Squirrel hunter killed

[Willie]

HOWARD COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) -

A 28-year-old man was killed when he was accidentally shot in the chest while hunting with family members, police officials in Howard County say.

Officials in Howard County say Joseph Steele was in a wooded area near his home around 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening.

Witnesses told police the group had split up and at some point lost sight of Steele.

One of the hunters fired at what he thought was a squirrel in the distance.

Steele's family members say they heard Steele yell that he had been shot just after the gun went off.

Police say the family members are cooperating with investigators.

An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday morning.

Stay tuned to WISHTV.com for more details on this developing story.


www.wishtv.com/news/local/hunting-mishap-leaves-one-man-dead

 

[hammer24]

HOWARD COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) -


One of the hunters fired at what he thought was a squirrel in the distance.

Steele's family members say they heard Steele yell that he had been shot just after the gun went off.


www.wishtv.com/news/local/hunting-mishap-leaves-one-man-dead

You've got to be kidding me! He shot at "what he thought was a squirrel" !!! Disgusting....

 

[builder_one]

How awful. I was just hunting with two friends this weekend in a small woods, we had split up as well, the thought of getting shot in that fahion does creep into one's mind during the day. I always keep my shots limited at up into the trees for that reason, it cannot be stressed enough to KNOW YOUR TARGET AND WHAT'S BEYOND IT before pulling that trigger. God be with both families over this, they're really going to need Him.

 

[Sweetums]

I didn't know him personally, but the man who died was a coworker of mine. I heard about this earlier today.

 

[buckstopshere]

Wow, thoughts and prayers for that family. So sad.

 

[E'villeGunner]

Does this sound negligent just to me? Shooting at what he "thought" was a squirrel and at a distance? I'm sure there's more to the story than what I've heard so far in this thread. My heart and prayers also to all involved.

 

[cook4army]

I feel extremely sorry for the family of this tragedy, but I gotta ask this......how big are the freaking squirrels up there that would make a hunter believe that something THAT big, was a squirrel?

 

[Mark 1911]

Mistake a man for a squirrel? I've spent a lot of time in the woods and that just doesn't make sense.

 

[Hookeye]

Dupe ( I linked it to this thread yesterday).

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ead-while-squirrel-hunting-3.html#post4403758

OK, what if a guy was behind a tree at distance and swatted at a skeeter, would not his elbow flash be about the same size as a squirrel?
And could not the person shoot at that small portion and the person turn into it?

Not saying that is what happened, but from what we know we can't say he saw a full person and thought it a squirrel.

Dunno, doesn't matter. The damage is done.

Even if he shot at a real squirrel and hit the guy standing behind it................when using .22rf it's always been the rule, esp early season.............NO LOW ANGLE SHOTS. And with a group of people hunting? Should have been an absolute. Absolutes..................I guess in today's culture such things are imaginary.

Not everybody is up on physics though, and think a low angle .22rf shot is safer than shooting up. If one has a much stronger vertical component to their vector (compared to horizontal) then the bullet should stall eventually and drop in free fall. 40 grain lead pill, probably deformed a bit as it clipped leaves in canopy exit. Pretty safe.

Of course moving closer, to increase the vertical component means there's less of the squirrel to shoot it (challenge).

 

[Huzrjim]

Inexcusable in my book. Primary gun safety - know your target before squeezing the trigger. Unless his friend had a squirrelskin cap, should not have happened.

 

[Willie]

Jeez... Now I get called for "dupe" on a post within a thread? Wow..


This guy was shot in the chest. Totally unforgivable in my opinion..

 

[Hookeye]

Not a new thread, but a day before (on another squirrel hunter injured thread).
Now there seem to be a few on it.

 

[Tydeeh22]

was he in a tree? never shoot at what you THINK is what you're after. a sad day for sure.

 

[Hookeye]

Too many unfortunately don't give the little .22rf the respect it deserves.

NO LOW ANGLE SHOTS.

Esp in areas of cover.
Even if you own the dang place and are the only one out there legally..............you might not be alone.

Steep vertical component shots only.

 

[uberpeck]

Not only should you be aware of your target, but what also is BEHIND it.

 

[Jason R. Bruce]

Preface: This horrific accident (negligence) should've never happened, it makes me sick for all involved. My comments have no direct correlation to the individuals involved in the original post as I know nothing about them.


Now, here's my theory.

Those of that have been hunting for 10+ years and harvested dozens or even hundreds of animals... let's be honest.

Have you ever.... been sitting in a deer stand before daylight and hear leaves crunching? Your imagination wonders and you just get the feeling it's that 150" buck you saw last week. Your mind starts churning. Daylight begins to break and your eyes lock onto a dark object 70 yards out. It has the form of a deer and as daylight creeps in you make out what appears to be long wrapping beams and tall tines. It's so real that your heart rate picks up. The sound seems to be further left so you look over, nothing, and when you look back it seems the deerlike object has moved! Daylight continues to unfurl and this has GOT to be the buck! Something crashes to your right, you snap your head around, a fox squirrel is bounding across the forest floor. You look back to the spot your eyes have been trained on for 15 minutes and see, plain as day, a sasafrass top laying against a chunk of sandstone. It doesn't even resemble a deer anymore! Your heart calms, you begin to blush and roll your eyes.

