hunting accidents

[nuadixion]

I just heard a story about a black dog getting shot - mistakenly for a bear. How common are these kind of things?

[b.c hunter 88]

i duno if you cant tell the diffrents from a dog and a bear than dam i hate to hunt around that guy

[frenchbar]

i have a freind who had a hunter shoot his husky while out hunting.....it happens .

[nuadixion]

Should not dog be on leash in wilderness/crown land? Apparently guys walk around the corner, see a black thing sitting in the bushes, smoke it, guy comes running from the other side - (done taking a piss) and all hell breaks loose......dogs dies shortly after.....

[Foxton Gundogs]

Unless it was a huge dog probably wouldn't have been a legal bear either the shooter is an idiot in either case what ever happened to be sure of your target???

[Steeleco]

I'd have to say shooting someones dog is far from being an accident, it's "incompetent" I'd be seeking some form of restitution if they guy shot my dog.

[sky-gunner]

I have a Newfie, his name is bear and he looks very similar to a bear. Hes pushing 150lbs. But if I take him out to the bush I put a hi vis vest on him. He gets shot then, the shooter will have zero excuses.

[ncurrie]

I would feel sorry for the idiot that would mistake my black dog for a bear!

[WaderGator]

I have a Newfie, his name is bear and he looks very similar to a bear. Hes pushing 150lbs. But if I take him out to the bush I put a hi vis vest on him. He gets shot then, the shooter will have zero excuses.

Had a newfie/st bernard for a short time. All the kids would think it was a bear when I would take him for walks at crescent beach

[schilly101]

id like to know the full story...maybee the dog was a runner, wouldnt stay home, the guy knew it was out chaseing deer or farm animals but couldnt catch it at it so he just popped it and said "oops i thought it was a bear"? always more to the story than we hear...

[Iron Glove]

Should not dog be on leash in wilderness/crown land? Apparently guys walk around the corner, see a black thing sitting in the bushes, smoke it, guy comes running from the other side - (done taking a piss) and all hell breaks loose......dogs dies shortly after.....

Well, there was the case last year of a woman "hunter" mistaking her husband for game and she got away with it.
I walk my dogs all the time off leash in wilderness / crown land - that's kinda the reason we walk there, it's off leash. Sure, we try to avoid obvious hunting spots but if the "hunter" can't differentiate between a dog and game, that's one hunter who should lose his right to hunt. Forever

[vortex hunter]

Should not dog be on leash in wilderness/crown land? Apparently guys walk around the corner, see a black thing sitting in the bushes, smoke it, guy comes running from the other side - (done taking a piss) and all hell breaks loose......dogs dies shortly after.....

Bear hunting YOU CAN run a DOG or DOGS ... and you only need your dog on a leash with Deer hunting cause your dog cannot chase deer But Like NCurrie Said I would NOT want to be that Sorry Mother F#$er who shot my dog ... One of us would be leaving REALLY HURT ...just my 2 cents

[BiG Boar]

If I see a dog that looks like a wolf, there's a good chance that lead will be in the air. Of the 3 times I have shot at wolves, I always first thought they were someones dog.

[Rubicon500]

Makes a person wonder how incompitent other hunters are , but on the same note how much effort is it to put a vest on your pup ? If you care about your dog as much as some of you say one would think a neon/reflective vest is a no brainer. My 2 cents.

[FirePower]

I'd have to say shooting someones dog is far from being an accident, it's "incompetent" I'd be seeking some form of restitution if they guy shot my dog.

Ah, but this fellow was more than likely an unsafe, incompetent that learned to hunt and shoot from his family way back when and never took the gun and hunting saftey courses. That would explain everything,

[Barracuda]

I can understand mistakes are made and some dogs and wild canines are pretty similer but it would be pretty tough to mistake a dog for a bear unless your name is mr Magoo .
Theres plenty of dogs that look like wolves and even coyotes , I know of one dog that if it didnt have a coller on it would have been accidentally taken.


Could be some cowardly POS that figures they can shoot any dog running loose in the bush and uses any story they can make up to try to justify it if they are caught .

