{"id":1725,"date":"2020-04-28T19:48:17","date_gmt":"2020-04-28T23:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.turkey-talk.com\/tblog\/?p=1725"},"modified":"2020-04-29T17:50:23","modified_gmt":"2020-04-29T21:50:23","slug":"seventh-turkey-hunter-shot-in-the-2nd-half-of-april","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turkey-talk.com\/tblog\/?p=1725","title":{"rendered":"Seven Turkey Hunters Shot in the 2nd Half of April…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a general opinion, our hunting community has little tolerance for one much less seven fellow turkey hunting brethren making that awful trip to the hospital. One of them has been fatally shot. None of us want to be there… In that position… that scenario…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel a mighty big soapbox coming along to climb up on. It is a gut reaction, three of those shot were very young, one young hunter shot an adult, and one adult hunter was shot by an old-timer (for clarity of perspective, I am targeted by AARP these days), the 6th is not disclosed as of yet. The seventh hunter was fatally shot, a young man just 23 years old. Tragic, and heartbreaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is, most everyone I know that chases gobblers know exactly what I would have to say. We all get it, right? I will spare the sermon as the lessons taught and preached among ourselves is a universal truth taught in every hunting safety class in every state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite two and half million turkey hunters that engage in our beloved past time each year, the incident rate is so far down in the mud that you have to use negative powers of ten to express the unfortunate statistic. 0.003% in an average year is a victim of an errant shooting while afield. Not to lessen the impact of what has just taken place, the context is that 99.997% of us camo warriors manage to abide by safety rules, code of conduct, and do so without incident. That is all well and good and the actuaries and statisticians will be pleased in that. The families and friends of these three boys and four men will have far less appreciation of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than detail each of these, I have their news stories linked below. One of the seven is very detailed by my good friend and fellow writer Ken Perrotte from Virginia. I am scheduled to interview the young man in the near future. As updates are released I will update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkey Hunter Survives Being Shot in Face; Virginia Game & Inland Fisheries Investigating<\/strong> https:\/\/www.outdoorsrambler.com\/post\/turkey-hunter-survives-being-shot-in-face-virginia-game-inland-fisheries-investigating<\/a> By Ken Perrotte<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hunter Killed In Wednesday Accident At Young County Line<\/strong> (TX) https:\/\/www.grahamleader.com\/news\/hunter-killed-wednesday-accident-young-county-line<\/a> By Brian Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kansas Boy Airlifted to Hospital After Hunting Accident<\/strong> https:\/\/hayspost.com\/posts\/5ea6ce33eb7f1705360383cd<\/a> Hays Post<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hunter Lucky To Be Alive After Being Shot, Mistaken For Turkey In Shannon County, Mo.<\/strong> https:\/\/www.ky3.com\/content\/news\/Hunter-lucky-to-be-alive-after-being-shot-mistaken-for-turkey-569940291.html<\/a> By Michael Deene<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 14-Year-Old Boy Shot In Jones County Hunting Accident<\/strong> (NC) https:\/\/www.jdnews.com\/news\/20200421\/14-year-old-boy-shot-in-jones-county-hunting-accident<\/a> By Trevor Dunnell<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boy Shot In Hunting Accident Airlifted, 2nd sustained gunshot injuries <\/strong> (W.Va) https:\/\/wvva.com\/2020\/04\/28\/boy-shot-in-hunting-accident-airlifted\/<\/a> By Bailey Pace<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of these are titled and reported as “accidents.” It is a misuse of language and those of us in the turkey hunting community know that one hundred percent of the possibilities are preventable by following turkey hunting ethics and gun (archery implements as well) handling\/safety rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following tips, good practices are well advised for your safety and that of others:<\/p>\n\n\n\n