Female hunter shoots, kills man after mistaking him for hog, coroner says

FrankT

Destin FL
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Female hunter shoots, kills man after mistaking him for hog, coroner says

ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. —
A man was shot and killed Wednesday night while hog hunting on private property in Anderson County, according to chief deputy coroner Charlie Boseman.

Kenneth Jason Young, 40, of Starr, was hog hunting by himself when he was accidentally mistaken for one of the animals by another female hunter, Boseman said.


The accident was reported just after 8:30 p.m. on Gentry Road between Highway 181 and Highway 81 near Brooks McGee Road just south of Starr, according to dispatchers.

The hunter was using a thermal scope when she saw an outline of Young "on all fours in the grass," Boseman said.

She took a single shot, thinking it was a hog, Boseman said.

All the hunters had permission to be on the private hunting grounds, according to Boseman.

Deputies and emergency medical services responded.

The incident is being investigated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, as well as the Anderson County Sheriff's Office.
 

RattlesnakeDan

San Antonio Texas
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That is not good
 

Curly Shuffle

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In the night time hours I would never be on all fours!!! I bet that woman feels pretty bad for what happened. Feel sorry for the deceased and the shooter.
 

Hard_ware

Here piggy piggy! Deep Deep S. TX.
It's dangerous enough at night with inexperienced hunters, but crawling around on all fours!
I am sure in tall grass under the wrong conditions could easily be mistaken for a four legged critter even by experienced hunters.

Even the more reason now to make sure for 100% ID.
I never would have thought someone would be crawling around on all fours while on a property with hog hunting taking place.
 

scrmblr1982cj8

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Leave it to a South Carolinian to make the news in this manner.

Not good.
 

Brian Shaffer

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UPDATE!!!!!!!!
Frank's link was updated. The woman's ATN scope got the kill recorded. Law enforcement has viewed the video.
"Investigators said they have seen the recording. They said an outline of something on all fours is seen in the recording."

Note: the scope photo is a file photo and not of the scope that was used.

I am guessing this will not go well for the woman. If other folks can't identify the "something on all fours" as a hog, then the woman fired negligently. The question will then be whether this ends up as just a civil matter or a civil AND criminal matter.

While I have no wish to see the shot, I would like to see what the video looked like up until the shot.

-------

I refuse to blame the victim here. This reminds me of the GA game warden killed by coyote hunters using night vision. Fatal shooting of Ga. game officer under investigation The hunters shot at the reflection of the scope being used and FAILED to properly identify their target.

Such shootings happen with alarming frequency with daylight scopes as well, and even unscoped rifles, but fortunately the numbers are dropping. People get mistaken for hogs, deer, turkeys (still can't figure this one out), and even bear. I met a local boy here who was shot by his own uncle during deer season, in broad daylight, shattering the boy's arm. The uncle had a scoped 30-30. The boy, his father, and the uncle were in stands 100 yards apart. It was agreed that they would stop hunting at 10 am. At that time, the father climbed down from his stand and walked to collect his son from the next stand. They then proceeded to the Uncle's stand to get him. The uncle, realizing he was short on time and may not get a buck, saw MOVEMENT through the brush on the trail between the stands and fired at movement. The boy was wearing an orange cap.
 

WhoCares

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Wow, this is really unfortunate!! Please be careful and positively ID your target.
 

Wildfowler

Mis'sippi
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I am guessing this will not go well for the woman. If other folks can't identify the "something on all fours" as a hog, then the woman fired negligently. The question will then be whether this ends up as just a civil matter or a civil AND criminal matter.
What other folks or are you talking about?

The article said investigators saw something "on all fours". It says they have not released woman's name nor have they pressed any charges.

Is there more information than what is being reported in that article?