[Barracuda]

Makes a person wonder how incompitent other hunters are , but on the same note how much effort is it to put a vest on your pup ? If you care about your dog as much as some of you say one would think a neon/reflective vest is a no brainer. My 2 cents.

Thats fine till the vest is hung up . Ours are light coloured hounds with bright collars so the only way they would be shot is if some POS shot them.

Unless the dog looked like potential prey species then a simple bright collar should be more then enough

[Big Lew]

"Ah, but this fellow was more than likely an unsafe, incompetent that learned to hunt and shoot from his family way back when and never took the gun and hunting saftey courses. That would explain everything,"

Nice piece of 'tongue-in-cheek' sarcasm....but as a hunter since 1958, I've heard and seen far, far, too many incidents of 'Hunters' shooting something or someone that they thought was a bear, deer, moose, birds, etc. and it continues even well after the CORE and other safety programs. If you separate the morons that will shoot at anything without conscious, regardless if it's legal or what they're after, using inappropriate weapons, 'sound shooting', or 'kill it and then check to see if it's of legal size or sex', from those that allow their adrenalin rush to cloud their judgement, only experience or hands-on guidance will lessen these incidents. That's not to say that taking the programs won't help, they most definitely do, especially with safe firearm handling and species identification. Sadly, some hunters, even with experience and ample training, never are able to control their excitement (get it before it gets away, syndrome) so have 'tunnel vision' or allow their imagination to see something other than what it is. These are the ones most likely to shoot someone.

[scoutlt1]

Should not dog be on leash in wilderness/crown land? Apparently guys walk around the corner, see a black thing sitting in the bushes, smoke it, guy comes running from the other side - (done taking a piss) and all hell breaks loose......dogs dies shortly after.....

Shooting "a black thing sitting in the bushes" does not constitute an "accident".

[nuadixion]

As always, it it easy to point fingers/criticize/condemn.....but it is a lesson to be learned for all of us....and learn we will to the end of our days.

[Barracuda]

you did ask and it seems like the majority of people do take as much time as possible to make a good id before the choose to pull the trigger.

[Surrey Boy]

If I see a dog that looks like a wolf, there's a good chance that lead will be in the air. Of the 3 times I have shot at wolves, I always first thought they were someones dog.

At least someone here is reasonable.

I once thought a big coyote was the neighbour's German Shepard. Shouldn't have let him walk.

[Glenny]

Should not dog be on leash in wilderness/crown land? Apparently guys walk around the corner, see a black thing sitting in the bushes, smoke it, guy comes running from the other side - (done taking a piss) and all hell breaks loose......dogs dies shortly after.....

I would think keeping a dog on a leash on crown wilderness is insane, unless your big game hunning it's law but not for bird hunting. maybe this is why people put bandanas on their dogs. Never seen a bear or a deer with a bandana or a vest on. :neutral:

[Barracuda]

a dog does not have to be leashed on crown land even if it isnt hunting.

[Ryan Olson]

My core instructor told us about another instructor who brought one of his own handguns to his class as an example. While the class was in session the gun went off. Guess he didnt finish the "ACTS" and "PROVE"

[BigfishCanada]

I'd have to say shooting someones dog is far from being an accident, it's "incompetent" I'd be seeking some form of restitution if they guy shot my dog.

I was in the middle of no where and I guess a husky (looked like a wolf to me) was with a guy cuttin firewood. I was SECONDS away froms shooting, and then i saw him. FAR FROM INCOMPETENT, the wood cutter was incompetent, id have a blaze orange vest on my dog in the bush

[Mulehahn]

a while back there was a post from someone who said ho couldnt shoot any more bears because they looked like his black lab. It is possible to mistake a dog for a bear with a quick look. But that being said, you should watch a bear long enough to check for cubs. Especially in the spring. Doing this should give you ample time to realize its a dog.

[Moose Guide]

I have never come across even one verifiable instance of a hunter shooting a dog or other non game animal by accident in B.C., has anyone else?

