another shooting!

[MedicineMan]

Some of you may know I work in a large hospital in East Tennessee...tonight when I got to work I heard a hiker had been shot...the victim was hiking on the Virginia Creeper Trail and got plugged via a 50calibre pumpkin ball-black powder season. The Creeper Trail and the AT share some ground in the Damascus area. As of know it is unknown if the patient was on this contiguous section. We do know that the patient was assisted (and surely saved) by the hunter.

[Lone Wolf]

Simva I live in Damascus and nobody has heard of any shooting. Nothing in today's paper either.

[MedicineMan]

but trust me I am in the hospital now and it did happen. I scanned the Bristol news this morning and there was abs. no mention of it! the hunter who shot him (and saved him so far) is also in the hospital for shock (PTSD), anguished over his deed I suppose....but so far no mention in the local news.

[Redbeard]

I ocasionally shoot Black powder, if he got hit with a 50 cal ball (probably a hawken style short barrel) it was probably from fairly close range, Just another reason to wear your orange! The "ultimate trail store" sells a nice universal pack cover, blaze orange syll nylon.

[MedicineMan]

Couple of hunting seasons ago I went for a walk from my house (I border 400,000acres of NF), on the way back and not less than 100yars from my backdoor I round a corner and staring down a 30/30...fellow with the rifle looks at me and says 'you outta be wearing orange' to which I reply, yep I need to be wearing orange!
The pack sil-nyl pack cover in orange is a very good idea especially since my pack is white-and white is a bad color in white tail country.

[Hikerhead]

Here's a link to a story about the shooting.


http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/news/story142380.html

[Redbeard]

Thanx, Hikerhead

All the AT hunters I met were freindly and cautious. I'd assume most only use the trail to get away from the road, as hundreds of hikers tend to scare away wildlife. Obviously we need to be carefull if we go off to "take care of business"
I was amazed at the lack of wildlife on the trail, here in Illinois you pretty much have to beat the dear and raccoons off with a stick, and turkeys and pheasant are in every field. Maybe some hunters get a little too edgy, it's not like you have a clear view for miles around in the mountains.

[Hikerhead]

Your welcome, I just didn't want yall to think that Simva was going crazy.

[Lone Wolf]

It didn't happen on the Creeper trail though. Or the AT. We all would have heard about here in the city of Damascus.

[tioneon]

Saw mention of this ATC seb site posting on another site:

Second Hiker Wounded in Hunting Accident

On New Year's Day, a hiker was shot and seriously wounded on the Appalachian Trail in the Jefferson National Forest near Bastian, Va., his family reports. The victim, George Ziegenfuss, a 1989 thru-hiker and retired Lutheran minister, was on his almost-daily hike about a mile north of Laurel Creek (Va. 615) when he was hit by a .45-caliber bullet in the back. Two hunters at the scene assisted him while a third went for help. Rev. Ziegenfuss, 71, was taken by helicopter to a Bristol, Tenn., hospital, where he was treated and admitted to intensive care. His wife, the Rev. Murray Ziegenfuss, said a full recovery was expected but he was worried about the effect on his hiking.

ATC does not yet have details about the circumstances of the shooting from the Bland County sheriff's office or know whether charges have been filed. Subject to state laws, hunting is allowed on national-forest lands through which the Trail passes, but reckless discharge of a firearm is still a crime. ATC advises hikers to wear blaze orange whenever hiking during hunting seasons and hunters to become aware of the footpath's location and remember your basic training: Be sure before you shoot.

January 3, 2002

[MedicineMan]

I wish I could say more now but it is now in the arena of patient confidentiality. I will say this though, the blackpowder pumpkin balls are bad news, just think back on the Civil War.

[Hikerhead]

I can't imagine.....I hope he comes out of this ok.

Check out my picture of Grayson Highlands Ponies. You see the girl with the blaze orange hat on. She works in the ER...she's seen too many gun shots wounds. She wears that hat EVERTIME she goes hiking.
Smart girl.

[MedicineMan]

I will def. get the orange sil-nyl pack cover that the ATC sells on their site before next hunting season- that should make a huge non-target.