[Sniper[MI]]

Howdy,

A few things come to mind, a white horse does not look like a deer, especially at 200 yards away!

Deer usually do not have riders, especially 12 year old girls.

The old duffer hit a moving horse at 200 yards with a shotgun!!

See it fer yersef.......
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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (AP) -- An 89-year-old deer hunter was charged with shooting a white horse while it was being ridden by a 12-year-old girl.

Clinton Hurlbut told authorities he thought he had seen a deer.

Authorities said he fired the shotgun slug from his property, about 200 yards from where Lindsey Duffield was riding her horse, Princess. The slug narrowly missed the girl's leg and struck the horse in the shoulder.

Hurlbut was charged with misdemeanor reckless use of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Traverse County Sheriff Don Montonye said Hurlbut feels terrible about the November 9 shooting. "He's taking it real hard," Montonye said.

The girl was riding on her grandfather's farm on the outskirts of Browns Valley, a town of 800 near the South Dakota state line.

Lindsey's mother, Candy Duffield, said Hurlbut apologized. "He just sat and cried the whole time," Duffield said.

Princess was recovering but might not be able to be ridden again.
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Personally I think he should feel bad, but more to the point, I'd stop hunting if I could not differentiate between a 170 lb Deer and a 1100 lb horse with a rider on it.................more luck than brains I'd say.



:hmmm:

 

[tommy]

89 years old 12 guage shot gun rifle slug 200 yards . is he a retired millitary sniper. i don't know about yall but that's one great shot for an old man. he should be given an award for sharp shooting.lol

 

[oneastrix]

He musta really lobbed that thing in there! I know we train at 50 yards with the slug, but 200 yards is one helluva shot!

 

[dhermesc]

He should have had his ***** kicked for taking the shot. Violated every rule of firearms I have been taught, wasn't sure of his target, exceeded the range of his firearm and wasn't hunting on his own property. Just an all around dumbass. If he had hit the girl we would be hearing the antis scream about how unsafe firearms are, and how even the most experienced shooter can't be trusted. It was dumb luck he only wounded the horse. As for hitting a target at 200 yards, how good of aim can he have if he can't tell a white horse and rider from a deer? I have seen to many "hunters" shoot cows, horses, trucks, tractors, and each other to be impressed or amused.

 

[tommy]

not to start an arguement but during hunting season. any body would be stupid for going inti the woods without hunters orange on.And him being 89 years old at 200 yards it brobably looked like a deer to him.accidents happen to me it was both of thier faults. down hear it's the law to have on so many square inches of orange on when hunting deer .i don't think he had a scope on the gun. they say he hit the horse in the shoulder and wounded it .Well if it would have been a deer it would be dead . and about the white someone just posted a story about a deer with white markings. i had a cousin ththat got his head blown off years ago. he was only about 10 and the guy that shot him was his friend of the same age.they were duck hunting and the duck flew across the path of my cousin who was by his friend. to make a long story short .he was only about ten feet away from the gun when he got shot. now it would not be to nice to rag out the other kid and say things like he was stupid or stuff like that.He shot him on accident and thats all it was . things happen. now he has to go through life with this on his mind. he will have to go the rest of his life with this on his mind and that's torcher enough. the old man seems to have been pretty shakin up about it. But there is two people to blame in this story the hunter and the victim. I don't let my kids walk in the woods during hunting season for the same reason.(chit happens) that's why they make the orange .It is so easy to just put on a orange vest or even a cap.white and brown resembles a deer but not orange.and about making the shot to me if you know you'er gun and you know you can hit the target take the shot. we don't know for sure it was a 200 yard shot it could have been less then that.any way he hit the target and in the kill zone at that. so in all respect to the guy he took the shot and made a accurate shot at that. just (chit happens)

 

[MarkII 22]

I think I'll side with tommy on this one.He should have nown what his target was but it was one heck of a shot.

 

[dhermesc]

I have just had to many bad experiences with wannabe "hunters" that seem to violate every rule of common sense and courtesy. I watched two guys get out of their truck a mile from my house and cross every fence in between a get within a hundred yards (on my land). They then took several pop shots at my dogs that heard them sneaking around and went running down to "investigate". By the time I got them to quit shooting one dog was dead and the other hit. Their only excuse was they had permission to hunt the neighbors' and didn't know that by crossing a fence they moved on to someone else's property. One of the idiots even TRIED to claim that by having hunting licenses it gave them the right to hunt any private land. I really hated having to tell my three year old why his dog was never coming home. Ever seen to guys in cammo dig a grave at gun point? They must have thought it might be for them and they looked very relieved when only the dog went in the hole.

