14-year-old hunter killed on Grand Mesa
Elk
Not many details and don't want to speculate. Sad for the family. Thought and prayers for them. Just a reminder of knowing your target, paying attention and educating those that are new to hunting. Be safe out there.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The Mesa County Sheriff's Office says a 14-year-old boy was killed while hunting on Grand Mesa.
The Sheriff's Office says it received a call at around 8:30 a.m. Sunday about a hunter being shot near the Big Creek Campground. The victim, identified as Justin Burns, was hunting with his father when he was shot.
His death is being investigated as a homicide. Authorities say a suspected shooter has been identified.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says it's archery and muzzleloader season for various big game, and bear rifle season in many areas in Colorado.
(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Sad day for sure, thoughts to all family and friends.
Wow. I can only imagine the terrible feeling of losing a child. Under these circumstances . . . . it would be a little more terrible. Thoughts and prayers to the young man, his father, and family.
Very close to where I just returned from hunting.
Incredibly sad
It makes me sick when this happens. It is always so preventable.
Homicide and hunting accident are two very different things.
Terrible is all I can say, I cant imagine what that must feel like for the family, especially the dad.
WT another article I read which stated it was being investigated as a homicide also said "accident" had not yet been ruled out..... Perhaps they investigate as a homicide until conclusive evidence points otherwise?? Dunno just a thought...
This is why I ALWAYS wear a light cotton blaze orange vest when bowhunting in MZ season.
Just pure speculation on my part, but I suspect what probably occurred here.
Prayers to the family. Just awful.
Homicide simply means a person killing a person. It can be accidental, intentional, justified, etc, etc. It doesn't mean there was a crime committed.
Thanks Glunt, saved me from typing a whole lot!
I am sorry for the family that has to endure this. It's a shame that stupidity isn't a punishable crime.
One more reason guns ought to be out of archery seasons!! My heart goes out to this family
Prayers to the FAMILY!!!!
You're right Cottonwood...better close bow season that week.
Colorado residents. Have there been proven shootings like this one during the muzzleloader season in the past?
that's a tough one for the family hopefully he's in heaven.
Was hunting in the same area a week ago. Lots of people in that area hunting off 4 wheelers. sad to say the least.
This is the ONLY ML/archery incident in CO history. Why close archery season during ML? Simple solution is every one in the field during that time wears orange. Problem solved!
So sad to hear, I can't imagine , thoughts and prayers to the family. Hopefully everyone thinks a little more after these type of things happen.
Simple solution is to not shoot at a target you can't positively ID is the animal you are hunting.
Archers in Kansas have to wear the proper amount of orange if hunting while a firearms season is in progress.
No matter, it's a tragedy from which his parents will never recover.
Horrible news. My prayers go out to his family and friends.
Very sad.... Prayers....
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I've always advocated blaze orange in any season shared with a point and shoot hunter (firearms,crossbow).Public land archers mixed with crossbows and fall turkey hunters etc. gives me the ibby jibbies.
Be safe everyone
"This is the ONLY ML/archery incident in CO history. Why close archery season during ML? Simple solution is every one in the field during that time wears orange. Problem solved!"
While I wear orange when archery hunting if there is another gun hunter in the woods, it won't solve the problem. Each year hunters shoot other hunters who are covered in blaze orange throughout the country (I am sure there are archery deaths out there each year and that involves shooting at short distances). It may lower the numbers, but not solve it.
I am always amazed (thankfully) in states like MN, MI, WI that there aren't MORE deaths each year when a million people hit the woods with rifles/shotguns - mostly during one weekend.
orange or not, shooting another person while hunting is inexcusable and criminal. if you don't have enough sense to verify your target before you pull the trigger you need to go to jail. shooting someone is not an accident while hunting, its stupidity.
I have and take a orange outside hat liner that goes on over ur camo hat.. If you take it off it fits right inside ur pocket. It's like the size of one piece paper towel. I can pretty much put it in my hand, close my hand and you can not see it. It's made of mesh and goes over ur hat brim and sides over the back of the hat. You can take it off and put it on in a spit second with out taking ur hat off.
I'm hoping this is a freak accident like the shooter shot at a elk and the person hit was like 200 yds on the other side of a hill.
Prayer to all..
Ed
Horrible. Prayers go out to everyone involved.
