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Man shot after being mistaken for a deer in Shizuoka

53 Comments

A man was shot in a hunting accident in Shizuoka on Sunday. Police said the man was shot while harvesting wild mountain plants in the woods where another man was hunting deer.

TV Asahi reported that the incident took place at around 10:30 a.m. in Nagaizumi-cho. A 73-year-old member of a local hunting club shot off a single round into the woods expecting to hit a deer. Instead, his shot grazed the head of a 63-year-old man, 30 meters away, knocking him unconscious. He remains in a critical condition in hospital.

According to police, the shooter was out on a routine deer-hunting trip in the woods of the mountain along with 10 other hunting club members. Police said the shooting was accidental.

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53 Comments
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Don't take the shot unless you're sure you'll hit what you're aiming at. A rifle round can travel hundreds of yards if it misses.

Was the area clearly marked as being a deer hunting area?

0 ( +3 / -2 )

expecting to hit a deer

So the shooter just shot at a noise in the brush? Was the guy wearing an orange hat to be seen? If yes the shooter needs to be charged for a mistake like this!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

a 70 something old man is allowed to walk around with a loaded gun?? wtf??

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Accident? I was thinking gross negligence.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Was the guy wearing an orange hat to be seen?

Why would a guy picking wild plants need to be wearing orange? (Ok you are going to come back with the comment that he should have known (assumed) that he was in a hunting area.....) The blame falls 100% on the shooter.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

Good thing the guy is not a crack shot -- mind you, if he were he would not mistake a person for a deer. This simply falls into the category of "stupid accident". I don't think he need necessarily be charged (unless he was hunting without a license and/or in an area where hunting is not permitted), but of course should compensate the family and needless to say pay the man's medical bills. Oh, and don't let the man 'hunt' anymore.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

What's that about guns don't kill people? Is there such a thing as a designated hunting area in Japan or is it just a case of, 'have forest will fire'?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Not a problem - Cheney did the same thing years ago, remember?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

73 year old guy out hunting? Oh dear!

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

I hunt back home. There's no excuse for this "accident" if you can't clearly identify what you are shooting at ..don't take the shot. Sounds like he saw movement and took a chance. I hope the rules here do the same they do back home ...jail time with a license to bare arms removed for life.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

But, people look so much like deer! An easy mistake!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Hunting for 'sport' is depraved. What pleasure do people derive from drilling a hole in an animal? Stupid people - stupid accident.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

@Yubura

Why would a guy picking wild plants need to be wearing orange?

It's obvious. If you don't wear orange, some twat who enjoys killing things might shoot you, and it'll be your fault.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

It was an accident!!!! Jeesh

Some people get so freaked out over guns. It's pathetic. What would happen if a solar flare hit, and knocked out all of the electricity for 6 months. OH MY GOD! You'd have to kill your pigs, chickens and cows with a knife or a gun.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

They made a mistake: the old guy is not 73 but 72 years old, goes by the name Dick.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Cheney_hunting_accident

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Every year people are killed or injured in hunting accidents. Just enjoy a nice walk and appreciate what's around you. I used to drive up to Scotland and loved watching the wildlife. It's wonderful - you don't need to shoot anything. If people would do this rather than shoot things for the sheer whatever, accidents like this, a few millimetres away from a fatal one, could be avoided.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

A vehicle is a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands which is why the elderly are required to take a driving test every few years in order to ascertain whether they are still up to the task. Why there is no similar requirement for someone who wants to go around shooting at things in the forest is unbelievable. Shoot em up Taro! Just like Curinto Eastowoodo!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

73-year-old + rifle = Recipe for disaster.

I'm just hoping the critically injured man somehow pulls through.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

A few years ago, a girl washing dishes in her kitchen was mistaken for a bear and shot. Hunters were ridding the countryside of rampaging bears. Must of worked- I haven't seen any bear stories on the news recently and the dirty dishes keep on piling up.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

While the article didn't say what kind of gun it sounds like it was a rifle instead of a shotgun. A good thing too. I was mountain biking last week deep in the Yamanashi woods and we ran across a couple park rangers who looked to be almost 70, culling deer because of overpopulation in the area. They were using shotguns to make sure it killed, not wounded the deer. You have to be closer to the deer to hit with a shotgun. 30 meters isn't so far away, perhaps the poor man was wearing beige. I'm glad I was wearing the most obnoxiously red rain gear. Hopefully the man recovers. BTW, the rangers were carrying the shotguns very safely with the guns uncocked and barrels open and not loaded. 70 doesn't seem too old to hunt to me. I think training trumps age.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

@Mennonite Maiden Hunting out of necessity is not a problem for me. I would do the same if it meant putting food on the table and your use of a bow sees the chances of injuring others reduced. My issue is with sub-deliverance macho rubbish heading into to woods with high-velocity rifles killing animals and endangering others in the name of 'sport' and for reasons I find very suspicious. Please don't think I would see you at that level. They all tell you that they are a good shot, just like the vast majority of drivers believe themselves to be above average.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

he must need some glasses at his age.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

People in their 70s and even 80s hunt in the US. In many cases these :"old timers" are far safer to gave in the woods with a gun than these young "newbies" who are itching to shoot their first deer. I do not know if the blaze orange rule exists in Japan but it certainly should. A public awareness effort, if not a law, that blaze orange be worn by anyone going into the woods during hunting season would reduce accidents of this kind.

