rockport

I'm quite possibly the King of thinking every thing I see is a deer in low light but Its never even crossed my mind to shoot something that I think might be a deer.

Barefoot Friar

Well, I can't talk about these situations, since I wasn't there and thus don't know what the shooters were thinking.

I can talk about myself, however. I have a healthy respect for guns and the things they can and can't do. I also am aware of how poor light, perspective, and excitement can make things look different. I was taught to never point the gun unless I was sure of the target (that's why I carry binoculars -- so I don't have to use the scope for that), and I was taught to never pull the trigger unless I wanted to kill whatever I was aiming at, whether it be deer, turkey, hog, or human. And just my own moral code prevents me ever doing the last one, which is why I don't have and carry a handgun. So in that sense, I don't understand why these guys got shot.

In another sense, though, I can see why. The brain plays tricks on us, making us see what we want to see (and that's true in so many situations, not just hunting), and then talks us into doing things we shouldn't.

So while I don't quite know what happened, I do know that paying attention to safety is literally a life-or-death situation.

Valentine

and you've seen a lot of imperfect actions of people. And some of those imperfect people thought they were perfect. But some will disagree. You took 60 years to learn. And some know everything by 30.

SecondChance

Valentine, for the first time I will have to say that I agree with you 100%!!!! very well spoken as well may I say!! But will have to add one point to this. And some THINK THEY know everything by the age of 20, just ask them!!!!!!! And I am 50, for conversation sakes.

Topgun 3006

We had a retired Army Sargeant on a deer lease down in south Texas that lived just down the street from my Mom and Dad. He came into camp one morning after the hunt and we asked if he was the one that shot over along the southeast property line, He said yea and we asked what he shot at and did he get it. He said he thought he saw a buck along the road that ran beside the boundary fence and it just stood there all morning. He finally shot it and it turned out it was a rock. We didn't renew his membership on the lease the following year after hearing that story!!!

Bullcamp82834

I love the "stood there all morning" part.
That should have been a clue !

Scary to think there are guys like that out there with rifles every fall. With that in mind it's really amazing how few hunters are actually shot by mistake. I know orange helps but WOW.

I heard a chilling term one year when hunting whitetails in GA. This dude called it "ground checking". The practice of shooting at a brief movement, noise, or even what you know is a deer then going over and getting a close look at it after it is on the ground.

Topgun 3006

***Yep, exactly, LOL! Too bad we can't put all those types together somewhere and let them significantly reduce their gene pools!!!

Bullcamp82834

I've got a 40 acre block we could fence off. Let 20 guys at a time in there and release one deer.

Topgun 3006

***That would probably do it!!!

Lunkerdog

You could name it... The Darwin Award Sanctuary