From the Sunday, November 13th Calgary Herald
‘Here I am, my buddy is bleeding to death’
Frantic call for help followed hunting mishap
RENATA D’ALIESIO CALGARY HERALD
Brian Reardigan’s voice was hoarse Saturday. He strained it yelling desperately in the wilderness after crashing his truck into a tree with his friend beside him, bleeding from a gunshot wound.
“Here I am, my buddy is bleeding to death,” Reardigan said of the events that unfolded Friday as they were bow-hunting. “I get out of the truck and just started screaming for help.”
Help came from the hunter who shot his friend.
Reardigan, 35, and his 42-year-old buddy were setting up a deer decoy when his friend was shot in the side of the abdomen. The victim, who has not been named, was taken to Foothills hospital Friday in critical, but stable condition.
Reardigan conceded Saturday the foolishness of their hunt.
“We did something very stupid,” he said. “As safe as we thought it was, it wasn’t.”
But, he said, their foolishness is just part of the story.
The Calgary residents were in a wooded area in the Waiparous, 23 kilometres north of Highway 1A, west of Secondary Highway 940, also know as the Forestry Trunk Road.
The area is popular with hunters. Autumn is especially good for hunting mule and white-tail deer because it’s rutting time, when males are constantly in search of a mate.
Dressed in camouflage, Reardigan said the pair had driven around for a bit in the afternoon to find a good spot for the decoy.
His friend had the decoy in hand, about 32 metres from the pickup truck, when gunshots ripped apart the early afternoon’s silence.
Reardigan was bent down in his pickup, gathering rebar and an axe to steady the decoy deer, when he heard the blasts.
“All I could hear was him screaming, ‘I’ve been shot. I’ve been shot. I’ve been shot.’ ”
He ran to his friend, and at first didn’t see any blood. When his friend turned, blood began to pour from his side.
The shooter, who identified himself as Stan, then arrived. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” Reardigan recalled him saying.
Reardigan said he didn’t have binoculars or a telescope on his rifle. Reardigan has been bow-hunting for five years. He said his friend took up the activity just this year. Stuart Sinclair-Smith, an archeryhunting outfitter in Calgary, said it’s extremely dangerous for bow hunters with a decoy to wade into an area with rifle hunters. “You never go out with a decoy in a rifle zone. That’s just foolhardy,” he said. “It’s not good common sense.”
Rifle-hunting season opened in the area Sept. 17, said Donna Babchishin, a spokeswoman for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
Reardigan tried to call for help on his cellphone, but couldn’t get reception. He ran back for his pickup and scooped up his wounded friend.
But as Reardigan raced out of the woods, he lost control, veered off the road and slammed into a tree.
Panic set in.
Reardigan began screaming for help and waving his arms, hoping to flag down a passing vehicle. He says that’s when Stan, the 55-year-old shooter from Airdrie, Cochrane’s Ivan Jacek and another man came by in a pickup.
Reardigan said he loaded his friend into their truck. He disputed details relayed by Jacek to reporters Friday.
He said Jacek was hunting with Stan and didn’t just meet him by the road.
Jacek couldn’t be reached for comment Saturday. On Friday, he said Stan was panicked, saying he didn’t see the hunter. He said Stan kept repeating, “I’m so stupid, I’m so stupid.” Reardigan planned to visit his friend again Saturday night. Cochrane RCMP are investigating the shooting. The hunter’s name has not been released. Reardigan said his friend underwent surgery Friday.
‘Here I am, my buddy is bleeding to death’
Frantic call for help followed hunting mishap
RENATA D’ALIESIO CALGARY HERALD
Brian Reardigan’s voice was hoarse Saturday. He strained it yelling desperately in the wilderness after crashing his truck into a tree with his friend beside him, bleeding from a gunshot wound.
“Here I am, my buddy is bleeding to death,” Reardigan said of the events that unfolded Friday as they were bow-hunting. “I get out of the truck and just started screaming for help.”
Help came from the hunter who shot his friend.
Reardigan, 35, and his 42-year-old buddy were setting up a deer decoy when his friend was shot in the side of the abdomen. The victim, who has not been named, was taken to Foothills hospital Friday in critical, but stable condition.
Reardigan conceded Saturday the foolishness of their hunt.
“We did something very stupid,” he said. “As safe as we thought it was, it wasn’t.”
But, he said, their foolishness is just part of the story.
The Calgary residents were in a wooded area in the Waiparous, 23 kilometres north of Highway 1A, west of Secondary Highway 940, also know as the Forestry Trunk Road.
The area is popular with hunters. Autumn is especially good for hunting mule and white-tail deer because it’s rutting time, when males are constantly in search of a mate.
Dressed in camouflage, Reardigan said the pair had driven around for a bit in the afternoon to find a good spot for the decoy.
His friend had the decoy in hand, about 32 metres from the pickup truck, when gunshots ripped apart the early afternoon’s silence.
Reardigan was bent down in his pickup, gathering rebar and an axe to steady the decoy deer, when he heard the blasts.
“All I could hear was him screaming, ‘I’ve been shot. I’ve been shot. I’ve been shot.’ ”
He ran to his friend, and at first didn’t see any blood. When his friend turned, blood began to pour from his side.
The shooter, who identified himself as Stan, then arrived. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” Reardigan recalled him saying.
Reardigan said he didn’t have binoculars or a telescope on his rifle. Reardigan has been bow-hunting for five years. He said his friend took up the activity just this year. Stuart Sinclair-Smith, an archeryhunting outfitter in Calgary, said it’s extremely dangerous for bow hunters with a decoy to wade into an area with rifle hunters. “You never go out with a decoy in a rifle zone. That’s just foolhardy,” he said. “It’s not good common sense.”
Rifle-hunting season opened in the area Sept. 17, said Donna Babchishin, a spokeswoman for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
Reardigan tried to call for help on his cellphone, but couldn’t get reception. He ran back for his pickup and scooped up his wounded friend.
But as Reardigan raced out of the woods, he lost control, veered off the road and slammed into a tree.
Panic set in.
Reardigan began screaming for help and waving his arms, hoping to flag down a passing vehicle. He says that’s when Stan, the 55-year-old shooter from Airdrie, Cochrane’s Ivan Jacek and another man came by in a pickup.
Reardigan said he loaded his friend into their truck. He disputed details relayed by Jacek to reporters Friday.
He said Jacek was hunting with Stan and didn’t just meet him by the road.
Jacek couldn’t be reached for comment Saturday. On Friday, he said Stan was panicked, saying he didn’t see the hunter. He said Stan kept repeating, “I’m so stupid, I’m so stupid.” Reardigan planned to visit his friend again Saturday night. Cochrane RCMP are investigating the shooting. The hunter’s name has not been released. Reardigan said his friend underwent surgery Friday.
