09/13/2008 20:02:51

It saddens me to hear of any tragedy like this as it always brings out the liberals and anti gun activists. I cannot imagine how a woman hiking could be mistaken for a bear. Was this young man required to take a hunters safety course before being allowed to hunt? Was he being supervised at the time of the accident? How many times had he been hunting? These are only a few of the questions I am sure that many people are asking. I doubt very much it was done on purpose, I couldn't imagine that anyone, man, woman, or young adult could do such a thing. For me it would be hard to make a decision on what to do for punishment. If it were I, I know I would never want to hunt again. As you, my prayers go out to both families.

08/29/2008 23:01:02

if u cant see the animal u dont shoot period.

a few yrs ago i was after a huge buck,i knew his every move. this day i seen his white ass walking,i waited to make sure ,what came out of the thick scared me. it was a women on a pure white horse.i was taught identify then shoot

bear

08/13/2008 20:34:31

I think part of any sentence handed down should include requiring him to speak at hunters education classes. Nothing would drive the point home more than hearing the story from him first hand. I also took the course when I was 9yrs old. If I wasn't currently taking the Master Hunters course, I would of forgot much of the material beyond the basics. I remember they talked about the basic rules of hunting and there was a short discussion. When my 10yr old daughter took the course last year, they showed a couple of videos. I could see that not everyone in the class was paying full attention. I know I have reiterated a lot of this to my kids and wife. Let's just hope that more parents take the initiative.

08/12/2008 15:06:29

 Actual news report from goskagit.com

 

Charges of first-degree manslaughter will be filed against a
14-year-old boy who fatally shot a hiker on a Sauk Mountain trail after
mistaking her for a bear, the prosecutor confirmed this evening.



Prosecutor Rich Weyrich said that the Concrete teen acted recklessly
when he fired his rifle Aug. 2 across a trail that switchbacks along
the south side of the mountain. The teen will be charged as a juvenile,
but Weyrich said he did not plan to have the boy taken into custody.



The Skagit Valley Herald generally does not publish the names of juvenile defendants.



Pamela Almli, 54, of Oso, was shot in the head as she bent over to put
a jacket into a backpack. Her friend, Lois Peterson, stood about two
feet away.



The teen, who was accompanied by his 16-year-old brother, was about 120
yards away from Almli when he pulled the trigger, sending a
.270-caliber bullet from his rifle.



Weyrich said the teen failed to follow several guidelines in the
state’s hunting safety manual — mainly being sure of a target and what
lies beyond it in the bullet’s path.



The boy, a licensed hunter who took the hunting class when he was 9
years old, is required by state law to know and follow the regulations.



Weyrich said the boys didn’t use binoculars to look for game and relied
only on rifle scopes. Also, fog that day reduced visibility to between
20 feet and 100 yards, making it difficult to see the target, the
prosecutor said.



Almli wore a light- to medium-blue windbreaker and her friend, a gray
jacket, and Weyrich said that the color Almli wore was not one that a
hunter should have mistaken for a bear, and the other woman should also
have been visible to the hunters.



The boys were hunting while their grandfather waited in a vehicle.
Washington law does not require juvenile hunters be accompanied by an
adult.



If convicted, the 14-year-old boy faces up to nine months in a state juvenile detention facility.

08/12/2008 14:09:34

Ok Boys. I actually know the family and my kids go to school with both boys. Raghorn you may know the family.

second day of bear season. We were on upper finney, also heard the shot, but, of course didn't think nothing of it. 14 and 16 year old brothers were dropped off by grandpa. Hunting near the main trail. Very foggy, most hunters came down lower to hunt.

The hiker was not wearing all dark clothing, but, a light blue jacket and black shorts. still she should have been wearing bright clothing as the hikers son told her that morning it was bear season.

The 14 yr. old did do a few things wrong......
Like not  using binoculars or spotting scope to check his game, just his rifle scope.
This is playing a part in how the prosecuters are treating the case.

Yes, it was a rare tragic accident, but, when a boy gets "buck" fever, a parent should be there calming him to down to make his decisions more clearer. The 16 year old did not do that for him, he got excited too.

The 14 year old kid is not being taken into custody at the moment, but, is being charged with 1st degree manslaughter as of last night. I can see being charged with involuntary manslaughter, but not 1st degree manslaughter. But, he is only being charged as a juvenile, not an adult, and he is only looking at up to 9 months in Juvenile Detention.
He is a good kid, descent grades and never in trouble.  Hopefully, he will get probation and his hunting license taking away.

As a parent I know I would not let my children hunt by themselve until they get older, cause of all the safety issues. As far a what should happen in our area and surrounding areas, Sierra Pacific should open their gates for hunters, so we are not just hunting on popular hiking trails. I also think that Hikers should be made to wear brighter clothing while on hiking trails. It was a tragic accident that could have been prevented if the hunter was with an adult and made to use binoculars to spot his game, as well as, the hiker should have been wearing brighter clothing or hunter orange, as it is mandatory for us hunters during certain seasons.