Dick Cheney shoots a man!!

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Well I reserved judgment until I got more information to make an informed decision on this. I'll admit up till now I came down on the side of it being Cheney's fault. I have always thought that if you shoot at something you should make damn sure you know what you are shooting at. This spoken from a person who has never bird hunted or anything else bigger than a squirrel. What I was failing to realize that Fast TA was alluding to is when bird hunting you aren't actually looking where they gun I pointed. You have to lead the bird just like a AA gunners did in WWII or when skeet shooting. When panning across the sky you have to have a set area in which you can and can not pull the trigger. From what I gather from this when hunting in groups you train yourself to a field that won't hit the next guy over. When in a group you stand or walk in a straight line. If you leave the line you most inform everybody else when returning so that they narrow there field of fire. The victim did not inform the line when returning after retrieving a shot quell. However if you have never hunted in a bird hunting party you might not know this rule. I'm not even sure he was all the way back on the line. Details are sketchy.

That said, this has been blown way out of proportion by the media in what looks like a blatant attack on a republican by democrats that hate him and I mean "hate him". I about fell over when I heard a reporter saying he should be brought up on charges, fired from being vise president and be jailed for what by all parties involved has been called an accident. It's a slow media day when this is the headlines.

[Dave M]

That said, this has been blown way out of proportion by the media in what looks like a blatant attack on a republican by democrats that hate him and I mean "hate him". I about fell over when I heard a reporter saying he should be brought up on charges, fired from being vise president and be jailed for what by all parties involved has been called an accident. It's a slow media day when this is the headlines.

If it was Joe Schmoe he probably would be brought up on charges

[Jeff_in_Atl]

If it was Joe Schmoe he probably would be brought up on charges

I don't think that is true at all. From what I have read it happen quite a lot.

[Dave M]

Cheney's been warned by the Parks and Wildlife Department (for not having the proper stamp on his liscense)


http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/...ney/index.html

"While the state Parks and Wildlife Department issued Cheney a warning for not possessing a required stamp on his hunting license, the sheriff's department said there was "no alcohol or misconduct involved in the incident."

"This department is fully satisfied that this was no more than a hunting accident," the Kenedy County Sheriff's Department announced in a statement issued Monday evening."

"Dr. David Blanchard, the emergency room chief at Christus Spohn, said Whittington was hit by "many, many" pellets. But he said most of the wounds were "superficial at best," and many of the pellets would be left inside Whittington's body."

"Armstrong said Whittington was about 30 yards from Cheney when the vice president fired. She said Whittington had just shot a quail and dropped back to retrieve it. He was hit upon rejoining the group and "apparently came up unannounced" as Cheney prepared to fire."

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Cheney's been warned by the Parks and Wildlife Department (for not having the proper stamp on his liscense)

I hate those stamps. In Georgia you have to get a fishing license and a trout stamp if you fish in waters that have trout in them even if you aren't fishing for trout. Now I couldn't tell you the difference between a brook trout and a small mouth bass. So I always got a trout stamp just in case I caught one. I don't know the difference between a quail and a pigeon either. Yes I'm an idiot there. Sorry uncle Ted, I'm going to the meat market. LOL But if anyone wants to go out and hunt for food, knock yourself out. I don't have a problem with that at all.

[Dave M]

I hate those stamps. In Georgia you have to get a fishing license and a trout stamp if you fish in waters that have trout in them even if you aren't fishing for trout.

PA is the same way

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

If it was Joe Schmoe he probably would be brought up on charges

What charges would you bring up in a case like this? Maybe material for a civil suit based on negligence, but it would be hard to prove criminal intent.

[94 formula]

What charges would you bring up in a case like this? Maybe material for a civil suit based on negligence, but it would be hard to prove criminal intent.

There are charges for this kind of stuff but a lot of it depends on how it happens, if it would be a common person it would probably result in fines from the local DNR and a possible loss of his hunting liscense for a few years but nothing too major, as you said it could also lead to a law suit. A guy my father worked with was shot a few years ago by another hunter during turkey season and he ended up with a hefty amount of fines and lost his liscense because they were able to proove he was trying to stalk in on what he thought was a turkey (the other guy calling) and it is illegal to stalk them so they were able to add criminal intent. All of the details are not clear yet to the whole situation but it probably would just depend how the entire thing happened exactly.

