Hunting Accident

[Grute Man]

I can't even fathom the number of times nor the number of people who have told me that I worry too much and that I push safety too far.  Im a safety manager by day so it spills over into my personal life as well.  Here is an example of a fatal accident that happend today in Bell Plain, MN.  I got this from WCCO.

My heart goes out to this family and Im sure the father feels worse than I can immagine but this is exactly why I will NEVER take certain chances.  I can't urge you strong enough to be as safe as you can while hunting and fishing.  Please please PLEASE don't let this happen to you or your family.

Grute



Sheriff: Son Killed By Father In Hunting Accident
BELLE PLAINE, Minn. (AP) ― The Sibley County Sheriff says that a man who accidentally shot and killed his 9-year-old son while they were hunting apparently mistook the boy for a turkey.

Sheriff Bruce Ponath says that Anthony Klaseus of Belle Plaine and his son Hunter were hunting turkey about three miles west of Belle Plaine around 6:30 p.m. Saturday when Klaseus shot his son in the chest with a 12 gauge shotgun.

Klaseus dialed 911 on his cell phone. Emergency responders pronounced the boy dead at the scene.

"He was absolutely panicked. That would be an understatement," Ponath said. "Very distraught."

Ponath said the shooting was an accident but that his department is continuing to investigate the circumstances.

[wildlifeminnesota]

This is very very sad. This father is going to need a lot of help for the rest of this life. So stop and pray for him...Are heart go out to this family.

If you are not shire what you are shooting at do not shot if you are not shire what is behind you target do not shot and safe is #1 also Think first because you can not go back after it is done.               < GOD BLEST THIS FATHER AND HIS FAMLIY >

[JohnWester]

this truly is tragic.  but a turkey?  he mistook him for a turkey??!!!  My heart goes out to the family.  I couldn't imagine what they might be going through.

but a turkey...

[Tami]

Sorry i be the bad one here..
But what was the boy doing running around in the woods to be mistaken for a turkey?
Hes a 9 year old boy,  if  he was mine, he would be by my side not running around in the woods to get shot...

And yes this is terrible and very sad . its just so very sad that another one was killed by something that could have been avoided by safety

[Big_D]

As a father, I cannot imagine the times he has gone through in the past 24 hours

[Tami]

or the rest of his life!!!

[Big_D]

I know people see me as this big tough guy, but I KNOW I would not be strong enough to get through that!

[kenhuntin]

The shooter is inexperienced or was anyway.over zealous and dumb.Regardless if he had told the boy to stay put like the report I heard said He is a moron for pulling the trigger and not knowing his target and what was beyond it. C,mon a nine year old boy unsupervised in a hunting situation? This should become a criminal negligence case.

[Randy Kaar]

just seen on the news the landowner didnt know there
was anyone hunting his property..

randy aka bh

[Duckslayer]

Concur with NG and others... what the he11 was a 9 year old doing running around in the woods?  He will never know what the safe thing to do would have been now.  I feel sorry for the dad... he will have to live with it the rest of his life and I am sure he knows how bad he hosed up that decesion!  Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[HD]

I feel for this father, it's clear he made some very bad choices. And now, he'll have to live with these choices.

I spend alot of time teaching and training kids on the safety of firearms. Trying to instill in them that guns don't kill people, people kill people. The firearm is just a tool, like any other, they have a purpose. And used in the improper way, has consiquences, just like any other tool. In this case a death.

When training kids, I put them in real situations, so they get the accual "feeling" of the situation. This is something that you learn over time with experience, not from some class room.

Now, with that being said, I have had some parents that didn't, or couldn't, participate in their childs learning. I encourage that they do, and often, I "preach" it, they need to get involved, NO MATTER WHAT! Even if the parent does not wish to hunt, they should be aware of EVERYTHING that is going on in that childs life, and not just hunting. It's your job as a parent. Without this real life experience, you grow, and maybe make these types of mistakes yourself.

Like I said, it's all a matter of the choices you make.

Some of you may agree with my statement, and some may disagree, either way it's your choice.

I know that my feet are planted firmly in my kids lifes, and they will be there till I croak. And hopefully what I have taught them will be passed on to their kids.


Sorry, this one hits a little close to the heart!


Hunter

[thunderpout]

Man I feel for the family!  I dont see how The father is gonna deal with what he did for the rest of his life... The part that gets me is how you mistake a human for a turkey...or a deer or anything for that matter!  I dont know the details of this tragic story, what the circumstances were but so far it sounds like he fired at "movement" or at what he "thought" was a turkey... It may sound cold, but it just falls again into the theory that 7 of 10 people lack common sense.... The only good to come from it is if others will learn from it so it will possibly save others lives...  like John said... A Turkey?!

[dakids]

Why did he tell the boy to stay put.  If you are taking a child into the woods hunting, they will not get the full effect of hunting if they have to stay back on the edge.  Only bad things will happen if you do not keep the child by your side at all times. 

