A deer hunting party gone very wrong here in Wisconsin. This guy killed 5 and injured 3 when they were hunting on private land in northern Wisconsin. He was armed with a SKS semiautomatic assault rifle. For deer hunting.
Now, I’m no deer hunter, by any means - but a semiautomatic assault rifle . . . for deer hunting? Is that typical?
Apparently, the whole thing started when the hunting party saw another hunter, whom they didn’t know - occupying their tree stand. There was a confrontation and one guy in the party started shooting.
Authorities said the rampage started after a hunting party saw a hunter they didn’t know occupying their tree stand. That led to a confrontation, and at least one of the group was shot and wounded. One victim used a walkie-talkie to call for help, but when other hunting partners came to the scene, they also were shot, Zeigle said.
The victims began to scatter and run from their attacker who pursued them like “a sniper,” Zeigle said. The three who were wounded managed to walk or run to safety, while the victims shot to death were found scattered across roughly 100 yards.
All five were dead by the time authorities arrived.
“It was like he was chasing after them to kill them.
That’s nuts.
Personally, I can’t stand deer hunting season - and here in Wisconsin, we are in the thick of it at the moment. Our house is in a very isolate and remote location and we are surrounded by forest and wetlands. Much of that land is privately owned and the owner rents out the land for deer hunting. We hardly ever see the hunters - - every once in awhile, if I’m looking for it - - I can see a flash of that blaze orange in between the trees back in the woods . . but we’ve never been affected in any way.
Still, because I’m a chronic worry-wart - in the back of my head I worry - probably needlessly, about stray bullets heading in this direction. I have no idea how far those bullets can fly before they hit the dirt - - I’m sure I’m unreasonable in my worries - - and it’s not like it plagues me, or anything - - but, you know - I’m neurotic or something.
I also can’t stand when the hunters drive back from their fun day in the woods with the carcass of a deer or two hanging out the back of their truck - - or tied to the hood of their car. When I was a kid - we had a neighbor who hung his deer from a tree in his front yard. The neighborhood complained about it - - so he started hanging it in the back yard . . but I could still see it.
The one other thing I hate about deer season is that there are deer absolutely everywhere. You have to be extra vigilant when driving around - especially at night, because those deer are everywhere.
But! On the bright side — after deer season, it usually snows!
I...
4:33 pm on November 22nd, 2004
In the belief that a joke can be made of any story or combination thereof
In a strange story comin’ outta Wisconsin is the situation where irate Indiana Pacer forward Ron Artest opened fire upon a group of helpless Detroit Pistons fans who were jes’ wonderin’ why Mr. Artest was sittin’ on their one and…
5:21 pm on November 22nd, 2004
Is it typical? No. Is it uncommon? No. SKS’s are very affordable and for close range hunting would work okay if the person is a decent shot (they’re not as accurate as many other rifles). Thanks for pointing out that it’s a semiautomatic and not automatic. You’ve already shown yourself to know more than most of the media I had to hear listening to reports of it today. (not that I didn’t know that before :wink
Gotta chuckle about the comment of “pursuing them like a sniper”. Yeah, he chased me just like the guy who sits out there at 500 yds. knocking people off who can’t see him!
5:45 pm on November 22nd, 2004
These guys were hunters, right? Why didn’t they defend themselves? They were out there with guns, right? Why did they RUN? Did they ditch their guns? I just don’t understand that.
5:55 pm on November 22nd, 2004
Good question, Cao - - unless the attack came so out of the blue, they didn’t have time to react? Or their guns were down?
Unsure - but good question.
6:27 pm on November 22nd, 2004
From what I understand, some hunters notified the land owner that there was someone in their deer stand — should there be? And the owner stated NO. So they went over to inform the guy — and the owner showed up as well.
The perpetrator started to walk away, turned around and opened fire. Apparently, after the first guy to go down (who had the walkie-talkie) radioed for help, the guy opened fire AGAIN on them — including the folks that came to help.
I wondered the same thing as Cao, but thougth that maybe the hunters didn’t HAVE their rifles with them. Or they were so stunned by the attack. I don’t know. It’s just awful.
8:03 pm on November 22nd, 2004
Often if just going out to the stand you have the rifle slung over your shoulder on a strap. It takes a few seconds to come around and get a shot off.
8:17 pm on November 22nd, 2004
I read that story and was chilled to think of something like that.
I have never hunted in my life but if I were hunting I wouldn’t want bullets in my gun unless I was ready to shoot something that either had wings or four legs. Meaning I probably wouldn’t load my gun until after I got in the stand. So if I were in the crowd all I would be able to do is throw my gun at him.
Remember, I told you I wasn’t a hunter.
1:02 am on November 23rd, 2004
This is part of the reason why my hubby carries a side arm (usually a .38 or a .45) when he hunts. When you’re out in the wilderness, the hunter can become the hunted.
But he’s always taken it thinking he’d run into a mountain lion — not some deranged jerk.
6:22 am on November 23rd, 2004
To call a rifle designed in the 1930’s an assault rifle is over the top in my book, but people tht are already anti-gun have latched onto that comment. Probably a third of the guns used for deer hunting is a semiautomatic, they are not at all uncommon.
The gun did nothing wrong, it’s the nut that controlled the gun that did something wrong here, a gun is a tool, like a knife or hammer.
