Boy killed in hunting accident

Quote:

---

A 45-year-old Maplewood man was arrested at the scene and was being held on suspicion of second-degree manslaughter.

---

Has he been charged yet?

Gary, you said it right. We do not know the facts yet. In my book, things like this should NEVER, NEVER happen. It is a great tragedy that will affect two familes for the rest of their lives. Right now, both families need our prayers, not our opinions.

This is what I was trying to avoid. No one is disputing this. We are all saying the same thing here. I was in law enforcement for years. I know what manslaughter is. The outcome of this event dictates the charge of manslaughter. I am not in any way defending this man, or condoning the shooting of an innocent young man. All, and I repeat ALL I am saying is that there is a lot more to come out of this whole situation. Arguing amongst ourselves adds no credence to what happened, and supports nothing but the affirmation that all sportsman know it is wrong and is a horrible unfortunate event. On that we can all agree. The circumstances however…that is another deal. That is what I want to learn about.

Does anyone know if this was on state land or private?

I guess I sit here, thinking that this MUST BE a mistake…..

I’ve seen buck fever and have seen people do stupid things…….But NEVER have I known anyone, let alone myself, mistake a human for a deer.

With that said, I don’t understand how this man may indeed have possibly shot the kid, thinking the kid was a deer. I’m not saying it happened that way, I’m not saying it didn’t happen that way.

What I’m saying, as it appears Chris is saying too, with others, is that we don’t know the whole story and I can’t comprehend how a person can think a human looks like a deer.

Basically, I don’t understand what happened. No comprehension of it.

With that said……he is innocent until proven guilty.

Brian, I believe I read or heard public land north of Mille Lacs. Steve Fellegy will know, as he was at the scene. I am sure he will chime in when he catches up with the posts. Bobber lives up there too, and may know more about it from a local angle.

Does anyone know more closely WHERE this happened? I was hunting both the Wealthwood State Forest and the Ripple River WMA on Saturday and Sunday, and I feel shaken to say the least. Anyone have an exact location?

Dave

I believe it happened about a mile west of Barnacle’s resort. My wife’s uncle told me about this last night. It happened right behind our cousin’s house. I do not know if it was private or public land though.
In any case this is a sad, sad deal. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who were involved.

The shooting took place across the hiway from the Wealthwood Public Access.

Don’t ask…I will say NOTHING about the shooting itself. Nor will I speculate and offer any opinion on this other than it is sad and beyond belief on how anything like this happens.

By the way…the guy has yet to be “charged” as of 3pm today.

Steve Fellegy
218-678-3103

Thanks Steve. Understandable.

well I agree, this is a terrible trajedy for all the families involved. the only thing that we can do is pray for both families and see where this ends up.

one other thing, if we assume things, well then it makes a out of u and me.

shane

I tend to agree with your post. This accident will change the lives of both families forever, and neither in a positive way. I cannot even imagine how the family of the fourteen year old feel, nor for that matter the shooter and his family.

Bottom line is this was just a horrible tradegy.

As for the shooter lets see what transpires.

Wow~

This is a tragedy that is uncalled for if everyone excercised the rules of gun safety classes. Know your target know what is beyond your target etc. etc.

But what we are ALL overlooking is the fact that a $3.99 blaze orange hat could have been the thing that would have saved this young life!!

I know it is not a law as long as the majority of the body is in orange but on this day the hat alone may have saved this kids life!! My exact reason for me wearing from head to angle BLAZE ORANGE!

Quote:

---

Wow~
This is a tragedy that is uncalled for if everyone excercised the rules of gun safety classes. Know your target know what is beyond your target etc. etc.
But what we are ALL overlooking is the fact that a $3.99 blaze orange hat could have been the thing that would have saved this young life!!
I know it is not a law as long as the majority of the body is in orange but on this day the hat alone may have saved this kids life!! My exact reason for me wearing from head to angle BLAZE ORANGE!

---

I think he did have a blaze with camo pattern on for a lid. guess I see a point on an all blaze cap. I wear a camo pattern blaze… till now anyway.
Similar thing happened just a few years ago in Isanti county (I think). An elderly man was hunting off his porch chair and shot a horse that had a young lady rideing it. If memory serves me right, he took a 150-200 yard shot through thick brush with a 12GA.Now I hunt with slug,rifle,bow etc…
When I think of how slugs drop after 100 yards (even less), he would have had to be pointing directly at her head to hit that horse in the vitals.
I will never wear a camo blaze hat deer hunting again.

