Thread: Hunter shot in Kaimai Range near Te Aroha

About 25 years ago I was hunting in Pureora when I heard a noise up the ridge ahead of me. I could see the rear end of a deer facing a way from me. I could see the rump patch and about half its back. I decided to move ahead of a small shrub before I took a shot. The deer moved a bit and looked a bit funny. It seemed to have two rump patches. It took a few seconds before I realised it was actually a hunter.

Originally Posted by stug

About 25 years ago I was hunting in Pureora when I heard a noise up the ridge ahead of me. I could see the rear end of a deer facing a way from me. I could see the rump patch and about half its back. I decided to move ahead of a small shrub before I took a shot. The deer moved a bit and looked a bit funny. It seemed to have two rump patches. It took a few seconds before I realised it was actually a hunter.

For just that reason I carry a strip of Blaze orange cloth (about the size of a beanie unfolded) and a safty pin with me. If I shoot a deer close enough to the road as to carry the whole thing out I pin the strip of cloth the back of the deer.

Originally Posted by stretch

This is a good time to stop and have a read of Mountain Safety Council's research on hunting accidents and fatalities. https://issuu.com/nzmountainsafetyco...22887/44292171

Thank you for that link Stretch, That booklet holds a lot of eyeopening information.

Perhaps a thread on near misses (ie slips/falls/what stug posted) might be educational for everyone? Far more constructive than the direction this thread is taking.

Originally Posted by stug

About 25 years ago I was hunting in Pureora when I heard a noise up the ridge ahead of me. I could see the rear end of a deer facing a way from me. I could see the rump patch and about half its back. I decided to move ahead of a small shrub before I took a shot. The deer moved a bit and looked a bit funny. It seemed to have two rump patches. It took a few seconds before I realised it was actually a hunter.

I want to relay a true happening in the same place - Pureora (been a few fatalities there to I might add)

Mate of mine came back to camp in a bit of a state.
He was coming down a ridge (a ridge that was reasonably open covered in Kidney ferns)
He luckily spotted approx 60m away a Hunter knelt down with rifle pointed directly at him - he yelled out (he does not remember what he yelled)
He also cannot remember the time frame between yelling and the Hunter standing with rifle down

That Hunter dropped his rifle and clasped his face in his hands

After an emotional and most likely a verbal abuse from mate (he had a firy temper) the Hunter said to him over and over again
"mate - you were a Deer 110% in my eyes"
How - how - he kept saying could I see a Deer when clearly now you are another man

It woke us all up - as then (80's) there were a few of us getting tipped over
The Hunter had been hunting a long time and he just could not believe what happened
If my mate had not of screamed out - as Hunter said - he would be dead !!

Originally Posted by Sarvo

I want to relay a true happening in the same place - Pureora (been a few fatalities there to I might add)

Mate of mine came back to camp in a bit of a state.
He was coming down a ridge (a ridge that was reasonably open covered in Kidney ferns)
He luckily spotted approx 60m away a Hunter knelt down with rifle pointed directly at him - he yelled out (he does not remember what he yelled)
He also cannot remember the time frame between yelling and the Hunter standing with rifle down

That Hunter dropped his rifle and clasped his face in his hands

After an emotional and most likely a verbal abuse from mate (he had a firy temper) the Hunter said to him over and over again
"mate - you were a Deer 110% in my eyes"
How - how - he kept saying could I see a Deer when clearly now you are another man

It woke us all up - as then (80's) there were a few of us getting tipped over
The Hunter had been hunting a long time and he just could not believe what happened
If my mate had not of screamed out - as Hunter said - he would be dead !!

Had the same thing happen in Pureora a few years after the first incident. My mate and I were stalking along a face I looked up and saw a hunter kneeling down aiming his rifle, looking through the scope, at where my mate was. I yelled out and the hunter put his rifle down. He had heard us coming through the bush. He was waiting for my mate to come out in the open before he took the shot. I not 100% certain he had seen him and mistaken him for a deer, but he was expecting him to be a deer.

The mind set that needs to change is the expectation of seeing a deer. We need to expect to see another hunter, then realise it is a deer.

I think we are all thinking the same things just all a bit emo on it

Somehow we need to teach people to slow down, be sure and know what they need to see before pulling that trigger. Not easy I know.

Ditto on that mate....the reoccurring them in the article above is....”they don’t identify the target”.....because if they did,we wouldn’t be having this conversation.......there has to be a much better attempt by all of us to figure this out and help one another out.....because sure as shit,I don’t want to be on either end of one of these stories

Originally Posted by Gibo

I think we are all thinking the same things just all a bit emo on it

Somehow we need to teach people to slow down, be sure and know what they need to see before pulling that trigger. Not easy I know.

Been out and about over Easter in Pureora, have met all sorts in my travels. Some on their only hunting outing for the year and have to shoot something. Others quite relaxed and waiting for the bush to go back to "normal". One thing that really stood out was the number of hunters in blue blaze.

Originally Posted by tetawa

Been out and about over Easter in Pureora, have met all sorts in my travels. Some on their only hunting outing for the year and have to shoot something. Others quite relaxed and waiting for the bush to go back to "normal". One thing that really stood out was the number of hunters in blue blaze.

Im colour blind and orange blaze is to me a natural colour in the bush, leaves ect, but the blue stands out really well

Words from a mate of mine (no, not Ginger McScragglyBeard). Worth a read:

https://gearlocker.nz/well-the-roar-is-nearly-upon-us/

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

My opinion is that humans are actually pretty fukn dumb we can't even follow basic common sense rules we can't stick to a speed limit don't stop for red lights or stop signs don't stop for pedestrian crossings cross centre lines use phone when driving and the list is endless so its highly unlikely that your going to stop the dumb arses shooting each other most intelligent animal on the planet. Yea right

With it being my patch local and an area I hunt frequently knowledge indicates it was in the Tuahu Track vicinity. Very steep country on the Waikato side > I'm leaning to it having occurred in the exotic forestry block (Rayonier Forests )

Attached map for reference track > lakes private block

Tuahu Track: Walking and tramping in Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park

Its interesting that there are emotional responses here (anger is an emotion) from people who claim that they would never shoot anyone because they are rational and sensible. Its a paradox. In the moment who knows how we would respond. If we suffer from emotional over-ride on a hunting forum goodness knows what we might do in the bush.

So you're saying there's a possibility you could shoot someone because you mistook them for a deer @Tahr?

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

So you're saying there's a possibility you could shoot someone because you mistook them for a deer @Tahr?

I'm certainly scared stiff of doing it. I've never been tested and hope I never am.

I know that my life has been full of important decision making that has affected myself and others'. Some decisions have been excellent, and some have been shit. The shit decisions have mostly been in emotional situations or when I haven't allowed enough time to consider the causes or consequence. In day to day life time-forced decisions are often the worst we make, and if you chuck in confirmation bias and emotion we are going to stuff up occasionally.

No one is immune. None of us are infallible. Hopefully its this knowledge that keeps me and others safe.

Originally Posted by Tahr

I'm certainly scared stiff of doing it. I've never been tested and hope I never am.

I know that my life has been full of important decision making that has affected myself and others'. Some decisions have been excellent, and some have been shit. The shit decisions have mostly been in emotional situations or when I haven't allowed enough time to consider the causes or consequence. In day to day life time-forced decisions are often the worst we make, and if you chuck in confirmation bias and emotion we are going to stuff up occasionally.

No one is immune. None of us are infallible. Hopefully its this knowledge that keeps me and others safe.

Was a yes/no question..