Michigan Hunter Mistakes Friend For Squirrel – Shoots Him

With Michigan's firearm deer hunting season about to open next Thursday (yes, I will be broadcasting, live on my cellphone from my deer blind, on Opening Day) the following story illustrates why it's law that you wear hunter orange when you're gun-hunting (except for birds and varmits). AND identify what you're shooting at before you pull the trigger.

Recently, according to MLive.com, a Michigan man was mistaken for a squirrel by his hunting partner. They were squirrel hunting in Allegan County when one hunter shot the other, after seeing something move 20 yards away and (I'm assuming) assumed it was a squirrel. The man who was shot was not wearing any hunter orange, which complicated things. The man was shot in the face and went to the hospital, but suffered "non-life-threatening injuries".

Just so we're all clear. From the Michigan DNR's 2018 Hunting Digest: 

"A person shall not take game during the established daylight shooting hours from Aug. 15 through April 30 unless the person wears a cap, hat, vest, jacket, or rain gear of hunter orange. Hunter orange includes camouflage that is not less than 50 percent hunter orange. The garments that are hunter orange shall be the hunter’s outermost garment and shall be visible from all sides of the hunter. Exception: This does not apply to a person engaged in the taking of deer with a bow or crossbow during archery deer season, a person taking bear with a bow or crossbow, a person engaged in the taking of turkey, crow or other migratory birds other than woodcock, a person engaged in the sport of falconry, or a person who is stationary and in the act of hunting bobcat, coyote, or fox."

Here's the story.

Banana Don and Stephanie McCoy amuse and thrill you every weekday morning from 5:30 – 10AM on the radio at 100.7 WITL.