This is so tragic. God bless.

I wear a solid orange. Also, on the news last night, they said it was a camoflauge hat, not blaze orange camo either.

big g

The news reported last nite the man was hunting with them and and he thought the boy was a deer. I was up hunting close to the area and probably heard that fatal shot My prayers go out to both families.This hunting thing isn’t a game it is serious you can change your life and someone elses life in a second. KNOW WHERE YOURE SHOOTING AND WHAT!!!!YOURE SHOOTING AT.

I own the camo orange pattern and i think it needs to be stopped being made, I did not know how hard it is to see until my uncle wanted to show me and he wore it in the woods. Its horrible, they need to make it manditory for a full solid blaze orange jacket and hat. I thought in the law you had to have a blaze orange hat on to be legal anyways.

Id like to see it go to you have to be in full blaze orange. i know next year i will be.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and i think the guy that shot him already has his penality knowing he shot one of his own hunting party members.

Camo or not know what youre shooting at before pulling the trigger!!!!

All I can say is.. its terrible that things like this ever have to happen. Even if/when whomever is charged and found guilty of this crime, its not going to do any justice for the family. There is no jail sentence, restitution, or fines that are going to bring back this young hunters life.

First of all I’m sorry for all invloved. My sympathy goes out to the boys family.

Secondly, HookandFinger makes a very good point. I hunt in a few different states and the orange requirement varies state to state, but I also agree with the 100% blaze orange not the camo orange. ND is mandatory full blaze orange / no camo pattern. I understand and fully believe in know your target and beyond when hunting, never more true than rufle hunting. I understand mistakes and poor judgement can happen (never should but the fact is they do), but I would like to see the MN DNR Rules take out as much risk as possible and would like to see MN adopt the full blaze orange and no camo pattern in their rules. Also agree with others previous, when hunting in a ground blind of any sort, please at least bring along another hat, shirt, etc. to put on top of the blind, brush pile, etc.

If we have to start making new regulations to safe-guard against every idiot that picks up a gun to go hunting, we will have nothing left.

The fact is the guy shot a human that was covered in orange. It is not like the boy was walking behind a concrete wall with just his head exposed. The guy really screwed up. I am sure the shooter is going through some serious emotional problems right now, but that is good. He messed up pretty bad and should reap the concequences.

Make an example out of the guy and teach people that way.

I was out in my stand this past Saturday morning and I heard a crash behind me and to my right. I then stood up in my climber, turned around, and listened more. Another crash, about this time my heart is really starting to pump. Now the important part. I REACHED FOR MY BINOCULARS to see if I could make out what was coming through the thick brush. What was coming was a blob of orange that turned out to be my father, who was coming towards my stand 3 hours early because he had shot a deer and needed help dragging it.

My whole family has a strategy for walking through the woods, much like Scott Steil and others have talked about, in which you take 4 of 5 steps, pause, listen, and repeat. Now the point of this is for a deer to think you may be a deer not a human. I’ve never heard this happen from a stand, but my dad REALLY sounded like a deer. But I didn’t shoot him!

I know we don’t know all the details, and I know we aren’t doing any good by arguing about this, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. And I don’t care what the scenario was, I don’t care what the boy was wearing, I don’t care what he was standing behind. He was a human being, and in no way does that resemble a deer.

For me, deer hunting is all about creating a memory. Now I only rifle hunt, but I have never shot a deer at over 100 yards. Because the best part about deer hunting is calling a deer in, or watching him walk the path that goes right below your stand. Just blasting away at a deer you can’t see which may be a yearling doe, or a 15 point buck is not what hunting is about.

I know everyone reading this isn’t going to change what happened, but we must work to prevent things like this in the future. I encourage everyone to talk to a kid about what happened. Tell a kid your favorite memory while deer hunting, not the BIGGEST deer you shot, but the best story you have. Reassure the child that you are hunting to create memories. Some of my fondest deer hunting memories are of passing up bucks that I could have shot the second I saw them, only to see that they hung around my stand for 15 more minutes. If someone needs meat so bad that they are willing to shoot something before they can positively identify it, then they should get a job and just buy the venison.

Quote:

---

If we have to start making new regulations to safe-guard against every idiot that picks up a gun to go hunting, we will have nothing left.