JimizoNov. 04, 2013 - 06:31PM JST "Hunting for 'sport' is depraved. What pleasure do people derive from drilling a hole in an animal? Stupid people - stupid accident."

That is not the issue. Both hunting and picking wild plants, are, presumably legal activities being conducted in legal areas, so the issue to how to ensure safety of all participants to avoid accidents of this type.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

The shooter is clearly a moron if he shot at something he DIDNT SEE.............wtf!

I have nothing against hunting the ole man grew up hunting, trapping, fishing, my brother hunts a bit but eats what he shoots, I shot a lot of targets when young & fished but hunting animals just wasn't my thing as I rather have been fishing haha.

Anyone who shots at something they can not see should have their firearms removed & this guy sounds like a prime candidate for jail time!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@OssanAmerica

Do you have any evidence that the fat old people are far safer than young people?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

When I saw the title I figured the shooter was about 80 years-old.

30 meters seems pretty close for a hunter to be near a deer.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

First off, any hunter worth a grain of dirt does not shoot blindly at anything. Hence, this hunter isn't wort a grain of dirt. Next the idea of hunting being a depraved activity is immature at best and more than likely totally ignorant in this case. Hunters kill their prey much more humanely than the way the animals in your local grocery store meet their demise and the animals hunted don't spend their entire life in a 6x6 box or smaller. Then the issue of age comes up. Both my grandfather and grandmother hunted well into their 80's, my grandfather taking his last deer at 83 before he passed. My father now 70 still hunts and I'm sure he will continue as long as he is able to get out in the woods. By the way none of them have ever shot anyone. Next a shotgun while safer for hunting in populated areas due to the fact the projectile doesn't fly as far is not nearly as effective at ensuring a quick and painless death as a rifle. Many people hunt to feed their families more than for "sport" at least in my country. In Japan hunting is done mainly for population control as there aren't any large predators to do this naturally. Now yes a lot of these animals are wasted usually only the back straps "tender loins" are harvested as they are the favored part to eat by japanese . Personally I cat stand to see this waste some family could surely benefit from the rest of the carcass.but when you consider that there are no bag limits in Japan because of the small amount of hunters I understand why the hunters only take the best part of the deer still I think the rest of the body should be donated but apparently this is against Japanese law. in closing this hunter should definitely never be allowed to hunt again due to the neglect any responsibility he showed but not identifying his target he was in the wrong and should definitely a face some sort of stiff punishment. but for those of you timing just because you love animals maybe you should do some more researchon how the food the grocery store gets there.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Jeez rule firearms safety 101 be sure of your target.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Maybe the victim was wearing a deerskin jacket...

Seriously though, the article is not clear about what kind of gun it was, sure, but also about whether the guy was genuinely aiming at a deer somewhere beyond the picker of wild plants. Quote: "member of a local hunting club shot off a single round into the woods expecting to hit a deer. Instead, his shot grazed the head of a 63-year-old man, 30 meters away..."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

his shot grazed the head of a 63-year-old man, 30 meters away, knocking him unconscious. He remains in a critical condition in hospital.

The guy is in critical condition. Are they sure he was only grazed?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If you can't distinguish between a human and a deer at 30 meters, you shouldn't be allowed to own a gun, drive a car or do much of anything else that requires eyesight.

A separate note, and I hope not too irreverent.... am I the only one who saw the headline and thought of Woody Allen's bit with the moose?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I never understood why in Japan it is illegal to own a gun but hunters can get a pass.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Umm , maybe too many inexperience people with guns in Japan maybe next time try a knife LOL

0 ( +0 / -0 )

jail time with a license to bare arms removed for life.

It seems like an awfully bizarre punishment to prohibit the guy from ever exposing his arms. Never mind thinking there was a LICENSE for such a thing. :-p

Hunting for 'sport' is depraved. What pleasure do people derive from drilling a hole in an animal? Stupid people - stupid accident.

As the article never mentioned the hunting club was only doing it for "sport", I'm not really sure where you're coming from on this. Most deer hunters dress their kills and take the venison home to eat.

It's obvious. If you don't wear orange, some twat who enjoys killing things might shoot you, and it'll be your fault.

No. All wearing orange does is make it easier to spot the humans from the prey. The presence or absence of orange clothing does not change the shooter's responsibility to visually identify the target prior to pulling the trigger. Nobody gets shot in a hunting accident because "they weren't wearing orange." They get shot because the hunter was negligent in identifying what he was aiming at.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I hunt with guns in Japan. The season for deer and boar opened on November 1st. I only ever go hunting alone, or with a spotter; much safer. I am sometimes invited by my hunting club to go on these group hunts, with lots of trigger-happy, shaky, old guys with guns. Accidents like this happen every year without fail.

This being Japan, the shooter was most likely using a shotgun with a single slug, maybe buck shot.

