Fate
Posted on 11/17/2010 10:11:17 AM PST by smokingfrog
ALLEGAN (WKZO) -- The name of the hunter involved in a fatal gun accident near Allegan has been released, and how they think he died. It appears Robert David Johnson of Bloomingdale climbed up into his tree stand in a wooded area off 44th Street in Cheshire Township.
Investigators believe he was pulling his shotgun up behind him when the trigger caught on the ladder and it discharged, striking him in the head.
His son heard the shot early morning, but did not think anything of it until his dad failed to appear for lunch. He went looking for him and found him dead from the gunshot wound. Johnson was 59.
Brent Rudolph with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment said they have been very successful at promoting hunter safety in the past few years, greatly reducing the frequency of gun accidents and human lives lost with a few basic rules.
"Always unload your firearm when you're getting in and out of a tree stand. At the same time, always treat a gun as if it is loaded," Rudolph said.
(Excerpt) Read more at wkzo.com ...
I agree.
“Good point! Of course, the first step is remove the shells, but he should have pulled it up butt first”
The more I think about this the worse it smells. Image yourself in a tree looking down as you pull a LOADED, cocked shotgun toward you BARREL FIRST. Even a idjit would rethink that plan.
Can’t find that picture....
Is this thing loaded.
The unloaded weapon is more likely to be the one you failed to check before you needed to use it.
Fate
Aren't tree stand accidents the leading cause of Hunter's deaths?
LOL, isn’t that the truth.
This is a little off topic but recently I was at one of the local firing ranges and observed a classic case of stupidity. The range master called the cease fire and directed that all unfired rounds be ejected, all actions open, all weapons be trained down range, all shooters move back of the yellow line and that no one was to handle a weapon while people were down range inspecting and changing targets. A guy near me and standing not more than 20 feet from the range master picked up his weapon AFTER people were proceeding down range. I don’t know what he was fiddling with but the range master immediately ordered him to put the weapon down and get back behind the yellow line. He asked the fellow if he had heard the orders given following the cease fire call and they guy said that he had. The range master, showing more forgiveness than I would have, told the guy that the orders are given for a very good reason and to not ignore them again or he would be ejected from the range. After the range master left to walk the line the guy turned to a companion and said he couldn’t understand what the big deal was because “it wasn’t loaded”. I could only think to myself that among Famous Last Words those three would have to rank among the most frequently heard (and regretted).
What a traumatic experience.
One thing I learned early on is that gun safety has to be a conscious effort. Just yesterday the agency I work for was conducting a weapons inventory. Pulling my duty weapon out of a shoulder rig with that many people around required some thought as to how not to sweep anybody. It made me stop and think. Same thing getting the pistol back in the holster. Basically, had to keep the gun still and rotate my body around it.
I was thinking the same thing. Might be suicide with a clause for suicide that would void it.
<><><><><
Then the guy really was a tremendously sick ba$tard, given that the dad would have known his son would find him.
I have been called naive on more than one occasion, but I have a hard time a dad would do that to his son.
I agree completely.
You know, people and guns, the dynamics are strange.
I went shooting with some friends. It had been years since I had taken my guns out. One of them was clip fed.
After emptying my weapon down range, I lowered the weapon and retired to the area removed from the firing line. I consistently point my weapon at the ground with my hand over the trigger guard so nothing can catch on the trigger.
One of the guys in charge came up to me and explained that I was making a lot of the folks anxious because I hadn’t removed the clip from my weapon. I’m not sure how that is any different than having a tube fed weapon, with ammo still on board.
During the activity that day, I had at least five people move their weapon through a plane that included me. That is something I won’t tolerate. If someone does it, I move as far away from them as I can.
None the less, I was asked to remove my clip, and none of them were admonished.
To the leadership that day, I was the problem. Perhaps I was and just don’t understand it to this day. I still find it strange that pointing a gun at someone doesn’t seem to rank right up there.
Probably by falling out of them...
From your story, I would have considered that maybe, just maybe, someone didn’t want me there.
I see it as safety is everyone’s responsibility, when the first idiot pointed a weapon at me, I would have said something to remind him about gun safety. When the second one did, I would have left.
It was a group of thirty or more people, so it wasn’t a focused (on me) activity. People were just being people.
I think you’ve got the right idea other than that. I probably should have left. I did leave before a lot of others did though.
i’m curious. the gun has a trigger guard, right? so in order for the trigger to get pulled, some projection has to reach into the trigger guard, and around the trigger. all the while the gun is swinging and swaying back and forth being pulled up the ladder.
can someone tell me what sort of projection would be on a ladder that would do that?
I agree. I don't think this was an accident. It's like a "single car crash"--it's almost always a suicide.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.