Sad thing in IL

[ranger 3]

I read this on the LW.
You just absolutely hate to see things like this. In the local paper, there was more detail. He was shot at approximatly 20 yrds and the 16 year old though he was a turkey and "shot an arrow into the brush at the "object"". The arrow entered his upper back and severed an artery in his chest. He died before the ambulance could get there, even with a fast cell phone call.
Won't speculate on the cause or reasoning, I wasn't there and its not my place to judge, although it seems pretty obvious..."shot at the object in the brush?????". Might have been a great kid who made a very stupid mistake, might have been a kid who needed a good mentor to teach him hunting.

Long and short...grab a young hunter...mentor them well. Then mentor them some more.

"JOHNSONVILLE, Ill. — A young Fairfield, Ill., hunter was killed Thursday night when his friend apparently mistook him for a wild turkey and shot him in the back with an arrow.

Aaron J. Long, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday night. According to Wayne County Sheriff Jim Hinkle, Long had been hunting near the Sam Dale Lake State Park with several friends Thursday evening when he decided to come down from his deer stand earlier than expected.

“Mr. Long was sitting on a small ridge when his 16-year-old friend walked up on him and mistook him for a wild turkey,” Hinkle said. “He was struck in the upper back and died at the scene.”

The accident remains under investigation by Illinois State Police, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Wayne County Coroner Jimmy Taylor. The scene of the shooting is in a remote part of northwestern Wayne County, at the north end of Sam Dale Lake."

[Doc Nock]

You said a mouthful about youngsters.  How long were we trailing our Dad's and Uncles and having to watch and learn, long before we ever got to handle any weapon? And long before "hunter education."

That young man has also been robbed of his youth. No longer will he ever be a normal 16 yr. old. His life has been changed in ways we cannot imagine.

Prayers for the Long family and for the youth and his family. This heartache will last a very, very long time.

Prayers for peace, healing and Grace for all involved.

[redeemed]

I thought I responded to this before I can't imagine how EITHER family feels, this is one of those things that we hope we never have to hear of again yet seems every year they get repeated. Doc yo are so right, this young man has been robbed of his youth, as well as the deceased boy, an absolutely avoidable accident, yet there isn't one of us above making misatakes, just somne of them seem to better a teaching us lessons harder and faster.....unfortuniatly, obviuosly we will be in prayer for all invloved.