HUNTER OR HUNTED? - BOY ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS DAD

  • Published
  • By Tim Barela
  • Torch Magazine
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS --  Father and son had been looking forward to this day all year. Nothing quite compares to the excitement of the hunt. And hunting elk in the Rocky Mountains can get the adrenaline pumping.

But new hunters also learn that hunting is an exercise in patience. You don't step out of your vehicle and start shooting into herds of elk. You might not even catch a glimpse of one for days. For this father and son team, it had been three days and they had yet to see much more than a rabbit.

But on the third day, they spotted a six-point bull elk. Dad pointed out the target to his son. He wanted his son to make his first kill. Just like they'd practiced, the boy took his time and squeezed off a shot. Maybe it was nerves, or maybe just poor aim, but the youngster missed. He quickly ejected the spent shell, which was automatically replaced by another. But the startled elk wasn't going to wait around for the boy to take another shot. Dad brought it down an instant after his son's failed attempt.

Then the triumph and jubilation of the moment turned to turmoil.

Unable to contain his excitement over his dad dropping the elk, the boy turned to his father, and hollered, "You got 'em!" But in his enthusiasm, he'd lost situational awareness. When he turned to congratulate his dad, his rifle swung with him and inadvertently fired. His dad fell.

Horrified, the boy ran to his dad's side. He saw the blood, heard his dad's moans and expected the worst. Fortunately, the bullet went through the man's abdominal external oblique muscle -- more commonly known as the "love handles" -- and missed any vital organs.

While this lucky dad ended up making a full recovery, others haven't been so fortunate. Every year would-be hunters inadvertently become the prey. With hunting season just around the corner, it's imperative for people to keep the basics of hunting safety in mind at all times.