed to the ground. As he was walking up to it he thought that it stood back up. So old Robbin Hood drew another arrow back and let it fly, only this time the animal ran off a ways before it finally died. As it turned out he had shot two moose. The first one he shot was hit in the spine and the reason it dropped, the next one was just a unlucky moose. He had two illegal moose down in 50 yards that he thought were elk.
I completely agree that any hunter should know what he is going to shoot before he ever thinks about letting fly with a bullet or arrow.
But the thing that really gets to me is that during gun season, archery hunters are not required to wear any orange. If the bow hunter that was killed had worn orange like the gun hunters are required to wear, he would probably be alive today. Parks & Wildlife needs to get their head out of the sand and fix this situation . The easiest answer is to close archery season during muzzle loader season. Archery has a month to hunt now, 3 weeks should be enough.
But the thing that really gets to me is that during gun season, archery hunters are not required to wear any orange. If the bow hunter that was killed had worn orange like the gun hunters are required to wear, he would probably be alive today. Parks & Wildlife needs to get their head out of the sand and fix this situation . The easiest answer is to close archery season during muzzle loader season. Archery has a month to hunt now, 3 weeks should be enough.
JimP
Administrator
Perhaps this will make CP&W do something to split up these seasons. But both the archery and muzzle loaders want to be able to hunt elk during the rut.
Perhaps they need to make camo orange a requirement for archery hunters during the muzzle loader season. Enforcement would be a nightmare for them but something really needs to be done.
Perhaps they need to make camo orange a requirement for archery hunters during the muzzle loader season. Enforcement would be a nightmare for them but something really needs to be done.
swampokie
Veteran member
If elk are colorblind what is the major hesitation to apply an orange cap or some sort of head covering? I hunt in states that require no orange and I always apply my fashionable odwc orange cap. I hate wearing that old seatbelt in my truck but I don’t see as many archery hunters complaining about the seatbelt required for safety as I do when it comes to suggesting they wear that dreadful orange cap. Just don’t get it
stupid people will do stupid things regardless of how many "safety" laws are passed . the answer is in punishing the fools when they harm others.
gun malfunctioning is an accident . user error is NOT!!!! if someone kills another because of their own foolish decision to pull the trigger before confirming their target fines , jail time ,revoking hunting rights and gun ownership rights, possible death penalty , for sure sterilization so their foolish ways might end with them and they don't pass it on would all be reasonable options .imo.
passing laws that punish the sensible folks that make wise decisions is something I do not agree with and will never support.( do not agree with seatbelt laws either) .
while either may be wise to do and I often choose to do both , I feel no need to tell others they should and certainly do not condone forcing them to do so.
IF someone wants to wear orange (or wear a seatbelt) go for it. I have zero objection. I have no right to stop you same as you have no right to force me to do otherwise.
wiser words were never spoken by man--"those who trade freedoms for safety will have and deserve neither!!!!!!!!!!!"
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It's amazing what happens in the woods.
I and a buddy were hunting opposite ends of a 400+ yard long road. I was on one side about 75 yards and he on the other but at opposite end. We had an agreement that he'd stay in stand until I got there and we'd walk out. Trying to be safe. I got out of stand at about 1030 and made way to the road and there is a large WT buck about 200 yards up from me. Drop and get prone to shoot and see orange dot (hat) moving around at the far end of the road overt the deer's back. Deer stood there watching him do his thing and never saw me but I would not shoot, knowing buddy was moving around down there. Amazing how vivid those kind of memories are.
Back to the CO incident. I seen somewhere that the archery guy may have had an elk decoy on his bow - anyone heard that?
yes. and I wouldn't recommend it during an open gun hunt season.
that said , in all my years hunting have I ever been in a situation where I couldn't tell a decoy from the real thing.
only a fool shoots before they are 100% sure of their target .
no animal is worth a so called "accident"!
The only official statements are from the Dolores County Sheriffs Office and nothing said about that. Lots of comments and speculation out there tho.