I do not turkey hunt but I have watched turkeys while I was squirrel hunting with my daughter.  They have great eye sight and will see you comming a long time before you get into range.

ALWAYS know your target before you even shoulder your weapon and remove the safety.

[Cody Gruchow]

i agree with everyone here, i feel real sorry for the loss to that family, but this is an example of why you shouldnt shoot at a sound. to bad that some poor little boy had to be a causalty of unsafe hunting

[Pegg]

Like everyone said I feel for the family but how do you think a little boy would be a turkey. Clearly he did not know what he was shooting at. I also hate to be the bad guy here but I know they will be investigating this for a long time to see if it was really an accident. Most people shoot turkeys at 30 to 40 yards max. You would have known what it was at that yardage. In a way I hope they charge the father with something.

Just my 2 cents

I hope the family is doing well and we will all keep them in our prayers.

[BK19]

isnt there a deal with the turkey should have a beard that is a minimum length,to me he must have just heard noise and turned around and shot otherwise he would have looked for the beard first,what a tragedy

[thunderpout]

Thats what is weird about turkey hunting accidents... Youre not shooting at the body of the bird, you concentrate on the neck/head region, ya have to identify a beard on the bird. and on a tom, the head is white/blue and some red colors, NOTHING else looks anything like it in the woods!  I just dont get it....

[Mayfly]

Hmmm....Last time I had to shoot ANYTHING I had to aim.....

[thunderpout]

Yeah! exactly!  When yer aiming, looking down the rib/sights ya gotta be lookin at what yer gonna shoot at at the last moment, even that late in the game you'd have time to decide not to shoot!  And I hope that most hunters would be able to tell the difference well before they put their gun on something!  Its enough to make one quit hunting on public land!  I wonder how many times Ive had some idiots crosshairs on me when walking to a deerstand....

[Mayfly]

I'm sorry and I hate to be an ass but this is just seriously unexcusable. Now if a gun would of fell, somebody tripped etc...then I would be a bit more compassionate. You ever catch me hunting with my daughter or ANYONE, not knowing where they are and then even drawing a gun on them? I'm at loss for words here.....


Has anyone heard more of the story??  I'm thinking and hoping that there has to be something else here we are missing, right??

[thunderpout]

Ya can only hope... The one excuse that came to mind the first time I heard this was drinking... or an accident of some kind...And yes Tim I understand how ya feel about feeling that way... ya dont wanna sound cold/like a  ,  but there is NO excuse... whatever the situation.... It's too bad obviously for those involved... and it also makes hunters as a whole look like morons to non hunting types... Its a tragedy that should never happen.

[Big_D]

I feel the same way as most of you, but I keep thinking back (as a dad) and know that whatever happened, whatever stupidity, whatever inexcusable behavior...............this man will be paying for....for the rest of his life!!!

That's punishment enough!

[Randy Kaar]

i agree there big D, feel sorry for the guy but i cant understand
how this happened..

randy aka bh

[Mayfly]

I feel the same way as most of you, but I keep thinking back (as a dad) and know that whatever happened, whatever stupidity, whatever inexcusable behavior...............this man will be paying for....for the rest of his life!!!

That's punishment enough!

You are right. Not sure how one would and could handle that. I've dealt with parents in situations  somewhat similar to this in the past and they were a complete wreck.

[tripnchip]

My heart and prayers go out for the family. As fare as any kind of judgment , there is not enough said about what happen to fourm any real thughts.

[wildlifeminnesota]

These are the kind of hunter that should not hunt. There got to be more about that we do not know. People NEED to think first before they shoot. These are the people that make it harder for all us Because the laws will get tougher on the hunting laws and they will try to take are guns.

[icebanger]

well the tragity took another turn i  heard the dad did not have a licesnse to hunt turkeys if it is true he needs to do some time...shooting in the brush what the h#$$

[EagleEyeJack]

As far as I am concerned, this guy should go to jail for manslaughter and NEVER be allowed to hunt again!! No license, did not have the owner’s permission to be on the land, shooting at movement, he was a walking train wreck. It’s time hunters are held accountable for their actions!! I have absolutely no sympathy for him.

His wife, family and friends have my condolences on their loss.

[ku-tech]

this i dont understand. his son is 9 years old and he should be next to his father when turkey hunting. and if he did shot his son from 30 yard he should see him clearly! i feel sorry for the father. should always keep your child next to you at all time. also they said he was hunting with no license!
 

[wildlifeminnesota]

As far as I am concerned, this guy should go to jail for manslaughter and NEVER be allowed to hunt again!! No license, did not have the owner’s permission to be on the land, shooting at movement, he was a walking train wreck. It’s time hunters are held accountable for their actions!! I have absolutely no sympathy for him.

His wife, family and friends have my condolences on their loss.

Yep what he said!