For more info you may want to check here http://view.web-nuts.com/index.php?p=178
BTW, a 6th hunter died last night
7:18 am on November 23rd, 2004
Guns kill people like Spoons make Rosie O’Donnell fat
7:25 am on November 23rd, 2004
I predict an announcement within one month of a contract deal for a made-for-TV movie based on this one. Richard Walken as the the deranged hunter.
7:40 am on November 23rd, 2004
haven’t they already made it like a dozen times?
8:04 am on November 23rd, 2004
It’s 6 people dead as of this morning.
The attacker was armed with the semiautomatic. Apparently among those 6 killed they only had a single gun. Most were unarmed when they were gunned down.
8:17 am on November 23rd, 2004
This story was the lead on all the news channels here on the east coast. Upstate NY for all you inquiring minds…:smile:
8:21 am on November 23rd, 2004
I think it’s important to note that the first news stories about the incident misrepresented what we now know. The AP and other news outlets called this a “hunting dispute” or a “shootout over property rights.” But that suggests many antagonists.
When notified that he was on private property, the shooter climbed down from the tree stand, walked forty yards away, and then turned and started firing, methodically picking off those who arrived at the scene to help. The county law enforcement described him as “chasing them down and killing them.” The eight hunters who were shot had one gun between them, and it’s not even known whether they fired back–or if they even had a chance.
The shooter, who is in custody, is being described as preternaturally calm, in an almost creepy way.
This wasn’t a “hunting dispute.” This was a random multiple homicide.
8:25 am on November 23rd, 2004
Update on the Sawyer County shootings
This is why I don’t think “hunting dispute” is an accurate description of what happened. It wasn’t an argument that escalated into gunfire. Vang left the tree stand, started walking away, but then just turned around and started shooting. He was sti…
8:28 am on November 23rd, 2004
The role of the deer is also being conspicuously overlooked by the liberal media. I suspect journalists with an pro-environmental bias are probably covering up the most logical explanation…that a herd of rogue deer began shooting back.
8:49 am on November 23rd, 2004
I saw this in the paper this morning and was horrified.
Man, you gotta be careful what you say to anyone these days. Saying good morning is enough to set some people off, or so it seems.
9:56 am on November 23rd, 2004
Hmm. Well, good morning has set me off a couple times. But, mostly it’s people who ask me how I’m doing.
11:03 am on November 23rd, 2004
It’s a sickening story, particularly that he’s in jail but he’s as cool as a cucumber. One serious nut job.
11:32 am on November 23rd, 2004
I grew up in Montana and definitely remember the 3/4 mile hike from the bus stop to home in my stylish blaze orange vest every year. We hunted quite a bit, but that was was put meat on the table through the winter. If you didn’t fill your tag, you didn’t eat meat for a season, until you could start fishing again. I’m glad that my kids aren’t growing up that poor.
2:00 pm on November 23rd, 2004
Today Vang told his side of the story; that the hunters used racial slurs, and one of them fired a rifle toward him as he walked away.
6:35 pm on November 23rd, 2004
Shooting in Wisconsin
On Sunday, a hunter killed 6 people and injured another 3 when he opened fire with with his semi-automatic (yes, I guess a semi-automatic - being, you know, cheap and plentiful, is a weapon not uncommon in shooting deer. From…
7:47 pm on November 23rd, 2004
Does it sound right that they would do that to someone holding a high powered rifle? And would you take the word of someone that shot 8 people some in the back as they ran away, over the course of several hundred yards?
8:44 pm on November 23rd, 2004
There are differences in the two accounts, most notably the words exchanged and the detail about the hunter shooting at Vang first. What’s probably more disturbing is where their accounts match.
6:02 pm on November 25th, 2004
I’m 53 years old.Hunted all my life and have been an excellent marksman.I have had some training with the sniper rifle in Viet Nam.With my experience as a hunter since 12 years old and my Viet Nam time,I have never aimed a rifle at another human being.The man who committed these murders was niether sniper or hunter.
3:43 pm on November 29th, 2004
“Does it sound right that they would do that to someone holding a high powered rifle? And would you take the word of someone that shot 8 people some in the back as they ran away, over the course of several hundred yards?” — Patrick
Actually, it does sound right that they would call him a “gook” and “chink” when you consider that the posse of 8 men who confronted him also had a rifle amongst them. They figured that they had the same firepower and had him outnumbered by 8:1, so they could say whatever they wanted. This was a clear case of provoked homicidal rage. Nonetheless, killing in a rage of fury is still wrong and those hunters would still be alive if they hadn’t of “punked” him.
11:19 am on April 19th, 2005
I am Canadian, I dont own a gun. Off topic from the hunting incident mentioned herein, I think having guns around the house, as many Americans do (and the ODD Canadian) is a bad idea. Sure, the guns dont kill the people. But Marital or Domestic disputes wouldn’t end up fatal as often as they do, if the person reached into bed and came back with a pillow, not a loaded handgun.
9:14 pm on September 6th, 2005
What happened in Wisconsin was a dark day for all hunters and sportsmen worldwide. Someone tresspassing, stealing, hunting irresponsibly and most of all the taking of human life. The majority of hunters are not like this. I would urge everyone to visit this site to watch some Outdoors Television Online.
8:29 pm on July 30th, 2008
PhatTommy, if a domestic dispute happens and the scum bad doesn’t have a gun they will simply use whatever is handy, be that a knife from the kitchen or a lamp from the front room or a shovel from the garage.
A firearm is a tool, if we put these scumbags in jail the first time they commit a crime things like this don’t happen. Place the blame where it belongs, with the people commiting crimes.