Apr 21, 2008 10:58 pm US/Central
Importance Of Safety After Boy Killed Hunting
(WCCO)
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Tragically, Hunter suddenly ran forward. His father mistook him for a turkey and shot the boy in the chest. (File)
Family Photo
On Monday, grief counselors in New Prague helped Raven Creek Elementary students deal with the death of 8-year-old Hunter Klaesus. On Saturday, Hunter was accidentally shot by his father Anthony while they were hunting wild turkeys west of Belle Plaine.
Klaseus told his son to stay out of range while he moved ahead. Tragically, Hunter suddenly ran forward. His father mistook him for a turkey and shot the boy in the chest.
"He was very energetic, big smile on his face all the time. And he just loved life," said Raven Creek Principal Pat Pribyl. Pribyl said students at the school have asked about planting a tree in Hunter's honor.
"It's a dismay, it hurts," said firearms safety instructor Jim Eddleston, reacting to Hunter's death.
Eddleston has taught the "10 Commandments of Hunting Safety" for 38 years, and said the keys are knowing your target and what's behind it, and knowing the exact location of everybody in your party.
"When I'm out hunting," he said, "I need to know where my partners are. I need to know exactly where they're at, and if I don't know where they're at, I need to hear them. We've communicated by whistling before."
That communication is crucial for turkey hunters, because the birds can tell colors. According to the Department of Natural Resources, blaze orange is not required for turkey hunters, and it's actually not desired.
"They have good sight and good hearing," said Ross Opsahl, Regional Training Officer for the DNR. "They're probably one of the more difficult game birds to successfully hunt."
He said hunting turkeys in bright colors would be almost impossible, but also pointed out that this is the first fatality since Minnesota started sponsoring a turkey hunting season in 1978. There have been 15 non-fatal accidents.
Hunter Klaseus would have turned 9 years old on April 29. He was in the third grade at Raven Creek, and his older sisters Alison and Ashley, also went to the school. A trust fund has been set up for Hunter's family at Wells Fargo.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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