Thanks
 

Brian Shaffer

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Folks other than the shooter. There are already multiple folks, "investigators," who have seen the video and who did not report seeing a hog on the ground and did not report seeing a hunter on the ground. They could only see "something on all fours." That is a pretty vague reference. Given that they are seeing what the shooter saw, the video being through her scope, and they can't identify the target beyond "something on all fours," then there is no reason to believe the shooter could either. That would mean that she could not identify her target properly at the time that she pulled the trigger. As such, it would be a negligent shooting. There isn't any doubt the shooter shot the other hunter. At this point, it is a matter of the circumstances of the shooting. Did the shooter shoot a clearly identified hog only to have the bullet impact the hog, pass through, and ricochet into another hunter not seen somewhere down range? This isn't reported. Did she directly fire at another hunter whom the shooter failed to identify properly? That would be negligence and fall under being criminal negligence, in particular because of the resultant death. That does not mean that the shooter will be charged, but the shooter certainly may be charged. While charges have not been filed, that does not mean that charges won't be filed. Charges are often not filed immediately in hunting incident investigations such as this, but it is not uncommon for charges to be filed in hunting incidents that result in a shooting death. hunting death charges - Google Search
 

der Teufel

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True enough, and even if criminal charges aren't filed, there's always the possibility of civil charges from the family of the deceased.
This is just really unfortunate, and it was almost certainly avoidable.
 

pruhdlr

Cantonment,Fla.
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NOW . . . I am unclear as to just who made the statement . . . "on all fours".
What position(s) does a human have to be in to be "on all fours" ?? --- pruhdlr
 

Wildfowler

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Me and a couple buddies were convinced we were looking at a black bear one time.

For some reason it's legs looked a lot thicker to us on the thermal than a coyotes legs really are. And we could not see its tail.

We eventually figured it out when it trotted away but we never did shoot at it due to the uncertainty.

Hunting accidents happen and people don't always get arrested as a result. Having actual video footage from the first person shooter perspective will certainly have some affect on this outcome I'm sure.

I guess I misunderstood what you were trying to convey earlier? I feel certain the shooters life as she knows it has already ended. I know mine would end. No way I could live with that kind of torment.
 
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Wildfowler

Mis'sippi
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NOW . . . I am unclear as to just who made the statement . . . "on all fours".
What position(s) does a human have to be in to be "on all fours" ?? --- pruhdlr
When I read that I took that to mean someone on their hands and knees crawling around.

I personally have been on my hands and knees following a blood trail under thick brush because there was no other way to follow it.

I damn sure won't do it again.
 

Hard_ware

Here piggy piggy! Deep Deep S. TX.
When I read that I took that to mean someone on their hands and knees crawling around.

I personally have been on my hands and knees following a blood trail under thick brush because there was no other way to follow it.

I damn sure won't do it again.

Yep makes you think hard about the stupidity of others ending your life. I replied to a thread on another forum discussing the image quality of thermal scopes, point is being questioned as to if PID is possible. I am just glad I have the MKIII because something like this further emphasizes to me the importance of PID before pulling the trigger. Most thermals will let you PID, but the distance at which you can do it will depend on the environmental conditions and image quality of the thermal device you are using. I mainly got it because I am lazy and didn't want to walk hundreds of yards to get PID with my Armasight or Flir units.
 

pruhdlr

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I have been on my hands and knees many times looking for blood also. However when doing so,I have a very bright(4000L)white light i'm using. --- pruhdlr
 

Hard_ware

Here piggy piggy! Deep Deep S. TX.
and
I have been on my hands and knees many times looking for blood also. However when doing so,I have a very bright(4000L)white light i'm using. --- pruhdlr

Just be aware that someone looking thru thermal scope wont see the light.
This shooting will make me think twice about getting low to the ground in an area others are hunting in,
Just like I would never sneak around during deer season in an area others are hunting in.
What I am doing may be reasonable but stupidity exists and I would rather not chance it.
With the pvs14 and thermal I have always been well aware of anyone or thing approaching.
If it is an anyone I use a bright light with the strobe to alert them, not worried about spooking critters at that point. If they start shooting at me well then I will do what I have to. Along the border it is a possibility, I have been lucky to not experience it.
 
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Brian Shaffer

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Hunters who fail to properly identify their targets are going to be a concern whether you are standing, sitting, or crawling. A bunch of people get shot during deer season, mistaken for deer, even when wearing hunter orange and walking through the woods.
 

FrankT

Destin FL
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Brian that is why I don't hunt public land and we have tons of it in FL...Private and where myself or my people are the only ones hunting
 
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