Crossbow shooter shoots man mistaken for deer

[retch sweeny]

As PA debates the sunset clause on allowing crossbows next week, today we learn of a 59 year old PA crossbow shooter that seems to have been shooting past his eyes.

http://www.wtae.com/news/30233744/detail.html

WI debates crossbow usage tomorrow at the capitol. This sort of thing (Or perhaps blaze orange for all bowhunters if crossbows are allowed) might be the future in WI if WI adds crossbows to the bow season.

[Dan Salmon]

Hyperbole, who'd have guessed?

[retch sweeny]

I wouldn't call a news story that. It seems the story was well written and factual. Awareness is key to preventing this in the future. Its tragic and we dont want that sort of thing to happen in WI. I dont recall hearing of hunters shooting other hunters with a bow. PA made crossbows legal and they have their first tagedy like this. Its most unfortunate for sure. There is a lesson in all this as PA ponders full inclusion next week and WI ponders it this week.. Their sunset ends this year and they are debating whether or not to continue to allow crossbows in th archery season.

[Sopchoppy]

As PA debates the sunset clause on allowing crossbows next week, today we learn of a 59 year old PA crossbow shooter that seems to have been shooting past his eyes.

http://www.wtae.com/news/30233744/detail.html

WI debates crossbow usage tomorrow at the capitol. This sort of thing (Or perhaps blaze orange for all bowhunters if crossbows are allowed) might be the future in WI if WI adds crossbows to the bow season.

The shooter was shooting beyond his brain's ability to process information. It has nothing to do with what bow he was shooting. Ask the victim if it would matter whether he was shot with a traditional, compound, or crossbow.

[retch sweeny]

Yes, I agree, with the weapon he was using, he was likely using it to shoot at a range beyond his eyes or brain because or the rifle type scope and the power and range of such a weapon. As far as asking some who had been shot with a bow, I can find nothing like this ever happening in WI. PA is doing a 2 year experiment by including crossbows and now this happens. This should serve as a wake up call or at least raise awareness. I have heard peole comment on how making blaze orange maditory anywhere crossbows are used could prevent this sort of thing.

[jdbell91]

Call me crazy, but I don't see how this unfortunate incident should lead to banning crossbows. This could happen with any weapon. In my opinion, this is a shooter issue, not a weapon issue.

In Indiana we had a teen shoot a bow hunter in a tree while he was squirrel hunting with a .22 rifle. The teen shot at movement. Thankfully the hunter lived. By your logic, should we ban the use of .22 rifles for squirrel hunting based on one unfortunate accident by an irresponsible shooter? I think not.

As hunters and shooters it is our job to identify our target and what lies beyond it. That is one of the primary rules of gun safety.

[Jslotter]

I agree with jdbell.

[bobow]

JD & JS are dead on. The weapon used in this unfortunate event has nothing to do with the issue of banning or allowing crossbows for hunting.

[kellory]

What I haven't heard mentioned, he was shot at dusk, (not enough light) if there was a scope, low light is a problem. Older man nearly 60, does he require glasses? Did he have them? The weapon is blameless, all blame resides with the user. again, (your target and beyond) How did he get to his hunting spot, did he drive? If he did, then we should ban cars, because he could not have shot the other hunter if he were not there to fire the weapon (logic, and by the way, the way the legal system determines fault. IE: If you are struck by another car, while driving without a licience, it is your fault not his. There could have been no accident if you had obeyed the law.) How about contributary negligence for the gas station attendant who sold him the gas to get there? We could get truly rediculas and blame the weapon itself for stalking that poor hunter, or we could simply blame the idiot who pulled the trigger on a target without fully understanding what he was shooting at. So which one do we hold acountable Retch? The weapon, or the man?

[umpiremark]

Leave it to Retch and the useless WBH to twist a tragic event into a cause for their demented organization and beliefs.

A friend of my fathers was accidently hit by a car during a snowstorm blowing his driveway with his snowblower. Should we ban snowblowers and force anyone who lives in the north to use just shovels?

Geez, dude. Getta life ...