OT; Sad day in Vermont

[bigbore442001]

As an avid turkey hunter it makes me sick when I read of such events. How could this happen? After all, the only legal game is a bearded turkey. You have to see the beard to correctly identify the bird.

Boy killed in hunting-related shooting



May 1, 2009

WHEELOCK — A 17-year-old hunter was shot and killed this morning after his father apparently mistook the boy for a wild turkey.




Jacob Kadamus died at the scene on South Wheelock Road around 6 a.m. Lyndon Rescue personnel, Wheelock Fire Chief Mark Brown and state Game Warden Dave Gregory responded to the shooting. Wheelock is a Caledonia County town northwest of St. Johnsbury.

Preliminary investigation revealed that father and son were hunting turkeys on private property when Kevin Kadamus discharged his shotgun at what hebelieved to be a turkey, striking Jacob. Investigation revealed that Jacob had left his original hunting area and crossed into his father’s hunting area.

Game wardens are processing the shooting scene and State Police detectives continue the investigation. The case will be reviewed by the Caledonia County State’s Attorney.

At this time, no charges have been filed. An autopsy will be conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for final determination of manner of death.


Jacob Kadamus was a sophomore at Lyndon Institute, where he played football, was a hockey goaltender and a pitcher on the baseball team.

Spring turkey hunting season opened today and continues through May.

[mklwhite]

..."How could this happen? After all, the only legal game is a bearded turkey. You have to see the beard to correctly identify the bird."...

I'm afraid that it's because there are a fair number of idiots on the planet and some of them hunt. Never, ever, underestimate the human capacity for stupidity. It only really stinks because an innocent paid for someone else's foolishness. It's only harder on the family and friends when it is someone that close to the victim.

[Modoc ED]

Well, I'll tell ya one thing. Everyone now-a-days seems to think that they HAVE to go out with total camouflage -- clothes, boots, hat, face net/paint, etc. and it's just not so.

When I first started turkey hunting in the 1960s we wore jeans, regular boots/shoes, hat optional, neutral colored jacket (green plaid, brown, etc.) and no face cover. Guess what? We got our turkeys just fine and to this day I still wear just plain ole jeans, jacket (although I do have a camouflage jacket), and shoes/jacket and usually get a turkey whenever I go.

The kid killed in this case was probably in total camouflage and was hidden so well that his Dad couldn't see a human form. Stupid and tragic.

[rjohns94]

traggic!!

[Mich Hunter]

What ever happened to identifying your target??? Sound slike he just shot at something moving?? It is a tragic accident that could have been avoided. Dad will live with that memory forever.

[Sixgun]

When I hear of things like this, I bypass the "stupidy" thing. My heart goes out for Dad. The sentence he is given cannot be matched by anything the law can give.

If I was in Dad's shoes, they would probably find me with a Smith & Wesson with an empty cartridge case.-------------Sixgun

[jazman]

Sad day indeed, my thoughts go out to the family. Man, I hate reading things like this.

[madman4570]

I know there are many people who do not properly ID the game they are after and pull the trigger to early.
Many of your city hunters with little hunting experience do this.They were never schooled by their dads/granddads etc. that were good
hunters what to do and what not to do.Not enough time in the field.
About 8 Years ago one of my co-workers which I thought the way
he talked was a good hunter(lived and hunted in Sugar Valley Pa)
we were sitting at his table having a cup of coffee.He said to
me my son has his own gun for deer hunting.The kid was 12 or 13
His kid in the other room must of heard this because a couple
minutes later he came down from upstairs,he walked into the
kitchen with the muzzle pointing right towards me???
I quickly pushed the muzzle sideways away with me and his dad.
I kinda read him the riot act while he was just looking down at the
gun.His dad said Junior(this is what they really called him)take that
back upstairs.He said OK as he started to turn he cycled the bolt and Honest to God a 303 British round cycled out and fell
on the floor??????? I almost fell on the floor,well after about 1 hour
of explaining/ asking HOW/HOW/HOW I left.I never went back to their house and never hunted with any of them.Mind boggling.

[Old Ironsights]

The number of RULES violated in this story by both parties is why someone is dead... people don't die if you follow the Rules.

Don't move from your position.