Don't know if they would want to loose an archery week, I heard that there have been more archery hunters than rifle, however that could include Muzzle loader.
It is a sad deal but do we really want to change the entire system because 1 person screwed up?
The truth is all of archery season overlaps rifle bear season. Also overlaps muzzy, small game, etc. It comes down to basic simple rules and when people do not follow said rules there are consequences.
With freedom comes risk and responsibility.
I sure do not want to have archery season shut down for Muzzy hunters...
I can't tell you how many near misses I have heard about and experienced over the years. Ask your question to the parents of this 14 year old. Leaving it up to the individual to wear orange during a shared season doesn't work. I have no doubt this boy would still be alive today if he had orange on.
We sure know a lot, considering we know nothing, huh?
Kind of like Cecil the lion.
Could have been a ricochet. Could have been flat, cold-blooded murder.
I have no clue if the boy would still be alive today if he had orange on.
Tragic. Prayers for the family.
Billincamo, unless you have more details to this, than you can't know what happened. This could have been a bear hunter's rifle bullet that ricocheted off of a rock and hit this kid quite a ways away. Who knows?
Terrible tragedy.
That said, I think that most "hunting accidents" should be punishable with jail time (manslaughter) because they are usually basic ignoring of hunter/gun safety guidelines. Fact is, there's still a lot of idiots out there that don't positively ID their target.
I say, if it could have been prevented with standard hunter safety, then it's manslaughter. There are freak accidents that happen that are really no one's fault, but usually that's not the case.
That said, if this turns out to be a ML hunter who shot at a boy who was bugling, he needs to go to jail and the conversation needs to start about allowing any kind of gun hunting during archery seasons. The fundamental reason for these seasons is so that we don't get shot and have the woods to ourselves so we can get close to animals. Why have an archery season at all if those fundamental reasons aren't protected?
I understand that people, especially residents, don't want to lose their season lengths. I don't think that's an issue. Many states manage to have ML seasons outside archery seasons. In fact, I don't know why the ML crowd gets as much consideration. Every one I've ever met was a rifle hunter just trying to extend their season and they wouldn't even ML hunt if it weren't for the ML season.
WY doesn't even have a ML season.
CO already has 2 too many rifle seasons as it stands. Either let ML tags hunt during 1st, 2nd, and maybe even 3rd rifle, or get rid of 2nd rifle, move 1st rifle to 2nd dates, and give MLs their spot that 1st rifle took.
September is for archery. October is for guns. That's how it should be.
I agree with Fawn 100%
Biologist say the animal cannot see blaze orange so if there is a season for firearms including ML everyone in the field should be wearing blaze orange then
What is the mandatory threshold for vision to drive?
Varies with State
How about to hunt?
None.....
How many people drive illegally outside this threshold?
Alot
How many hunt legally but beyond the human ethical threshold?
Too high a number...
Most often it's several baby steps to a tragedy
I posted this on the CO State Forum, but I personally know a hunter who was shot during Muzzy season about 5 yrs ago. And yes, it was criminal.
She was a Muzzy hunter wearing orange, Was shot after legal shooting light while walking back to the road, by a Muzzy hunter FROM his vehicle on the road! Worse, he took off once he realized he had shot a person. Luckily Her Dad was able to radio camp and their friends were able to identify the vehicle and get Law Enforcement on it. Luckily as well she survived with no permanent injury.
It just goes to show there is no solution to Stupidity.
And on a side note, Idyll mentioned 2 too many rifle seasons but I would like to point out there are actually 6 seasons! "Early" season for some elk and High Country Deer, bear, then 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, and Then there are Late Seasons!
So there are rifle hunts from 1 Sep into Jan every year. They really should do away with all the Early rifle hunts, Change the 1st season to Muzzy only, the then the Rifles can have 2nd, 3rd, 4th. Then make some of the late hunts Archery only!
There sure seem to be a lot of assumptions taken as facts in this situation. Apparently, all we know at this time is that a 14 year old boy lost his life when struck by a shot from a muzzleloader. His family and friends are going to be in need of support to get through this. We do not know if he was mistaken for an elk or deer, or if the shooter did not know he was there and he was hit by an arrant shot, or possibly intentionally shot. It is possible that orange would have saved his life. It is possible that it would have made no difference.
