Ugh. My stomach was in knots after reading this story. Can only imagine how the boy feels. Know your target people!


Hiker mistaken for a bear, killed by hunter

By Noelene Clark

Seattle Times staff reporter


A woman hiking on Sauk Mountain near Rockport was shot and killed Saturday morning by a boy who was hunting for a bear, Skagit County deputies said.

The 54-year-old woman, from Oso, in unincorporated Snohomish County, was hiking with a friend and stopped on the trail to put something in her backpack. The boy, from near Concrete, mistook the woman for a bear and fired one shot, according to the Skagit County Sheriff's Office.

After being alerted at about 10:30 a.m., search and rescue teams found the woman's body in steep terrain. The boy was accompanied by at least one adult, deputies said.

The Skagit County Sheriff's Office and an officer from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating.

That is too bad for the kid. Something he weill have to carry around for the rest of his life. I hope to god the adult was there when it happened. Otherwise that kid is not going to be in too good of shape.

Somebody should have taught him to identify his target before pulling the trigger.

Stories like this make me sick to my stomach in so many way's.

I feel for the kid, the adult that was with him and expecially for the family of the deceased.

Be carefull out there evryone, something like this should never happen.

Yup that is a tough deal. I also feel for the three parties and the relatives. Nobody wins in this situation.

No kidding, the bad thing here is the adult probably was there and was telling the kid where to aim. Since there obviously is no way that the kid had good id on the target. Damn, I feel bad for the kid.

If the kid would have been told or pounded into him that there are more people out there than bear/deer/elk this may not have happened. Think people first.

I LIVE in Concrete GR, and this kid had attended every Hunter Safety event he could find...all he wanted to do was be a good hunter.

My daughter knows this young man, and tells me he is a great kid. Basically, she was wearing a dark colored jacket, bent over and he saw what looked like a black bear walking down a trail, and shot.

It sucks...and now he has to live with it, as does her family, also local.

ISO

He F'ed up big time.

sad for everyone involved.

Now the news is saying it was just the young hunter and his older 16 year old brother.
I'd say their parents are in for a lawsuit.

They make these things called spotting scopes or binoculars......

They make these things called brightly colored jackets when walking in the outdoors during hunting seasons.

Really, there can be no excuses for a tragedy like this.

It just all boils down to a lack of common sense on all parties involved.

that is one of the reasons i dont rifle hunt any more.had a few bullets come wizzing past to many times

I hope that they have this kid in counseling right now and are watching him very closely, otherwise this could be double tragedy.

As far as judging the kid give it a rest… accidental shootings happen even by people that live by and with the gun… I am always very careful.

And for those that haven’t hunted bear, I hope that if you ever run into one it is far enough away… the last one I shot was 39 yards and I have hunted my entire life and it still made my hair stand on end…

I feel for the families (both)… and pray and hope that this boy lives through it…

I'm with Parker - you have to positively identify what you are shooting at, not what you think you are shooting at. This was completely avoidable. Sad all around.

The really strange part of this story - "oso" is spanish for bear.

I am really sorry that this happened.

I also need to apologize for comments made about an effort being led by Representative Brian Blake. He is working to protect my boy's rights to continue hunting, and I overreacted based on a poorly written article. Brian took the time to call me today and I appreciate that.







My apologies.

Um...

What's that "thing" in the 2nd photo?

Kangaroo?
Chubacabra?
Montauk Monster?

Or, a rabbit?

Rabbit that suffered a bit of a head wound.

Good for you Dogfish!

First off excellent pictures and you sure have one lucky boy there.

I read your post last night and realized you "missread" the intent of the legislation. That is super cool that your rep not only read your remarks but called you! If only we all had such a relationship with our elected reps! Well done all around!!!!

Young man that fired the fatal shot in this case, was charged with some sort of man slaughter and sentenced to nine months juvi detention. Feel for both sides of the fence here. Hope the juvi nine months is filled with helping the kid out rather than being an outlet for some jackass to be an authoritaritive meathead. I am not saying the kid doesn't need some strong words but how you say something can be more important than the content being delivered.