[fastTa]

Well I reserved judgment until I got more information to make an informed decision on this. I'll admit up till now I came down on the side of it being Cheney's fault. I have always thought that if you shoot at something you should make damn sure you know what you are shooting at. This spoken from a person who has never bird hunted or anything else bigger than a squirrel. What I was failing to realize that Fast TA was alluding to is when bird hunting you aren't actually looking where they gun I pointed. You have to lead the bird just like a AA gunners did in WWII or when skeet shooting. When panning across the sky you have to have a set area in which you can and can not pull the trigger. From what I gather from this when hunting in groups you train yourself to a field that won't hit the next guy over. When in a group you stand or walk in a straight line. If you leave the line you most inform everybody else when returning so that they narrow there field of fire. The victim did not inform the line when returning after retrieving a shot quell. However if you have never hunted in a bird hunting party you might not know this rule. I'm not even sure he was all the way back on the line. Details are sketchy.

You took your time and typed a better explanation than me. I was admittedly a little tweaked at 94 Formula for not understanding this. Nevertheless, you get it, and most are seemingly not getting it.

The lefties are using this as an excuse to exploit the inadvertent and mostly inevadable mistakes of a couple of GOP good ole boys out for a hunt.

[fastTa]

If it was Joe Schmoe he probably would be brought up on charges

Normally, you need to do something wrong to be criminally arraigned. Cheney did nothing wrong whatsoever. It was an accident, unfortunate, but no question an accident pure and simple, nothing else. These accidents happen quite often when bird hunting in groups, and is always just treated as such.

Additionally just because Cheney did not have his proper stamps, which have become very confusing, does not automatically make him less innocent of crime than he already is.

[fastTa]

Great question... another observation I made is that the original poster said Fox News reported this. Therefore I declare this whole thing nothing but right-winged conservative BS. None of it is true.

........

[94 formula]

You took your time and typed a better explanation than me. I was admittedly a little tweaked at 94 Formula for not understanding this. Nevertheless, you get it, and most are seemingly not getting it.

The lefties are using this as an excuse to exploit the inadvertent and mostly inevadable mistakes of a couple of GOP good ole boys out for a hunt.

I've understood exactly what you are saying the whole way along and you are right when in a big hunting group you need to have all the guys follow a strict set of rules but I still stick by the fact that when you pull the trigger it is your responsibility no matter where anyone is or what was agreed to before the hunt started. I voted Bush\Cheney and stand behind them 100% I have not once in this thread referred to anything about this politically even though you think I am. I don't share the same views as you and if you think its no big deal to shoot someone or be shot that is your choice I'd just never want to be anywhere near you or your hunting group that is how people die. I personally think you give hunters a horrible image, many don't hunt and your telling them that its not a big deal to get shot while hunting and it is. If safe hunting practices are used and the SHOOTER doesn't pull the trigger until they are certain it is safe nobody ever gets shot. As I said before proper shooting techniques are to swing your body with the bird before even shouldering your gun that gives you time to make sure its safe to shoot you have a wide range of view then. I don't care if your "tweaked" with me or not I stand by everything I said and if you don't like it thats fine but I choose to give hunting a good name and not think its fine for someone to get shot.

[fastTa]

94 Formula, I have not once verbally affiliated you with any particular or specific political side. Are you really that paranoid?

I am the safest hunter you will ever hunt with. What you failed again to realize, is that I was saying that the ultimate outcome of what happened was nothing to get your panties in a wad about because of the very minor injuries. I never once said that it was no big deal that Whittington was shot by a fellow hunter. Slow down....relax.....and read.

94 Formula......these... accidents...happen. In no way, shape, or form does it make hunters look bad by reporting the reality of this, which was an accident. Nobody looks bad but drama queens like yourself who find some twisted pleasure out of sensationalizing these type of events.