Idy, in CO it is difficult to "extend the season" as CO is a "one and only" state. That means if you choose to hunt the muzzy season, that is it. You are done for the year. There are a few exceptions, but that takes some serious planning. I am not sure why everyone is so wigged out about a single fatality in all the time there has been an overlapping season. There have been more archer on archer shootings in CO than any other means on archers. This was a tragic incident but let's not let this tail wag the dog.
Instances like this there is no accident. If you're not sure of your intended target don't shoot. Really sad to hear of this young man getting killed.
Unless you know all the details, there isn't much sense in passing judgment. There are tragic accidents where its damn hard to point fingers, and there are also irresponsible stupid behaviors that get people hurt. Dont know which applies here. I feel bad for everyone involved.
Blaze orange isn't necessarily gonna save you. People get shot every year wearing it head to toe.
"Blaze orange isn't necessarily gonna save you. People get shot every year wearing it head to toe."
Well, it ain't gonna get you killed, either.
as stated earlier, just because something is labeled a homicide, it does not necessarily mean it was intentional...it simply means that one was killed by another..there are only certain ways a person dies one of them being by homicide, that label sticks whether or not it's accidental or intentional.
Kodiak, true enough. But for people to assume this never would have happened to someone wearing orange is wrong...
I was in CO when this went down, but not in the area. Seems to me it was reported the the incident occurred in the campground
Such a sad and tragic incident. A boy dead and so many lives forever wrecked.
I see that they have just charged the 59 year old muzzleloader hunter from Minnesota who shot the boy with wreckless manslaughter and hunting in a careless manner.
Blaze Orange won't stop it as Amebous pointed out. At least it hasn't stopped multiple shooting deaths country wide, every year, at this point.
It is as Ike says, irresponsible actions that leads to it. It should be punished severely. And, treated as suspect in all cases. I know why it happens but, it is inexcusable. Punishments should be inline with any offense that threatens the safety of those around the offender. The act of doing this is driven by greed and selfishness. And, should be punished as any person who would willing take a gun and kill someone.
God Bless
Reckless manslaughter and hunting in a careless manner. A preventable accident. A lot more lives wrecked than just the kid who got killed. You need to have a hunter ed certificate to hunt in CO - what was that guy thinking?
Separation of gun and bow hunters would prevent this from occurring.
"Separation of gun and bow hunters would prevent this from occurring."
I don't buy that one bit
Nope. Bow hunters shoot one another at closer ranges even. God bless
Cmon let's attempt to get a little real here...
Elk hunting involves a lot of calling, whether bull or cow sounds. The modern ML can shoot accurately up to and beyond 200 yards. Combine that with low light situations and it's a recipe for disaster. I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often to be honest.
A bowhunter calling without any orange in ML season on is putting himself at some serious risk...IMO. Been there, done that, and felt lucky to get out alive when I realized what was happening on one particular hunt. Never again.
Always wear orange during ML season.
I ran into a guy one year in co. Asked if he'd seen anything. He said he called in 3 ml's at once. He said they came in with guns up and ready.
I don't think it's the government's job to tell me what type of clothes I should wear. Keep in mind, w/o a doubt it's safer not to go out at night, so how would you like a curfew for your own safety?
http://m.helenair.com/news/local/article_ac4feed6-510a-51d8-95d5-c7260ed607c3.html?mobile_touch=true
Here's a link to a story of a man who just got shot in Montana. By a BOWHUNTER. That is about as real as it gets isn't it Kodiak? God Bless
Its all about education!!! Stupid people are stupid!!!!
The most dangerous part of bowhunting during ML season is driving to and from the hunting area. I was almost hit head-on three times this season before the ML part even started by bowhunters zooming too fast on narrow gravel roads and taking my side of the corner. A lighted orange suit wouldn't have helped, only good brakes and quick reactions on my part.
This was a tragic and irresponsible event, according to what we know so far. Orange may or may not have prevented it. Let's not overreact to an isolated incident.
Agree it's important to not overreact. Being all camo'ed up on public land during a firearms season, not my favorite scenario. BTW, the hunter that got arrowed was shot beyond legal hunting light. Maybe that's why the guy only got him in the leg and he's recovering. Doesn't matter what the scenario, stupid and armed = trouble, and there are a lot of stupid people in the world. Just as soon not give them a head start.
