and MARC STEWART
Staff writers
Identity of shooter will not be revealed until charging decision made or case closes
COEUR d'ALENE -- Kootenai County Prosecutor Bill Douglas will decide if the person who shot and killed a 22-year-old Bayview man will face criminal charges.
Kootenai County sheriff detectives said the shooter and David Howard were about 70 feet apart in a wooded area with thick brush when the shooting occurred around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
"The victim was shot once in the side of the chest with a .300 Winchester Magnum rifle," Capt. Ben Wolfinger said.
"No one in the party was wearing hunter orange or any bright color."
Howard was wearing blue jeans and a gray sweatshirt, Wolfinger said.
"A third member of the hunting party was a short distance behind the victim and was able to help investigators piece the scene together," he said.
The shooter's name will not be released until either a charging decision is made or the case is closed by Douglas, Wolfinger said.
There have been two hunting-related fatalities that have occurred across Idaho in less than a week. Those incidents have brought into view the responsibilities hunters face in the wilderness.
Firearms, being loaded, shouldered and carried through the woods should be treated with care, Pete Gardner, volunteer services coordinator for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said.
"You always want to keep the muzzle in a safe direction, you always want to treat (a gun) like it's a loaded weapon," he said.
It's advice that could save lives.
According to records kept by Fish and Game, in the past 28 years in Idaho there have been 214 hunting-related injuries.
In that time, 51 people have died in hunting-related accidents in the state.
The highest number of fatalities in that time occurred in 1990, when five people across the state died.
Last year, there were two hunting deaths in Idaho; this year, so far, three.
The first was a St. Maries man, who died Monday after accidentally discharging his shotgun into his chest while boarding his ATV.
The second, Howard, died from a gunshot wound inflicted by members of his own hunting party this week.
It is unclear but unlikely a Pocatello resident who died of a heart attack hunting elk in Bonneville County Wednesday will be added to the list of Idaho hunting fatalities. Game authorities in Boise said it is doubtful he will be, since the death was health related. An investigation is pending.
"It's tragic in every case," John Gribbin said.
John Gribbin, a hunter education coordinator for Fish and Game, said the department encourages people to exercise and condition in the off-season to help prevent health problems in the field.
"We have a pretty thorough educational program, and we cover just about everything that has happened this season," he said.
Gribbin said hunters should keep guns unloaded until they have their target in sight.
"You really need to identify your target; what's in front of it, and what's behind it. Sometimes you've got to pass things up," he said.
The amount of light, the time of day, the mental state of the hunter, all are factors to consider before anyone takes a shot.
People should also always be aware of where their hunting partners are, he said.
While hunters are not required in Idaho to wear the bright, blaze orange colors that stand out in sharp relief against the forest greens and browns, Gribbin said they're a good idea.
Information: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov
yeah wrote on Oct 30, 2007 11:49 AM: