How Did Dick Cheney Break the No.1 Rule of Hunting?

Time Magazine ^ | 02/13/2006 | Timothy Burger

[MineralMan]

"I'm sorry, but the vast majority of hunting accideents don't just happen. They are usually the fault of either poor firearms handling or poor field safety. From what I have read, it was a disorgainzed scramble into the field after two coveys. It was stupid to flush the second covey until everyone was back in position from the first covey."

---

Yes. I've never hunted quail in Texas, but in the California chaparral, I've hunted them many, many times.

My dad, who taught me to hunt, had a rule about quail hunting. All the people in the party had to stay in an even line with each other. If someone fell behind, the hunt stopped.

Second rule: If a bird flushes and flies over your head and behind, that bird is gone. No shots were to be taken except ahead of the hunters. Period. No whirling and firing.

When crossing barbed wire fences, shotguns were safed and handed to one of the hunters. The others crossed the fence. The gun holder carefully handed the guns over the fence to the others, along with his own, then crossed. On the other side, everyone retrieve his own gun and the hunt proceeded.

When a covey flushed and shots were fired, if someone had downed a bird or birds, the hunt stopped while that bird was retrieved. We didn't hunt with dogs.

I cannot imagine a circumstance where I could have "accidentally" shot another member of our party. No way.

[G.Mason]

Whittington left the "line" (announced) returned from the rear. (unannounced)

[stylin_geek]

I'd not thought of that. You're right, if you're hunting in a disorganized manner, you're asking for this type of thing to happen.

As you correctly point out, Mr. Cheney is an experienced hunter and should know better.

[concentric circles]

It's unclear to me, based on the following, whether there was an out of season taking:

{P.C. 370.00} The Hunting & Harvesting of Attorneys

{370.01} Any person with a valid in-state rodent, or snake, or varmint hunting license may also hunt and harvest attorneys for recreational and sport (non-commercial) purposes.

{370.02} Taking of attorneys with traps or deadfalls is permitted. The use of United States currency as bait, however, is prohibited.

{370.03} The willful killing of attorneys with a motor vehicle is prohibited, unless such vehicle is an ambulance being driven in reverse. If an attorney is accidentally struck by a motor vehicle, the dead attorney should be removed to the roadside, and the vehicle should proceed immediately to the nearest car wash.

{370.04} It is unlawful to chase, herd or harvest attorneys from a power boat, helicopter or aircraft.

{370.05} It is unlawful to shout, "WHIPLASH", "AMBULANCE", or "FREE SCOTCH" for the purposes of trapping attorneys.

{370.06} It is unlawful to hunt attorneys within 10 - 20 yards of BMW, Mercedes or Porsche dealerships, except on Wednesday afternoon.

{370.07} It is unlawful to hunt attorneys within 200 yards of courtrooms, law libraries, health clubs, country clubs, hospitals or brothels.

{370.08} If an attorney gains elective office, it is not necessary to have a license to hunt, trap or possess the same.

{370.09} It is unlawful for a hunter to wear a disguise as a reporter, accident victim, physician, chiropractor or tax accountant for the purpose of hunting attorneys.

{370.10} Bag and Possession Limits per day:
Yellow-bellied sidewinders, 2;
Two-faced tortfeasors, 1;
Back-stabbing divorce litigators, 3;
Horn-rimmed cut-throats, 2;
Minutiae-advocating dirtbags, 4.
Honest attorneys protected (Endangered Species Act).

{ARS 8007.21} It is illegal to take attorneys with a moving vehicle unless there are no measurable skid marks at the kill site.

[Old Professer]

Quail are the sneakiest birds on the planet; they'll crouch right still until you step directly among them and then explode in a fury of feathers and rushing wind and you either jump or stand there, stock still, while the warm urine trickles down your once, warm leg.

[Fruitbat]

I thought it was "Twelve beers per person, and a bottle of Wild Turkey for the boat ride home."

LMAO!!!

[MamaB]

Well, there was the time when my brother shot what he thought was a varmint after his baby turkeys. A few days later, my sil asked him what happened to her little rabbit she had in her flowers. Yet, he shot the rabbit!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I think Whittington is more to blame for his condition than Cheney is.

If Whitington was where he was supposed to be, Cheney would needed to have wheeled almost 180 degrees to have him in his line of fire.

[Uri’el-2012]

Whittington left the "line" (announced) returned from the rear. (unannounced)

102 posted on 02/13/2006 12:40:27 PM MST by G.Mason

Whittington failed to follow safe protocol in upland bird hunting.

[ex-snook]

"My guess is that, at age 78, Whittington simply can't get outta the way as fast as the quail.

But you gotta admit that Whittington getting up in the air with the quail was a good effort. He should have stayed on the ground then he would not have been shot.

[SkyDancer]

It seems that it was the guy who was shot who was not obeying the rules ... he didn't let anyone know where he was in relation to others in the party ...

[MineralMan]

"Quail are the sneakiest birds on the planet; they'll crouch right still until you step directly among them and then explode in a fury of feathers and rushing wind and you either jump or stand there, stock still, while the warm urine trickles down your once, warm leg."

Well, they are sneaky, but I never peed myself when a covey flushed. They're also very tasty little critters, so I got over the surprise, eventually, and learned to be an excellent snap shot. In California, you got almost no time to take your bird before it dove into the next bush.

Great fun. You always came back smelling of sage and other fragrant stuff. Then, you'd dress the little birdies, so Mom could cook for that night's dinner. Yum! My record for eating quail is 8.

[MamaB]

They can not get over the fact that they were not allowed to break the story. And, it was an accident. They happen!

[shield]

This maybe true however ole' Harry should have given all a heads up he was approaching.

I've been hit before...and it was my fault completely.

[dirtboy]

You're right, if you're hunting in a disorganized manner, you're asking for this type of thing to happen.

See Mineral Man's post #101. Sums it up well. It was a collective effort for the incident to happen.

[G.Mason]

"Yeah, right. I was dove hunting with a shotgun when I was ten years old and I knew to be sure that no one or no building was downrange from where I was shooting."

Your naivety is showing.

Unless you are hunting a treeless prairie, it is impossible to see many ground objects when aiming at a flying object. Hills, gullys, trees all come into a general view.

Unrelated hunting parties may not be aware of other hunters presence, due to their location and terrain.

Whittington announced he was leaving the "line". Upon his return, from the rear, he made no such announcement.

No need to make this accident into a rifle & pistol range type incident.

But hey, don't let this stop you. Vent away.

[Jrabbit]

I'm going to expose my total ignorance about hunting and ammo...

When a hunter shoots at a bird, why doesn't the birdshot all go towards the target? Is it supposed to "spray" out in all directions? Why?

Was the bird that Cheney was shooting at only 5-6 feet up in the air? How far out does the birdshot spray and is it smaller than a BB?

[L98Fiero]

"If you pull the trigger when your gun is pointed at someone you don't intend to shoot, you have done something wrong. Period."

No arguement here.

[SkyDancer]

My understanding from the slanted media was the shot went up towards the bird but somehow the guy got sprayed with part of the pattern only because he wasn't where he should have been plus not informing the others where he was ... but don't expect the media to pick up on that ....

[TexanByBirth]

Also, for any contention that the 'shootee' did something wrong, can you point me to your source for the factual basis? My grandfather taught my father and my two brothers the rules of line hunting. As far as I'm concerned, that instruction is gospel.

I was also taught the rules of line hunting by my grandfather and dad. They are gospel! The other thing I was taught by them, when you go to retrieve a bird and another covey flushes.....get down! Your chances of getting accidently peppered are a lot less if you are close to the ground.

As far as I am concerned, both men (and for that matter, everyone in the hunting party) have some responsibility for this accident, and it was an accident.