Hunter Acquitted in Shooting Death of Woman

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ronecol

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Hunter Acquitted

BARRIE -- A Keswick hunter who shot and killed a woman walking in the forest was found not guilty of manslaughter yesterday.

Fred Thomas, 62, took a deep sigh of relief after the judge said he did not do anything wrong when he accidentally shot Marianne Schmid, 67, in the Simcoe County Forests of Adjala-Tosorontio Twp. on Nov. 6, 2006.

A very favourable ruling from an understanding judge. I wonder if the Crown will appeal??

Ron
 
Deer hunter cleared in hiker's death

http:// ww.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/728419--deer-hunter-cleared-in-hiker-s-death


" "Why do I, the hiker, need to wear orange, be vigilant, to enjoy nature in a public place at this time of year?" asked Valastro. (spokesperson for Ontario-based Peaceful Parks Coalition)


She suggested that hunters only be able to use the lands for three days of the week, and it would be open for recreational use for the remaining four days. " " :eek::eek:
 
Gattonero said:
http:// ww.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/728419--deer-hunter-cleared-in-hiker-s-death


" "Why do I, the hiker, need to wear orange, be vigilant, to enjoy nature in a public place at this time of year?" asked Valastro. (spokesperson for Ontario-based Peaceful Parks Coalition)


She suggested that hunters only be able to use the lands for three days of the week, and it would be open for recreational use for the remaining four days. " " :eek::eek:
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thats how it is down here at some of our gov managed areas,so this could be a reality at some point,thats why its very important to build good relations with the public if we are hunting on crown land,and to be as safe as possible
 
I don't know how I feel about this. I tend to believe that one is responsible for each bullet fired, and to know where it is going, and where it will end up.
 
Yes that is a tough one, people do have the right to walk through crown lands (although to know that hunting is going on in the area and not take precations is foolish at best), and what happened that a shot was taken at something that was obviously not identifiable. I can see both sides of this issue, in the end a woman lost her life for no good reason!
 
Well, whether he saw a deer or not I don't know. But what is apparent, is that the investigating officers did a poor job at investigating, resulting in Mr. Thomas' acquittal. He's the only one that will ever know what happened that day...


Justice Peter Howden suggested it might have been a stray pellet from his rifle, known as a "flyer"
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What a nimrod...
 
Thomas' hunting buddies testified he became hysterical, saying, "Why was she wearing white?" and, "It's a hunter's worst nightmare."
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So blaze would have saved her from this mythical "flier"?

If you shoot at a deer but find a person instead, it is unlikely you were shooting at a deer. It has been my experience that wild bucks do not occupy the same space as human beings.

"Stray pellet from his rifle". This judge should give his head a shake.
 
If I'm hunting around home where there is lots of scrub brush and willows and moderate population density; I use short range stuff. 12 gauge with slugs & buck, 38-55, SKS is the farthest reaching gun I'll use.
Big magnum rounds don't belong anywhere with any kind of population density. Even lower powered or short range stuff requires careful handling and fore-thought before shooting. If that means turning down a sweet shot; oh well.
 
In my opinion I feel this hunter isn't guilty of murder but of man slaughter.

I'm an avid hunter, so don't bash me just yet.

The days of shooting at anything that moves has been long over - like +30yrs ago. Not only that, but has lead to several fatalities in North America over the years.

This guy admitted to shooting at moving bush and not verifying what he was shooting at. Even though he's been cleared he should be charged for reckless endangerment and perhaps manslaughter. I feel for the family of the victim. I watched DNR of Maine training video which is a re-enactment and real interviews of people that where involoved ina hunting accident. A group of hunters and a lone hunter had been hunting in the same area, the lone hunter not knowing where the others were in the bush had taken a shot (in the dark) at what he thought was a deer. Unfortunately it ended up being one of the men of the other group. They use it to train up and coming hunters.

I can tell you if I ever lost one my brothers to any dumb ass in the woods, he wouldn't have to worry about what a court of law would do to him. Sixty years old or not.

Just my 2 cents.

J
 
cdn_guide71 said:
In my opinion I feel this hunter isn't guilty of murder but of man slaughter.

I'm an avid hunter, so don't bash me just yet.

The days of shooting at anything that moves has been long over - like +30yrs ago. Not only that, but has lead to several fatalities in North America over the years.

This guy admitted to shooting at moving bush and not verifying what he was shooting at. Even though he's been cleared he should be charged for reckless endangerment and perhaps manslaughter. I feel for the family of the victim. I watched DNR of Maine training video which is a re-enactment and real interviews of people that where involoved ina hunting accident. A group of hunters and a lone hunter had been hunting in the same area, the lone hunter not knowing where the others were in the bush had taken a shot (in the dark) at what he thought was a deer. Unfortunately it ended up being one of the men of the other group. They use it to train up and coming hunters.

I can tell you if I ever lost one my brothers to any dumb ass in the woods, he wouldn't have to worry about what a court of law would do to him. Sixty years old or not.

Just my 2 cents.

J
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I completely agree.
We all need to be at our best so that we keep up a good image and most importantly are safe. We need to take it all seriously.
 
good, i hate it when hikers a walking the bush during the hunt, we only get 2 weeks of gun and they get 50 weeks when we arent aloud out there with our rifles!!! go figure they want more f*ck em!
 
Don't know the circumstances, but I know of some guys that I have met and seen in the field. Some of the older gentlemen (not all just the odd duck) don't have the best eye sight.

Now don't rip me apart, but this is what I have observed and I know their are a lot of older people who have good eye sight and even better judgment (usually). But in either case, I was always told to know what else is down range before shooting. Seeing as he didn't know it’s hard to say. But I don't blame the hunter completely either. The woman should have been warned by signs at the forest entrance about the hunting season (this is sometimes done in high population areas), and should not have been walking through the woods while listening to an mp3 player!!! Logic people, I have witnessed 2 people on a bike and walking hit by cars because they were ignorant to their environment! Not to mention the girl who lost her life to those coyotes out east. It is really hard to be aware of danger while listening to music.

Either way a failure on both the hunter and the walker, and maybe a portion to the forest services (assuming no information bulletin was put up warning people, not that they should necessarily be warned).
 
If you shut up and lawyer up, you chances would be pretty good.
If you fired the shot, you should be responsible for the consequences. You are the captain of the good ship rifle.
 
Buckshot........where do I start. Always be sure of your target AND WHATS BEYOND IT folks. Tragic loss of an innocent lady my condolences to her family.
 
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