67-year-old Gene Collier was hunting on family owned property with his 12-year-old grandson when he mistook a hiker for a bear and fired one shot from his .270-caliber hunting rifle. The bullet hit 20-year-old Christopher Ochoa of French Camp, California. Ochoa, a Marine reservist, was visiting with a friend in the Salem, Oregon area. The two had set off to hike to Silver Falls State Park and were hiking through a field on the way to the park when Ochoa was shot. Ochoa died at the scene.
Collier's wife told reporters her husband had told her he was one-hundred percent sure he was shooting at a bear. But a neighbor said, "I don't understand how you could make that kind of a mistake. You don't shoot at something moving. You have to see the animal you have to know what animal you're shooting."
According to court records Collier has several misdemeanor convictions including a 1996 citation for exceeding the bag limit for black rockfish and convictions in 1991 and 2004 for "violating wildlife regulations." Both convictions resulted in fines.
Ohh shoot.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
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Pretty sad when a hunter can't tell the difference between a hiker and a bear, in a field! Was the shooter drunk, or vision-impaired? Or was he just a dangerous moron?
I fear it will be written off as a mistake and he'll be given nothing more than a involuntary manslaughter sentence. Would he still be able to keep and use his guns?
Oregon is a outdoorsman's paradise. But guess why I don't go hiking during hunting season...
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