Identify your target.

Get your dang gun out more than just during hunting season and practice.

Practice coordinated operations.

Practice using radio gear/headsets.

Practice aimed fire.

Practice identifying your target.

Practice beating your kid for not listening to you when you tell him to stay put...

[BlueStateSaint]

A lot of hunting accidents can be traced back to one thing--target identification. Positively identify your target. Do it again. Then, and only then, if it is what you want to shoot at, should you pull the trigger.

Living with the knowledge that you killed your son . . . would be penalty enough. Sixgun, you're right on. I'd probably eat a bullet, too.

[pokey]

When I hear of things like this, I bypass the "stupidy" thing. My heart goes out for Dad. The sentence he is given cannot be matched by anything the law can give.

If I was in Dad's shoes, they would probably find me with a Smith & Wesson with an empty cartridge case.-------------Sixgun

+1

[Old Ironsights]

When I hear of things like this, I bypass the "stupidy" thing. My heart goes out for Dad. The sentence he is given cannot be matched by anything the law can give.

If I was in Dad's shoes, they would probably find me with a Smith & Wesson with an empty cartridge case.-------------Sixgun

Here's the point Six... YOu wouldn't be in "dad's" shoes because:

(A) You ain't stupid
and
(B) Jr. ain't stupid.

This is simply Darwin in Action.

People who take firearms/hunting seriously don't have "accidents"... "Accident" indicates a situation that was completely out of the control of the victim.

A Falling Rock crusning your car is an "Accident"/"act of God".

Driving too fast and missing a turn/slamming into someone's rear is a "collision"/"act of stupidity". Same Same applies to hunting/gun "accidents".

Pity the Mother. To me it looks like the Father & Son were "accidents" waiting to happen.

[madman4570]

Ya, I kinda changed my post a little.felt a little quilty with cutting down the dad so much.
I cannot imagine the poor Family what they are going through and the grief they are suffering. My prayers are with that poor boy, and may he be in a better place.

[Bogie35]

It happened in low light. When there's not enough light the human mind can play tricks. You can believe you see something that you really don't, and you can also certainly misidentify a target. I remember deer hunting once when I was a teenager. I was on my stand when I noticed what looked like a deer feeding on something on the ground. It was still pretty dark so I didn't shoot. I turned and looked again, and it appeared that the deer had lifted his head. With a little more light, I noticed a bird lighting on the deer! It wasn't a deer! It was a crazy looking tree stump! My mind was telling me that it was a deer, because that's what I wanted it to be. I'm glad my dad taught me to ABSOLUTELY identify your target when there's enough light to do so. Unfortunately, not many kids have dad's like that anymore. I'm blessed.

bogie

[brucew44guns]

I'm going to bed for the night, glad I won't wake up tomorrow facing the reality that I did this horrible deed to my own son, or someone elses son. You couldn't eat, or sleep, or live, with this in your life. Totally consuming.

[Travis Morgan]

It happened in low light. When there's not enough light the human mind can play tricks. You can believe you see something that you really don't, and you can also certainly misidentify a target.

bogie

That's no excuse. Be darned SURE you know EXACTLY what you're shooting at!

[Leverdude]

Its a tragedy, I wasn't there. I cant imagine the pain. Its so easy to point fingers.

[gunslinger598]

It only takes a fraction of a second in lack of concentration, lack of attentiveness, or just poor judgment, ya can't ever take that shot back.

Let it be a lesson to all of us, even those of us who "know" we handle firearms safely to reflect and make certain we are ever mindful not just when handling firearms, but when ever we are in an environment where they may exist.

[dr walker]

I spoke my prayers for the family.

[Pisgah]

Tragedies of stupidity do happen -- but whenever I hear of one of these I also think of murder.

Years back, we had two "hunting accidents" in about a year's time. One was two best friends deer hunting together, the other a father and son turkey hunting. Supposedly, both shooters had mistaken the victims for their quarry.

Both incidents were treated as accidents. But, within months , the "best friend" moved in with his late friend's wife. The poor son, who had garnered tremendous sympathy for the tragic accident resulting in his father's death went hog-wild in a high profile manner with his inheritance, and both made the mistake of 'fessing up to others while drinking.

