Iowa — A hunter is recovering after he was shot in the leg at close range by his dog, who stepped on his shotgun and tripped the trigger, an official said Tuesday.
James Harris, 37, of Tama, was hit in the calf Saturday, the opening day of pheasant season, said Alan Foster, a spokesman with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
"He had surgery and is doing pretty well," he said. "He took between 100-120 pellets in about a 4-inch circle to his calf."
Harris was listed in good condition Tuesday, officials at University Hospitals in Iowa City said.
Harris was hunting with a group about three miles north of Grinnell. The group shot a bird, and when Harris went to get it, he put his gun on the ground and crossed a fence. As he crossed the fence, his hunting dog stepped on the gun, Foster said.
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cowboy (anonymous) says…
Dogs name is...Dick
coolmarv (anonymous) says…
If I shot my buddy I would try to get him to say his dog did it too.
The_Original_Bob (anonymous) says…
Yep, RT. You are correct. Thanks for saving me time!
"The group shot a bird, and when Harris went to get it, he put his gun on the ground and crossed a fence. As he crossed the fence, his hunting dog stepped on the gun, Foster said."
Ahhh, never discount ignorance of gun safety rules. RT is right on. ;)
overplayedhistory (anonymous) says…
Thanks for the professional commentary on it is not the gun but human idiocy. Dumb a*s control should be the norm for things like cars too. If we only had a system where people actually did come out smarter than a 5th grader. I know how to solve that problem, stop teaching science and make concealed weapons legal.
75x55 (anonymous) says…
'I said... I want that Liver-snap, and I want it now.....'
rocknrow2 (anonymous) says…
75x55 thanks for making me laugh!!!
Gootsie (anonymous) says…
Accident.......maybe..............
retina (anonymous) says…
Dogs always take the blame. Ate my homework, has gas, shot me. What's next? Stole my girlfriend, wrecked my car?
riverat (Joe Hyde) says…
This is one of the many reasons why I hunt with a double-barrel shotgun. Before crossing a fence it's so easy and quick to break a double gun open, remove both shells from their chambers, step through or over the fence and then reload once you're safely on the other side.
Even apart from the mistake of leaving a loaded gun lying on the ground, this hunter should have taken his shotgun across the fence with him. Suppose the downed bird he was retrieving was only stunned and got up and flew off just as he reached it? I've seen that happen lots of times.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Had the dog aimed a little higher, he might have done a public service by ensuring that this one won't breed. Oh, well...
coolmarv (anonymous) says…
A one legged man walks into a bar and says "I'm lookin for the dog who shot my paw"!
JJE007 (anonymous) says…
Break action guns do make it a bit *easier* to be safe but there's no excuse NOT to be safe.
My old pointing dog would have *pointed* out that my safety was off, there was a round was in the chamber and that I was an incredible dumba$$ for not opening the action before laying the gun on the ground.
This dog obviously believed in tough love!~)
clyde_never_barks (anonymous) says…
right_thinker (Anonymous) says:
Yup, this guy violated near every safety rule you can violate (now are Clyde never barks and TOB going to tell me I'm a suburban Republican LJW troll and I don't know a thing and proably never hunt etc etc?)
______________
RT - Yawn...!
Does anybody remember when this happened to a very seasoned hunter (and hunter safety instructor) from Topeka about 10 years ago...or more. Same thing.
remember_username (anonymous) says…
Can you imagine how surprised the dog was?
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
What is all the fuss about? Doesn't everyone remember that guy who has that extra foot in a pickle jar on his front porch? Just give him a call? Granted it might smell like pickles for a while, at least his dog won't eat it.
riverdrifter (anonymous) says…
Years ago I leaned a Remington 11-87 up against a blind, safety on, while field hunting geese and went to retrieve a crippled, hissing gander the dogs wanted nothing to do with (happens). More birds came in and a bird was dropped and my lab knocked the gun over onto frozen ground and it discharged. No harm except I wanted nothing more to do with that gun and didn't know what to do with it. At the suggestion of a friend we finally had a funeral for it and buried it (the Phelps weren't there, damn).
Minnesota grouse/woodcock: good. Iowa pheasants: ordinary, muddy with standing corn.
Next: Kansas pheasants.
Then: massage.