Like the bumper sticker says "Some people are alive only because it is illegal to kill them". That's just last season's stupid hunter story, living in the country near a large town gives you all kinds of experience.
:stupid:

 

[Oxford]

I'd certainly agree dhermesc. Those jerks give every sportsman a bad name. For sure they weren't sportsmen; just wanna be's with no common sense or judgment.

They lied...might as well tell it like it is. How could anyone not know the purpose of a fence? And about shooting your dog, what kind of jerks would find that sporting? They deserved to be reported to LEO's for trespassing and possibly other charges. :fuss:


Regarding the 89 yr old man who shot the horse by mistake...he needs to have his hunting license revoked. If a person can't see, regardless of his age, he shouldn't be shooting a gun.
OX

 

[dhermesc]

By the time I calmed down I thought it was about even, if anything I would be in a lot more trouble for knowingly and purposely using a weapon where my life wasn't in imminent danger. Those two jerks would have gotten off easily on the duh factor.

 

[Snakebite]

Good shot or not, he should never be allowed to hunt again. We all hear about these unfortunate hunting accidents every year. An elk hunter was killed by "accident" here last week. How someone can take a shot with a high power round at an unknown target is plain criminal. If you arent sure, don't shoot...period. There shouldn't be any excuses.
I'm speaking from experience. Years ago while quail hunting with another guy, he thought he heard some quail in a big bush and just fired into it. What he heard was me on the other side of the bush. He never saw what the hell he was shooting at, he just fired. I still have a lot of #4 shot in me. I will tell you though, that guy almost died that day. My instinct was to get rid of whoever it was that just shot me. He will never know how lucky he was.

 

[tommy]

i kinda agree withyou Snake bite the guy should not be allowed to hunt on his own . i would not go as far as to say he can't hunt period. but if he has someone with him it would be better. he is old and he probably has hunted more years than i am old.I can't say he has bad eye sight cause he hit the target in the kill zone .Maybe it was luck i don't know .we can all learn from this in one form or another.

 

[Klaus]

Tommy, I must disagree with your take. First off, the girl (and horse) were NOT in woods, as far as I can tell. Secondly, they were not even on the blind geezer's property. People who can not tell a white horse and rider from a deer and can not tell 200 yards from 50 yards should NOT be allowed to hunt. He just saw movement off in the distance and fired. At least he didn't have a .30-06.

 

[Klaus]

Hunter who shot Browns Valley, Minn., horse is charged
Doug Smith
Star Tribune

Published Nov. 20, 2002 ONOT20

An 89-year-old deer hunter who allegedly accidentally shot a white horse ridden by a 12-year-old girl in western Minnesota on the deer hunting opener has been charged with reckless use of a firearm.

Clinton Hurlbut of Browns Valley, Minn., is scheduled to appear Thursday in Traverse County Court on the misdemeanor charge, authorities said Tuesday.

Hurlbut allegedly fired a shotgun slug from his property about 200 yards from where Lindsey Duffield was riding her horse, Princess, on Nov. 9. Lindsey and Princess were leading another brown horse behind them when Princess was shot in the shoulder.

The shot narrowly missed Lindsey's leg. She was riding her horse on her grandfather's farm on the outskirts of Browns Valley, a town of 800 near the South Dakota border.

Hurlbut told authorities he thought he had seen a deer. He has declined to speak to reporters, and feels terrible about the incident, said Traverse County Sheriff Don Montonye.

 

[Sniper[MI]]

So Maybe.....

Howdy,

Thanks Klaus, the post got me to thinking.

Maybe the Old guy was shooting at the brown horse that the girl was leading. If this is the case he may not have seen the girl and her horse?? Maybe she was obstructed from his view?

This might explain why the hunter took the shot. If this is the case it really changes little.

It still means he (the hunter) cannot judge distance well, or he knew darn well it was a long shot and took it anyway.

That being the case it still makes him a poor and reckless hunter, and a fairly bad shot.

I still think he needs to be asked, "What were you thinking?" and he should feel bad as he should have never fired in the first place!

 

[Oxford]

If you can't see clearly you shouldn't shoot!

The 89 yr old man screwed up! There's no two ways about it. He couldn't tell the horse from a deer so his vision wasn't clear. For sure he shouldn't have been shooting something he couldn't see clearly. Anyone who shoots something they can't see clearly will eventually pay the price, and in this case luckily the girl wasn't either injured or killed.

If he can't pass a certified vision test, his license should be revoked until such time his vision is regained and certified by a optometrist or an optomologist.

Ox:nod:

 

[tommy]

that vision test dodn't sound too bad of a thing to do.it could stop alot of accidents in the future.

 

[wes]

You are responsible for every projectile you send downrange.