As I said before proper shooting techniques are to swing your body with the bird before even shouldering your gun that gives you time to make sure its safe to shoot you have a wide range of view then.

What did you just read that in some magazine before you posted, so that you might have a chance of sounding like you knew what you were talking about? Every bird hunter (real.. bird hunter) knows that as soon as you pick a bird to lead, you have the shotgun shouldered immediately. That goes without saying. Nice try though.

[94 formula]

94 Formula, I have not once verbally affiliated you with any particular or specific political side. Are you really that paranoid?

I am the safest hunter you will ever hunt with. What you failed again to realize, is that I was saying that the ultimate outcome of what happened was nothing to get your panties in a wad about because of the very minor injuries. I never once said that it was no big deal that Whittington was shot by a fellow hunter. Slow down....relax.....and read.

94 Formula......these... accidents...happen. In no way, shape, or form does it make hunters look bad by reporting the reality of this, which was an accident. Nobody looks bad but drama queens like yourself who find some twisted pleasure out of sensationalizing these type of events.



What did you just read that in some magazine before you posted, so that you might have a chance of sounding like you knew what you were talking about? Every bird hunter (real.. bird hunter) knows that as soon as you pick a bird to lead, you have the shotgun shouldered immediately. That goes without saying. Nice try though.

You should go back starting with the article posted and reread this entire thread. The point of my origional post to this was that I thought Dick Cheney should come out himself say what happened and not have a spokesman try to play it down for him. He messed up he needs to be a man about it and admit it. You are obviously in no way a safe hunter let alone the safest I'll ever meet you proove that by acting like someone getting shot is no big deal. Those things do happen but the way I look at it (logically) it is a huge deal when someone gets shot with a gun especially at 30 yards. As I said before if you would go back and read, you would see that I stated before that you swing you body with the bird before ever shouldering your gun. I love how you keep saying every real bird hunter because you make yourself sound like an idiot not knowing what your talking about, what every real bird hunter does know is that when a bird flushes if you shoulder your gun before you start to swing your body you are already well behind the bird and in the rush to catch up before its out of range you will probably shoot to quickly and not lead the bird far enough. Its not like you stand there in slow motion swinging with the bird and getting your gun up its a quick fluid motion thats why many people shoot clay pigeons to practice.

This is a rediculous argument you keep trying to take what I say and spin it out of context. I spend most of my time from the beginning of fall to the end of spring in the woods hunting something whether it's deer, bear, or birds. I would be very willing to bet I've been on many more hunts than you ever have and I have never once seen someone get shot or even come close to it. If you want to keep arguing this thats fine just PM me I'm sick of having what I said spun out of context. I have more than enough photos to proove I am a real hunter and that you continually saying I have no idea what I'm talking about is a load of crap. Every real hunter does get upset when they hear something like this because it is a big deal and someone getting shot should not be played off as something to "not get your panties in a wad about".

[Dave M]

94 Formula, I have not once verbally affiliated you with any particular or specific political side. Are you really that paranoid?

I am the safest hunter you will ever hunt with. What you failed again to realize, is that I was saying that the ultimate outcome of what happened was nothing to get your panties in a wad about because of the very minor injuries. I never once said that it was no big deal that Whittington was shot by a fellow hunter. Slow down....relax.....and read.

94 Formula......these... accidents...happen. In no way, shape, or form does it make hunters look bad by reporting the reality of this, which was an accident. Nobody looks bad but drama queens like yourself who find some twisted pleasure out of sensationalizing these type of events.

The pellets went deep enough into the guy that they're leaving them in there. When he'll be walking around he rest of his life with birdshot stuck in him, that's rather serious to me and nothing to laugh off. No matter what you're hunting it is the ultimate responisibility of the hunter to know what he's shooting at. You may have rules the others in the group follow in order to make it easier for the shooters to know where everyone is, but it ultimately comes down to the guy pulling the trigger knowing what that bullet/shot will be hitting. He has the power to take a life with that gun and it's ultimately his responisibility to know he won't.