Another Sad End To A Hunt
 

We have to be more careful out there. I was on ESPN.com this morning and took a look at the Outdoor stories. This was one of the big headlines.

http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia..._deer_hunting#

A small section of rope is all it would have taken for this boy to come home alive. I always take the bullet out of my gun when I lower my gun out of my treestand because it only takes one mistake for things to turn out bad. My condolences to the family. Lets be safe out there.

My condolences and prayers go out to the famly.

My first response, besides thinking this is a tragedy, is that boy should have been wiser than that or it wouldn't have happened. However, further thoughts... we learn from others in the things we do and how we get our education. I think if he were taught the right way by someone or had the right gun safety education, this may not have happened. I don't know the circumstances of his gun/hunting education, but it's a reminder to all that we should teach by example because people learn from our examples.

Does little to tell a child not to smoke if you do. Same goes for telling someone to wear a safety harness in a tree when you don't.

iSnipe

What a shame, the life of a young man lost to something that could easily have been prevented. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

I know it's legal in many states, but I don't think 12 year olds should be hunting alone. Accidents can happen even with adults present, but I just can't trust 12 year olds all by themselves with guns. If they can't legally buy a gun, then I don't think they should be carrying one unsupervised.

What total devistation this has caused. My thoughts and prayers are with this family.

I have just started hunting with my son. We are total newbies and I would never let him out of my sight because 15 yards is just too far away for me. Just so many things that could go wrong in the mind of a young child with a loaded gun... I want to know what he's thinking. I want to see his breath in the cold air. I want to be right next to him and make sure his safety is on! I want to know that he's unloaded his gun before we even walk out of the woods.

Stories like this make me want to keep him even closer. It's just so sad.

I feel for the family of that boy...but hunting 101...when crossing a fence the gun should be unloaded..this also goes for climbing in and out of your stand

That is just terrible, sad to hear it.

i am always within talking distance and sight from my dad occasionally i go alone with my friend on his property for squirrals

i dont want to sound like a ass but did any one catch the part in the story where the boy heard one shot and a few minutes later he heard another shot . iam thinking that maybe the kid shot a deer and maybe his first deer, and got excited about it like we all have , and maybe was rushing to get down to see it , we have all been there, made one mistake stuff happens
am sorry for the families lost

In Georgia, youths are allowed to hunt if accompanied by an adult. Authorities withheld the cousin’s name because the investigation by county sheriff’s deputies and Georgia Department of Natural Resources rangers is ongoing.

The cousin told deputies he had put Michael up in the deer stand with the rifle, which belonged to another relative, just before dawn. He then walked across a field about 500 yards away to hunt. He was out of sight from the deer stand where Michael was hunting, Royal said.


What sticks out most to me is that the adult <20 yr old> was 500 yards away and couldn't see the boy so he could hunt too. He should have never left him out of his sights! That boy was NOT accompanied by an adult because an adult would have never left him in a tree stand!

I know when I take ds out, I let him hunt and I am moreso there to supervise him. Yeah, I want to hunt too but it's more important for me to keep a watchful eye on him than it is to see a BIG mistake take place that could cost me or him his life. I can always hunt later. Maybe it's me... I dunno. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

This could have been prevented IMPO if the 20 yr old stayed with him.

my thoughts and prayers go to the family

How many seasons and how many times do we as hunters need to hear the tragic result of what is clearly lack of hunter education and firearm safety training. As a parent I had drilled into my kids heads at an early age the 10 commandments of hunter and firearm safety! Their LIVES depend on it! This is yet another WAKE UP call to all of us experienced hunters to pass along this respected tradition of hunting including hunter education and firearm safety. I can not stress this enough know the rules and follow them EVERY time. Take action and educate every hunting youth you know. To the family of this fine young man I am deeply sorry for your loss. KSwild

Very sad and unfortunate. My prayers go out to the family, and to the cousin who I'm sure is feeling quilty. Unfortunately at 12 years old he should not have been left alone, even if he was in a hunting stand. Here in Maine you can not leave anyone under the age of 16 alone, while hunting. Minors are to be accomponied by an adult and you must be together, not within sight from accross the field. And the adult is responsible for any actions the minor takes, so you better be sure the youth is doing what is safe and ethical every moment they are out there with you.

Very tragic, I hope the family can come to terms with their loss. Tragic, preventable and sad. Prayers to the family.
JC-

I made same inference.