Fatal Hunting Accident, Hiker mistook for Bear

[bow-tie]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373592_hunter05.html Hiker was the victim on an established trail, she had on a white t-shirt and light blue jacket. Yeah, you could mistake her for a bear. I live in this area and have never hunted the face of the mountain where this occurred due to the hiking trail. With low brush, and the trail visible, this should never have happened. The family of the young hunter have heavy South Eastern roots.(Good 'ol boys)

[Xithras]

1. A 14 year old can hunt without an adult in Washington?

Wow, I thought most states banned that sort of thing years ago. Here in California minors can only hunt if they're accompanied by an adult. Seems like a pretty common sense thing to me. At the minimum, you should need to be 16 to hunt alone. If a 15 year old can't be trusted to drive a car alone, why would they be trusted to run around in the woods with a firearm unsupervised?

[Recursion]

2. "The boy, who was hunting with his 16-year-old brother..." nt

[myhawgoff]

3. Violated rule number four

1. All firearms are loaded. - There are no exceptions. Don't pretend that this is true. Know that it is and handle all firearms accordingly. Do not believe it when someone says: "It isn't loaded."

2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy. - If you are not willing to see a bullet hole in it do not allow a firearm's muzzle to point at it. This includes things like your foot, the TV, the refrigerator, the dog, or anything else that would cause general upset if a hole appeared in it.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger unless your sights are on the target. - Danger abounds if you keep your finger on the trigger when you are not about to shoot. Speed is not gained by prematurely placing your finger on the trigger as bringing a firearm to bear on a target takes more time than it takes to move your finger to the trigger. Negligent discharges would be eliminated if this rule were followed 100% of the time.

4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it. - Never shoot at sounds or a target you cannot positively identify. Know what is in line with the target and what is behind it (bullets are designed to go through things). Be aware of your surroundings whether on a range, in the woods, or in a potentially lethal conflict.

Thank you Fr. Frog

[LisaL]

4. It was first reported the kid did have an adult with him.

So, now 14 and 16 year old go hunting, and that's legal? And now this woman is dead.

[niyad]

5. many years ago here, two boys on a motorized bike, wearing orange safety jackets, were

killed by a hunter who said, "I thought it was a deer"

I didn't know deer wore orange safety jackets and rode bikes, but then, I don't hunt.