[Jagermeister]

i duno if you cant tell the diffrents from a dog and a bear than dam i hate to hunt around that guy
My dog is really black, ironically, his name is bear. It would be quite easy for someone to mistake him for a bear if his form was obscured from complete view. When we go out in the bushes, he wears a flourescent vest so he is not mistaken for a bear and he is close contained on a long leash.

[steel_ram]

I have never come across even one verifiable instance of a hunter shooting a dog or other non game animal by accident in B.C., has anyone else?

Some tree planters dog was shot, apparently mistaken for a wolf, though it was wearing a red bandana. That was N. of Campbell river ~ 5 years ago. It was in the news.
I was almost shot because I happened to be moving in the bushes in an area a certain segment of our population were practising their tradition hunting rights, with shotguns in a archery only area.

[SPILTZ]

I agree with most of the guys on here about putting a vest on the dog, its a great idea. I take my ridgeback for hikes out on crownland, and I would be pretty PO'd if someone shot my dog with a purple collar and orange vest on. I would also agree with one of the other comments made that you should watch the animal/bear/dog long enough to be able to differentiate between them before taking a shot.

[Big Lew]

I have never come across even one verifiable instance of a hunter shooting a dog or other non game animal by accident in B.C., has anyone else?

When the Cache Creek Game Check was operating they had several documented, the most serious was a CO on horseback inside the treeline getting a bullet through his ear by someone supposedly shooting at a moose. They had tales of hunters bringing cattle through, and one actual mule, the hunters all not trying to hide their trophies, thinking they had shot a legal animal. I have personally seen the carcasses of 3 horses and 7 cattle shot by 'sound shooters' or persons shooting at eyes in the dark. (Might have been even more as I try to remember events over the years) The closest I've come to actually witnessing an event was just north of Kamloops just north of the IR. My brother and I were off the side of the road in my camper when a vehicle stopped beyond us and opened fire with about 3 shots. As there was a full moon, we thought someone was shooting at coyotes, but when we pulled out we saw 2 dead cows off the side of the highway.

[dhog]

I walk my dogs on crown land all the time off leash during hunting season both get high vis collers if someone shot them that would mean that they were shotting a little to close to me walking them They should lose there hunting priviledge after they learn how to walk again

[lightmag]

I agree with most of the guys on here about putting a vest on the dog, its a great idea. I take my ridgeback for hikes out on crownland, and I would be pretty PO'd if someone shot my dog with a purple collar and orange vest on. I would also agree with one of the other comments made that you should watch the animal/bear/dog long enough to be able to differentiate between them before taking a shot.

i have a ridgeback too, 110lbs at 13 months, same color as a deer!!! same size as a small buck or doe!! so yes, a red vest will be on him thi syear when out hunting!! owners responsibility if the have a pet that even somewhat could pass for a game animal!! people spend hundreds/thousands on a their family pets but then dont spend the 5-80$ on a protective gear?????

[Barracuda]

There are also alot of selfentitled POS people out there that will shoot a dog on purpose or at a dog and will claim its they are allowed because it was alegedly scareing game or what ever other BS story they can use to cover thier ass. Some dogs are also trained to come to a gun shot which can lead to issues also.

[Jelvis]

I've seen deer hunters up by Barriere in the bush who have a huge husky dog they use for hunting off leash, I asked the guy about it and he said he does it all the time. He said the dog will pinpoint a deer.
I wasn't going to argue with the dude.
I wouldn't try that myself cuz someone could think it was a wolf.
Jel .. He couldn't have cared less ..
Oh and one day I was hunting back off a road early morning in the cold crisp air, I heard a big animal snorting like crazy and then I see long dark legs walking towards us. It turns out to be some guy on a horse hunting in the bush.
I thought he was nuts and told em I wouldn't try that now a days around here. He said your prolly right and went down the mountain towards a road.
He said it was his first time around here, he used to hunt up Darfield way on foot but the rocks were to hard on a horse.
Some people don't care or don't imagine what might happen.

[Barracuda]

off leash for deer would also be against the rules.