The "what if" element is something that makes hunting incredibly enjoyable and unexplainable to non-hunters. As long days in the stand drag on, I find myself excited about the "what if" possibility that those annoying squirrels are going to wrestle, breed, get swooped up by a hawk or SOMETHING unique. SOMETHING noteworthy. SOMETHING exciting. Deep down, at times, I find myself really hoping that SOMETHING happens and this desire in itself sometimes raises my blood pressure.

Maybe I'm jaded, maybe it's an evolution many dedicated hunters go through, but I have more detailed memories of the exciting moment a great horned owl picked off a squirrel in front of me than a dozen arrows zipping through whitetails combined. I remember the morning a red fox trotted past with a vole hanging from his teeth, I tagged a buck later that morning but it'd take me a minute to pick his rack out of a lineup.

Now, I can honestly say that even with all the sandstone lumps and clumsy possums that have caused an adrenaline dump over the years, I have NEVER reached for a weapon in these scenarios. Personally, there is such a disconnect between hunting and shooting that I cannot fathom preparing a weapon over an unidentified source of excitement. To put it quite simply, it's just a "#####". Insert deer, turkey, coyote, duck or whatever you want... all that scenario offers me is an opportunity at a "#####" and that's just not even on the same plane as pointing a weapon toward a potential human or non-target animal. I'm ebarassed enough when the sun reveals that sandstone that nobody will ever know about, I cannot imagine looking another man in the face after pointing a weapon at him inadvertantly.

So what does this have to do with hunters shooting one another? What's the connection?

Culture.

Many of our new hunting recruits and first generation sportsmen are coming to us from a culture of instant gratification, entitlement and peer pressure. Many of these people are horn hungry from watching too much Outdoor Network or de-sensitized to violence from video games and Hollywood movies. I’m not saying these are bad people but they’re coming into a sport that often contradicts their daily habits and desires. More often than not, you can’t MAKE something happen in hunting. You have to roll with the punches, take the good with the bad, and be patiently observant. If you feel anxious to pull the trigger so you can make a new status update on Facebook then you’re missing the forest for the trees.

I have plenty of experience with premature imagination and if there’s a pill to prevent it, I don’t want any. That said, I think there’s a generation of hunters coming onto the scene that will struggle to throttle the excitement, anticipation and pressure we’ve come to enjoy as sportsmen. Wherever possible we need to counsel these new guys and teach them, it’s just a “####”. If you go home empty handed just snap a picture of your BLT & Fritos, don’t jump the gun and show your a$$.

 

[Hookeye]

I believe the old term for that was called "early blur".
No big deal, it should only get one's attention. No need for equipment usage outside of binoculars.

 

[IndyGunworks]

OK, I gotta ask now. Three different people in this thread said that the safe thing to do when hunting squirrel w/ a .22 is to shoot UP. no low angle shots. How does that follow the safety rules AT ALL? If you are shooting up there is ALOT LESS to stop the bullet if you miss the squirrel and the bullet can keep going and going and going, and there is NO WAY for you to know whats beyond your target when you are shooting a RIFLE at the sky. shotguns shooting up I can understand but a .22 can travel a mile if shot into the air at an angle like that. doesn't seem very safe to me at all.

 

[Hookeye]

Uh, steep vertical component vectors should put the bullet in free fall.
Also, one can line the targets up with tree trunks behind.
And.... leaves (lots of them this time of the year) can slow a bullet pretty good, dunno how much contact required to deform the soft lead of a .22rf.
Also...............one could even go so far as to use CB's.
But there I shoot 'em behind the shoulder and they run off the branches like a lung shot deer.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Uh, steep vertical component vectors should put the bullet in free fall. Yet you still don't know where its going to come down. so still unsafe regardless. know your target AND WHATS BEYOND IT meaning wherever that bullet lands at the end of this so called free fall, YOU are still responsible for it.
Also, one can line the targets up with tree trunks behind. If you know a large trunk is behind the target on all sides, then I can understand this as a safe shot
And.... leaves (lots of them this time of the year) can slow a bullet pretty good, dunno how much contact required to deform the soft lead of a .22rf. I would NEVER consider leaves as any sort of a backstop, regardless of how "thick" they are. Would you trust your life to a bunch of leaves stopping a bullet?
Also...............one could even go so far as to use CB's. Could yes, but it seems the vast majority doesn't, and even so a CB will still travel a long ways w/out a safe back stop
But there I shoot 'em behind the shoulder and they run off the branches like a lung shot deer. Sounds awesome, but just because you are a good shot doesn't mean that shooting a rifle at an upwards angle is safe.

see red