Thread: Hunter shot in Kaimai Range near Te Aroha

My opinion is that humans are actually pretty fukn dumb we can't even follow basic common sense rules we can't stick to a speed limit don't stop for red lights or stop signs don't stop for pedestrian crossings cross centre lines use phone when driving and the list is endless so its highly unlikely that your going to stop the dumb arses shooting each other most intelligent animal on the planet. Yea right

Originally Posted by stug

About 25 years ago I was hunting in Pureora when I heard a noise up the ridge ahead of me. I could see the rear end of a deer facing a way from me. I could see the rump patch and about half its back. I decided to move ahead of a small shrub before I took a shot. The deer moved a bit and looked a bit funny. It seemed to have two rump patches. It took a few seconds before I realised it was actually a hunter.

I want to relay a true happening in the same place - Pureora (been a few fatalities there to I might add)

Mate of mine came back to camp in a bit of a state.
He was coming down a ridge (a ridge that was reasonably open covered in Kidney ferns)
He luckily spotted approx 60m away a Hunter knelt down with rifle pointed directly at him - he yelled out (he does not remember what he yelled)
He also cannot remember the time frame between yelling and the Hunter standing with rifle down

That Hunter dropped his rifle and clasped his face in his hands

After an emotional and most likely a verbal abuse from mate (he had a firy temper) the Hunter said to him over and over again
"mate - you were a Deer 110% in my eyes"
How - how - he kept saying could I see a Deer when clearly now you are another man

It woke us all up - as then (80's) there were a few of us getting tipped over
The Hunter had been hunting a long time and he just could not believe what happened
If my mate had not of screamed out - as Hunter said - he would be dead !!

With it being my patch local and an area I hunt frequently knowledge indicates it was in the Tuahu Track vicinity. Very steep country on the Waikato side > I'm leaning to it having occurred in the exotic forestry block (Rayonier Forests )

Attached map for reference track > lakes private block

Tuahu Track: Walking and tramping in Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park

Its interesting that there are emotional responses here (anger is an emotion) from people who claim that they would never shoot anyone because they are rational and sensible. Its a paradox. In the moment who knows how we would respond. If we suffer from emotional over-ride on a hunting forum goodness knows what we might do in the bush.

So you're saying there's a possibility you could shoot someone because you mistook them for a deer @Tahr?

I believe this particular instance was a case of mis-identification of target and the poor bugger was indeed shot by another member of his hunting party.

RIP

Originally Posted by Sarvo

I want to relay a true happening in the same place - Pureora (been a few fatalities there to I might add)

Mate of mine came back to camp in a bit of a state.
He was coming down a ridge (a ridge that was reasonably open covered in Kidney ferns)
He luckily spotted approx 60m away a Hunter knelt down with rifle pointed directly at him - he yelled out (he does not remember what he yelled)
He also cannot remember the time frame between yelling and the Hunter standing with rifle down

That Hunter dropped his rifle and clasped his face in his hands

After an emotional and most likely a verbal abuse from mate (he had a firy temper) the Hunter said to him over and over again
"mate - you were a Deer 110% in my eyes"
How - how - he kept saying could I see a Deer when clearly now you are another man

It woke us all up - as then (80's) there were a few of us getting tipped over
The Hunter had been hunting a long time and he just could not believe what happened
If my mate had not of screamed out - as Hunter said - he would be dead !!

Had the same thing happen in Pureora a few years after the first incident. My mate and I were stalking along a face I looked up and saw a hunter kneeling down aiming his rifle, looking through the scope, at where my mate was. I yelled out and the hunter put his rifle down. He had heard us coming through the bush. He was waiting for my mate to come out in the open before he took the shot. I not 100% certain he had seen him and mistaken him for a deer, but he was expecting him to be a deer.

The mind set that needs to change is the expectation of seeing a deer. We need to expect to see another hunter, then realise it is a deer.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

So you're saying there's a possibility you could shoot someone because you mistook them for a deer @Tahr?

I'm certainly scared stiff of doing it. I've never been tested and hope I never am.

I know that my life has been full of important decision making that has affected myself and others'. Some decisions have been excellent, and some have been shit. The shit decisions have mostly been in emotional situations or when I haven't allowed enough time to consider the causes or consequence. In day to day life time-forced decisions are often the worst we make, and if you chuck in confirmation bias and emotion we are going to stuff up occasionally.

No one is immune. None of us are infallible. Hopefully its this knowledge that keeps me and others safe.

Well in my opinion just be bloody careful make sure it's not you pulling the trigger.
When hunting in that area I heard guys coming through the bush. I got in behind as large a tree as possible and shouted out don't shoot!
Where blaze of some kind.
If you think it's that unsafe don't go.
Stay safe.
Shame it's happened on my old back door.
That's where I saw my first deer in the wild, on my very first trip. Took me three years to get my first. Patience girls and boys!
Patience there's no do over, it's not a video game.

Originally Posted by Tahr

I'm certainly scared stiff of doing it. I've never been tested and hope I never am.

I know that my life has been full of important decision making that has affected myself and others'. Some decisions have been excellent, and some have been shit. The shit decisions have mostly been in emotional situations or when I haven't allowed enough time to consider the causes or consequence. In day to day life time-forced decisions are often the worst we make, and if you chuck in confirmation bias and emotion we are going to stuff up occasionally.

No one is immune. None of us are infallible. Hopefully its this knowledge that keeps me and others safe.

Was a yes/no question..

Originally Posted by tetawa

Been out and about over Easter in Pureora, have met all sorts in my travels. Some on their only hunting outing for the year and have to shoot something. Others quite relaxed and waiting for the bush to go back to "normal". One thing that really stood out was the number of hunters in blue blaze.

Im colour blind and orange blaze is to me a natural colour in the bush, leaves ect, but the blue stands out really well

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

I had the same attitude as you when I was about your age.
Then I had a close encounter.

And the reason your close encounter didn't turn into a tragedy? I'm gonna guess that you identified your target before just Willy nilly pulling the trigger.. well done, you are a rational person.
I'm not saying that you're doing something wrong if you encounter another hunter in the Bush and have to go through the process of identifying if they are an animal or another hunter, I'm saying that if you don't go through that process then you are 110% to blame for your actions and you deserve to be locked away and the key thrown away. This attitude of "it could happen to anyone" is a pretty shitty way to think and you shouldn't be in the Bush if that's a concern for you.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Was a yes/no question..

There is no yes/no answer. Its the impossibility of knowing that should keep us grounded and super-careful.

In this day and age as long as you have an excuse it makes everything OK

After my own personal close encounter a few roars ago, I personally believe the blaze orange is almost the worst colour you could wear.

I will never wear it after what I saw, and I strongly advise my hunting mates against wearing it.