[Jelvis]

I asked the guy. Ah isn't a dog supposed to be leashed? He said I've hunted this way for years so far.
So I figured I ain't going to get into a discussion with this guy, so I went off hunting. He had a deer on the ground when we saw him.
No vehicles around either. He used to live in Ex-lou apparently.
Jel ( Nuttin ) I could do.

[dino]

If I see a dog that looks like a wolf, there's a good chance that lead will be in the air. Of the 3 times I have shot at wolves, I always first thought they were someones dog.


I agree with you , anyone stupid enough to bring any dog that may look like a wolf is asking for it. You want to bring a dog with you hunting you better put some high viz on it.

[Moose Guide]

When the Cache Creek Game Check was operating they had several documented, the most serious was a CO on horseback inside the treeline getting a bullet through his ear by someone supposedly shooting at a moose. They had tales of hunters bringing cattle through, and one actual mule, the hunters all not trying to hide their trophies, thinking they had shot a legal animal. I have personally seen the carcasses of 3 horses and 7 cattle shot by 'sound shooters' or persons shooting at eyes in the dark. (Might have been even more as I try to remember events over the years) The closest I've come to actually witnessing an event was just north of Kamloops just north of the IR. My brother and I were off the side of the road in my camper when a vehicle stopped beyond us and opened fire with about 3 shots. As there was a full moon, we thought someone was shooting at coyotes, but when we pulled out we saw 2 dead cows off the side of the highway.

My uncle lived in Williams Lake and claimed to know the guy who lost the mule, I guess I've just been lucky:)

[Jagermeister]

That mule incident at Cache Creek game check was pre-Core testing. Things are much better now. TIC!

[nuadixion]

more details to the story --

it happened in the very active hunting are - some other guys were target practicing near by(shots fired frequently). After the incident they buried the dog together and no other casualties were recorded. They parted in their own ways in peace.

[Big Lew]

That mule incident at Cache Creek game check was pre-Core testing. Things are much better now. TIC!

Yes, they are. I remember hearing the local news reporting the 2 cows shot just north of Kamloops as "American Moose", and that phrase caught on quickly.

[The Dude]

I heard a story about a guy whose unicorn got mistaken for an Elk.
I don't have links or anything....... Talk about this for 12 pages, will ya?

[hunter1947]

This happens now and then including humans its called not Identifying your target before you shoot plane and simple..

[RENO]

Ah, but this fellow was more than likely an unsafe, incompetent that learned to hunt and shoot from his family way back when and never took the gun and hunting saftey courses. That would explain everything,

I was taught way back, by my Dad, AND took the course, never shot any Dogs! Firepower! So what happened here? to your incompetent that learned way back as you say, I guess there goes your theory, that anyone can teach hunting and safety! Remember Safety first, and be sure of your target first? what's beyond! Just something, I heard once.... remember it, you shouldn't have any probs with mistaking bears and dogs. I don't care ,where,when,or how you got your training, your only as good as your teacher and your ability to learn! if you can't tell the diff between a DOG and a BEAR in a scope ??? I would sugg Golf

[500grhollowpoint]

Should not dog be on leash in wilderness/crown land?

Are you kidding? It's bad enough I have to leash my dog in town because most people can't control their dogs.


But if I take him out to the bush I put a hi vis vest on him. He gets shot then, the shooter will have zero excuses.

This.Mine looks nothing like a bear or a wolf, still do this.

[abbyfireguy]

Years ago the owner of Finger Lake Resort in 7 11 would put blaze orange flagging tape on his dogs collars after getting two dogs shot for looking like wolves.
Some dogs look amazingly like wolves and some people are such city slickers with Grizzly Adams wanna be thoughts that they can't tell a Hereford from a Moose!

[Fella]

I remember when I was 10 or 11 that a guy was hunting out near harrison, heard a rustle in a bush, thought it was a bear and shot at it. Turned out to be another hunter.

[Tenacious Billy]

My 2 year old daughter knows the difference between a "moo-cow" and a moose......I'm curious how the people who don't know manage to fumble their way through life?.....

[bassplayer]

This happens now and then including humans its called not Identifying your target before you shoot plane and simple..
x2. I agree 100%.