[Travis Morgan]

BTW, of those here who want the father flogged, or those that are really upset by this, how many of you have taken the time to become a hunter safety instructor? I have, and it's really neat, having kids you taught years back just coming up to you out of the blue to tell you about their latest adventure. It's very rewarding. I also enjoy the Young Hunter Education Challenge(YHEC) days. Including setup and tear down, I spend about a week or less on the two events I do annually, and despite not liking other peoples' kids, I really look forward to both.

The YHEC kids tend to be more focused and competitive, but there are some there just for the experience. It's nice to get to see them develop as sportsmen, hunters, and people. There are some whose names I don't know, but I definitely recognise, and there are others that have become friends. It's kinda like seeing the same animal in your hunting spot year after year, only you don't get to make jerky out of the annoying ones!

[Bogie35]

It happened in low light. When there's not enough light the human mind can play tricks. You can believe you see something that you really don't, and you can also certainly misidentify a target.

bogie

That's no excuse. Be darned SURE you know EXACTLY what you're shooting at!

[Travis Morgan]

Bogie,

That was most assuredly NOT my intent; I'm simply sick to death of people hearing of a tradgedy, and immediately trying to "walk a mile" in the shoes of the idiot that could have avoided it. "It was dark", "he didn't know it was loaded", "I thought she was on the pill", and "meth is a helluva drug" are NOT excuses for avoidable incidents.

[Bogie35]

Everyone,

Here are the final sentences of my post that Travis left out:

"I'm glad my dad taught me to ABSOLUTELY identify your target when there's enough light to do so. Unfortunately, not many kids have dad's like that anymore. I'm blessed."

With dad's like mine, who needs "Hunting Instructors"?

bogie

[Retro]

People who take firearms/hunting seriously don't have "accidents"...

... mostly.

We had a case here in South Africa about two years ago. Someone shot at something (sorry, I don't remember the details), bullet bounced off a rock and killed one of the party.

Yea, you could say he shouldn't have missed, and I suspect they were blazing away a bit, but... it was by all definitions an accident.

But I agree with you on the other 99% of "accidents".

[Travis Morgan]

Everyone,

Here are the final sentences of my post that Travis left out:

"I'm glad my dad taught me to ABSOLUTELY identify your target when there's enough light to do so. Unfortunately, not many kids have dad's like that anymore. I'm blessed."

With dad's like mine, who needs "Hunting Instructors"?

bogie

Umm...... bastards like me?

[Jason_W]

Happened right in my neck of the woods. In fact, the kid went to the same high school from which I graduated. There's a few like this every year. Mostly they are mistaken for game incidents. The number of people out there who seem to shoot at sound is disconcerting to say the least. I've hunted in Vermont long enough to know that the hunting here isn't that good so the sound you're hearing probably isn't what you're after.

[madman4570]

Travis, you should be THANKED for all you do with the Kids
and Adults with the Safety and YHEC Programs and being a Range
Officer/Pistol Instructor/Personal Protection Instructor your busy.
I know that my Rifle Club Instructor during my High School Years
grades 7-12 he was a HUGE INSPIRATION to myself as well as
the other kids in that club.Unless someone has gone through it
there is a lot of work to make Distingrished Expert Level.
Thats when we took our rifles to school!! and now look at today
Its not only the Shooting skills you develope but the whole gun
safety aspect as well.I try to help out quite a bit,but it seemed
I was always working(really no excuse) now I have recently retired
I am working with the Kids/Adults at the club/range more.
Anyway, You are doing a very good thing and its very time consuming and I know you spend a lot of your own money doing it.
JOB WELL DONE!!!!!!!!

[Travis Morgan]

Madman,

Really. it doesn't cost me much, and it breaks up the monotony of a long shooting session. Teaching helps you learn; once you see what you're telling people to do, you can see whether you're full of it or not. I'm just being selfish, and I like shooting. BUT, if anyone wants to give me a '73 in .45 Colt, a '76 in .45-70, a Springfield "White Feather" M1, and another Sig 220 with night sights to help further my cause, I'd not be opposed! (And a Barret .50, a Dillon aero, and a shipping container of primers and ammo!) Okay, got my poop in one hand..