As for Frungy's comment about the area being marked; in Japan, areas are marked as "Non-huntable" only. If it's not marked in this way, you can shoot.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Bilderberg, are there any blaze orange rules for hunting in Japan?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

As with 99% of Japanese laws, it's a gray area. It's not actually the law, but you are 'strongly encouraged' to wear orange. When you get your first hunting license, the hunting association give you a cheap orange vest and hat. I bought actual blaze orange online. The problem is that most hunters here will just shoot at anything that's dark-colored and moving. A guy in my prefecture shot at his mate's boots because he thought they resembled a boar....not making this up!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Police said the shooting was accidental.

Oh...geez - it was an honest accident!! I didn't mean to shoot YOU!!

Go on and tell that to the one shot at!! See if he buys that story...

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

"...it was an honest accident!!"

Well, yes, it probably was. Do you have some kind of inside information that makes you think otherwise?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

bilderberg_2015Nov. 05, 2013 - 03:28AM JST As for Frungy's comment about the area being marked; in Japan, areas are marked as "Non-huntable" only. If it's not marked in this way, you can shoot.

Thanks for the information bilderberg, but honestly that is the most idiotic system ever! I was out picking seeds for bonsai this weekend and it never even occurred to me that someone might be hunting in my area. I certainly wasn't wearing orange, and there's no reason I should have expected hunters.

They really need to mark hunting areas with warnings, especially for little kids.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Can you kill a deer in Japan? The act alone should be illegal. Don't you think so? If it is legal, then, why? and what for?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Well, you can make deer leather, traditional in Japan, you can eat the deer- a tasty treat, you can use the antlers as a conversation piece.... What wouldn't you use a deer for?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Wow, my father is a hunter and clearly this guy didnt actually look at what he was shooting. Venison is a awesome meat to eat, my family lived off it for about a month. One animal can provide a family for a month. We would save the deer skin for leather and the anters are often cut up for dog treats or for display.

What I'm wondering why a 73 year old was hunting? Maybe the hard times was affecting him too and sometimes hunting is the solution for food for the family. He should of been more careful, and I do hope everything gets sorted out. Its sounding like an honest yet unfortunate accident, that he will be held accountable for I hope if anything happens to the man he injured.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

What I'm wondering why a 73 year old was hunting? Maybe the hard times was affecting him too and sometimes hunting is the solution for food for the family.

Much more likely he simply enjoyed shooting and killing things. No one in Japan needs to go hunting to eat.

What wouldn't you use a deer for?

The only time I've ever seen deer meat on sale in Japan was in very, very cheap dog treats.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Can you kill a deer in Japan? The act alone should be illegal. Don't you think so? If it is legal, then, why? and what for?

Because I would rather eat an animal which has had a decent life, roaming where it wants, eating naturally; not factory-raised, pumped full of hormones and artificial feed. And I like the taste of venison too!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Speaklike, I believe they have a serious overpopulation of some deer species in Japan. Since the loss of top predators, (eg now extinct J wolf) and with the number of hunters dropping dramatically, some wildlife species (bear, boar, deer, monkeys, etc.) are out of control and foraging through human habitation areas. Deer are also increasingly getting hit by trains, in Hokkaido for example. There is a massive call from the farming community for something to be done, even though it seems cruel from the eye of the deer.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

So now someone who goes to the mountains to hike or forage has to worry about the possibility of being shot? Just because a very small minority of people insist on practicing an outdated "sport" with a deadly weapon? How completely unnecessary. Japan needs guns like a pizza needs mayonnaise.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

cleo Try higher up the price scale, you can get local venison and people do eat it. It even is consumed as sashimi down in Yakushima.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Here in Utah, the Ordinance says that people, hunter or not, in hunting areas will wear blaze orange during the rifle season which ended for us two weeks ago. However, I don't know what the law is in Japan. What was the fellow picking in the Fall? Around here, it's mushrooms (good luck on that) and acorns. If you have a brown beard and hair, wear a brown jacket and a white shirt, you may be mistaken for Bambi. Finally, is it mature bucks only or are spikes and does fair game in Japan? We count points before shooting so we don't get stuck with an illegal kill and a huge fine.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Try higher up the price scale, you can get local venison and people do eat it.

Eat Bambi? No thanks. Not even the dog gets any.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Jerome_from_Utah

You can shoot any deer here. Stag, hind or calf. For stags, there is a limit of two per day; hinds and calves have no limits whatsoever. Deer hunting season runs for four and a half months in Kyushu.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Many of these aged plant gatherers get attacked by bears. This one was grazed by a bullet. It's dangerous in them thar hills. Let's hope he makes a full recovery.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No one in Japan needs to go hunting to eat.

Venison - wild meat? with its Higher n3 to n6 fatty acid ratio profile, its one of the best meats you can get, how ridiculous. No one should be eating CAFO raised antibotic riddled beef with its poor fatty acid acid profile. Venison is delicious and nutritious. I wouldnt waste it on dogs, except maybe some scraps.

TALISKA - the firearms code. this crazy old fool ignored 'I' - Identify your target - one of the biggies. Never shoot at shape alone, Sound alone or movement alone. This old boy needs to hang up his rifle.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

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