[Cami]

if your out in the bush and you don't put a high vis coaler on your dog. its your own fault.
If there is a dog in the bush chasing deer without any coaler i think any guy should take him out.

[scoutlt1]

if your out in the bush and you don't put a high vis coaler on your dog. its your own fault.
If there is a dog in the bush chasing deer without any coaler i think any guy should take him out.

And here I thought I wouldn't post on this drawn out thread......BUT...


nahhhh....forget it....what's the point.

[skibum]

Probably spent the time to make sure there were no cubs around

[91Jason91]

I cant see someone shooting a black lab but I can see someone shooting a husky because I have almost done it.
I was hunting with some buddies once and we had our LEH for moose. We were driving down a logging road when we saw a wolf (aka husky) Running through a clear cut by itself. We parked the truck on the side of the road and loaded up our guns and put the crosshairs on it as its running around the cut. My buddy and I start to talk and play rock paper scissors over who gets to shoot it. He won the game so we both aimed in on it safty off and the thing turned and looked at us (it was about 180 Yards away). I told him to wait I think I see something. So we held off and it ended up being a black colar on the dog. The thing then ran towards the road that we were on and then ran about a KM down the road and then up another road. we followed it and there was a guy there putting fire wood in his truck. We went up and talked to him and told him we almost shot his dog, and that he should not be letting it run around on its own in the bush when it looks alot like a wolf and to put a reflection vest on it. The guy looked at us like we were idiots, so we said ****ed it and drove back to the cabin. We couldnt believe that we almost shot someones dog and that he was letting it run around like that. About an hour later we were making burgers on the BBQ and one of our other buddies comes in on the quad. He comes running up to us and tells us the same thing that he almost shot some guys dog. But this time when he went to tell the guy that he almost shot the dog, the owner of the dog said holly F**k and grabbed his dog fast and tossed it inside the truck.
I Think after the second warning by someone els made this guy realize that its a bad idea to have a husky running around without a vest or anything on, well its off the leash on its own.

[nuadixion]

Proving who is wrong and who is right will not change anything. Obviously this kind of accidents happen and I would not like to be at either end of it. As I see it, both parties would be at the loosing end. There are numerous circumstances surrounding incidents like that. What it proves is only two things - if you do not want to risk your dogs life - put a vest on it; if you do not want to shoot someones dog - think more than twice before you pull the trigger.

[tomahawk]

Before the creation of some regulation (CORE as we know it today) to attaining a hunting license there seemed to be a lot of "accidents' and incidents", some pretty minor and some ending in death. It was quite common to hear the term "Didn't see any animals today but I had one sound shot' from hunters you met in the bush. Education has made the bush a lot safer but there still are those that are idiots and that will never change.

[scoutlt1]

As a F/A attendant for over 15 years, and head of safety at a job I've been at for over 18 years, I explain it (basically) like this;
You wander around heavy equipment with no vest, don't make eye contact with operators, you could end up like road kill. Are you at fault? Maybe not. Does it matter? In alot of ways, to your family, and WCB, no....because you are now a pancake. You are now dead.
If you have a pet giraffe and you are doing the Grouse Grind with her in July, should you put a bright bandana or vest on her so nobody mistakes her for a skunk? probably not. Is your bestest buddy a husky/wolf cross that loves to wander around while you are cutting firewood during a wolf GOS??...then I'd dress him up a bit.
If you can't tell the difference between a lab and a black bear, spend more time at save-on. If you blast away at a shaking leaf because you think it's a grizzly, hand over your hunting license.
There's a reason why it's mandatory in many parts of the world to wear some blaze orange. It's not because us humans look like a whitetail, it's because most humans are stupid.
My black lab/chessie cross runs unleashed in the bush all the time. He stays close, but he's all over the place. And out there, I always put on his red bandana (mostly because women think it's cute :-) )......but also because I don't want him to get shot. Does he look like a bear, or a deer, or a wolf? nope.....but better safe than sorry I say.
As Jeff Cooper said many years ago...."never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified"

Anywhoooo.....another rant over.
Another cold one please....