---

First, I will save judgment until all the facts are in on this case and I have had a chance to read them. Secondly, I was not talking about this incident in regards to the Full Blaze, but was commenting on H&F’s comment. However, you are correct, there is still a bunch of “IDIOTS” out there. Which reinforces my opinion more that I can’t see the harm in changing the regulations to “POSSIBLY” avoid a “MISHAP” of this proportion in the future. Tell me the personal gain of wearing blaze camo vs. full blaze in exchange for a human life??? I can’t think of any advantages, can you?

If that regulation was changed and saves one life, it has done it job and well worth the switch don’t you think????

Lip – I didn’t intend to start a debate. The only reason I don’t like changing rules is for the same reason I am sure you probably don’t want be regulated to wear blaze orange while bow hunting.

We need to educate versus band-aiding our regulations further and further. It shouldn’t make a difference if he was wearing blaze orange or a leather coat with white wool lining. It is the shooter that ultimately needs to make the right decision, not the boy. When I read the story, I instantly thought about my young nefews that hunt with our group. Just be careful everyone…

Prayers are continuing to be sent to the families.

He was charged – sounds like a bad deal.

From the StarTribune:

Last update: November 21, 2006 – 1:46 PM

Hunter charged with manslaughter in teen’s death
JIM ADAMS, Star Tribune

AITKIN, MINN. – The man accused of killing a Buffalo, Minn., teenager said that he shot twice after detecting sounds and movements that led him to believe he was taking aim at a deer, according to criminal charges filed today in Aitkin County against another hunter.
Steve Ferguson, 45, of Maplewood, was charged today with second-degree manslaughter in the death Saturday of Brandon Lanie, 14.

After shooting Lanie, the complaint said, Ferguson called police and waited at the scene. When sheriff’s deputies arrived, Ferguson told them that he had shot Lanie in the head.

According to the complaint:

Ferguson said he was in a tree stand 15 feet up, heard the crunch of leaves, heard movement and saw something brown. He shot twice, then hollered to another in the hunting party that his aim was true.

After descending the stand, he came upon the body and realized that he had shot Brandon.

The charges say Brandon was wearing blaze orange hunting pants and coat, and a baseball-style cap.

According to County Sheriff Scott Turner, Lanie was walking through the woods just before 5 p.m. when Ferguson shot Lanie once in the head with his rifle. He was pronounced dead at the scene north of Mille Lacs Lake near Wealthwood Township in the southern part of the county.

Bail for Ferguson was set at $20,000 bond or $2,000 cash after prosecutor Lisa Rakotz in a hearing today noted Ferguson’s previous drunken-driving convictions and her belief that Ferguson had been drinking that day in violation of a restriction on his driver’s license.

Along with setting bail, Judge John Leitner ruled that Ferguson must stay in Minnesota, have no contact with Brandon’s family, not consume alcohol or illegal drugs, not be anyplace where alcohol is served, submit to random alcohol testing, and not hunt or use firearms.

Defense attorney Ryan Garry had asked for no bail, saying his client was not a flight risk, has lived in his current home for 15 years, has no warrants for his arrest and no history of violent crimes.

Ferguson, wearing jail garb and handcuffs, said nothing at his hearing.

Speaking for his client, Garry said, the shooting was a “horrific, tragic accident” and Ferguson sends “his deepest regards and sympathy” to Brandon’s family.

Lanie had been spending the weekend in the county at his father’s new cabin.

A memorial fund in honor of Lanie will be set up at Buffalo’s Klein Bank.

From 4-8 p.m. Thursday, a visitation service will be held in Buffalo at Peterson Chapel Funeral Home, 119 N. Central Av. The funeral service is at 11 a.m. Friday at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Buffalo, 302 NE. 2nd St.

Jim Adams • 612-673-7658 • By JIM ADAMS [email protected]

©2006 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

Still think I shouldn’t have called him a slob hunter? Very sad!

Did you know this before you said it?

The more details that come out, the more I think this guy is just stupid. You hear crunching leaves and shoot? Idiot.

Quote:

---

It shouldn’t make a difference if he was wearing blaze orange or a leather coat with white wool lining. It is the shooter that ultimately needs to make the right decision, not the boy.

---

I couldn’t agree more Mallard M. However, we could educate till we are blue in the face, but that still doesn’t stop people from making “stupid” decsions. However wearing blaze orange is more visisble and could save a life.

If you read more of the article on the star website…it says he HAD blaze jacket and pants…with a baseball cap of some sorts. The prosecutor believes the shooter was drinking that day…this guy deserves what he gets and then some. Like B.Peterson said above, just to shoot and not know what you are shooting at…educate all you want, obviously some people cannot be educated!