Full Forecaste

Past Month's Most Commented Stories

Home > Breaking News

Wildlife officials seek to raise Washington hunting age

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 2:59 PM PDT

By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP
Associated Press Writer

Font Size:
 
 

SEATTLE — When Pamela Almli set out for a hike on a popular trail north of Seattle, she may not have been aware that bear hunting season had begun the day before.

And it’s unlikely the 54-year-old from Oso, Wash., heard the gun go off when a 14-year-old hunter fatally shot her as she bent over to retrieve something from her backpack.

The Aug. 2 accident was a rarity in Washington — Almli is the first nonhunter killed by a hunter in the state in more than 25 years — but that doesn’t make wildlife officials and the hiking community any less anxious to find ways to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

On Monday, Skagit County Prosecutor Rich Weyrich said the boy would be charged as a juvenile with first-degree manslaughter because he acted recklessly when he fired the fatal shot. If convicted, he could face nine months in juvenile detention.

Authorities note it is legal in Washington for 14-year-olds to hunt without adult supervision. The boy was with his 16-year-old brother when he fired a .270-caliber rifle from about 120 yards away.

Capt. Bill Hebner of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said he and his colleagues would like the state to re-institute an age restriction for people who go into the wilderness with a gun.

Washington previously required supervision for hunters 14 and younger but eliminated the restriction in 1994 when lawmakers revised the state’s gun laws, said Democratic Rep. Brian Blake, chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

Blake, who believes the change was accidental, is seeking support for a measure to restore the age limit for solo hunters.

Attempts to raise the hunting age in Washington — last tried in 2005 — have been met with widespread opposition, said Blake, who did not think organized lobbying by hunting groups and the National Rifle Association was entirely to blame.

“Even family members can disagree about how this should be administered,” he said.

Phone calls seeking comment from the NRA and Hunters Helping Kids were not returned.

Any move by the state to tighten restrictions on hunting would buck the national trend.

More than a dozen states put no age limit on hunting and several others have recently lowered their age restrictions. Some, such as Washington, require a safety course for new hunters, but others leave instruction up to parents.

From Arkansas to Washington, anyone who has legally purchased a license can go into the woods to hunt without adult supervision.

But under federal law, people under 18 are not allowed to purchase rifles or shotguns. The minimum age for buying handguns is 21.

Accidental hunting deaths have dropped nationally in recent years, from 91 in 1995 to 42 in 2005, according to the International Hunter Education Association. Many of the deaths involve young hunters and nearly every victim was either the hunter or someone else in the hunting party.

Hebner attributes Washington’s safety record — nine shooting deaths in the past decade — to the 10-hour course that new hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972, are required to take and to requirements that hunters wear bright orange clothing.

The orange rule may be good advice for hikers as well, although Hebner said Almli and her companion were properly attired for a hike during hunting season by wearing bright colors.

Hikers in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest are more likely to see a bear than a hunter on the trail, said Gary Paull, wilderness and trail coordinator. That’s because this year’s heavy mountain snowpack has bears foraging for food at lower elevations.

Hiking groups believe it was just a matter of time before a close call became a fatal accident.

Andrew Engelson, editor of Washington Trails magazine, which is published by the Washington Trails Association, wonders if it’s appropriate for hunters and hikers to share the same space. A few close calls with guns have made some hikers reluctant to venture out in late summer and early fall.

About a year before Almli was shot, a couple hiking on Mount Higgins, Frank and Val Herbert, heard gunshots while they were on their way down the trail, Engelson said.

Frank Herbert yelled to alert the shooter that hikers were approaching. The shooter refused to stop and told the Herberts to find another way down the mountain.

“I’ve hiked for years on thousands of miles of trails and this was the first time I’ve ever been truly afraid,” Frank Hebert told Engelson.

The Herberts reported the incident to Forest Service employees, who said there was nothing they could do. Engelson said a follow-up call from the trails association led the Forest Service to improve training of seasonal employees and seek more law enforcement patrols in the area.

Most hunters know to be 100 percent sure of their target before taking a shot, Hebner said. “Once you make the decision to squeeze the trigger and discharge a round, you can’t ever take that back,” he said.

The 14-year-old who shot Almli was an experienced hunter who had taken a hunting class when he was 9, authorities said. Weyrich said the boy failed to follow guidelines in the state’s hunting safety manual, especially being sure of a target and what lies beyond it.

“All I can say is that it never should have happened,” Almli’s husband, William, told the Skagit Valley Herald. They have a son and three grandchildren.

“How do you confuse a woman with a bear?” he asked.

Previous Next

RainierRes wrote on Aug 13, 2008 9:13 AM:

" This is sad that the lady was killed and it was a mistake of a child. He will be punished. But to change all laws in the state because of it is a bit excessive. I do not hunt have never hunted and never will hunt. But just to see the state come in and make more laws is ridiculous. Another way for the government to come in and rule our lives and tell us what and how to do it. "

Adolph Oliver-Bush wrote on Aug 13, 2008 9:38 AM:

" Hunting is a dangerous, deplorable "sport". It should be limited to those over the age of 18. Kids having guns and shooting at people they think are animals is a scary proposition...Finally the WDFW is making a good decision... "

ann123 wrote on Aug 13, 2008 10:04 AM:

" we live out in the country in cowlitz county we have hunters all the time they dont care if there is no hunting signs up on personal property. we have had gun shots come our way towards our livestock. Some hunters are really nice but there are a few bad also. i feel for this child he will have to live with this the rest of his life being with a 16 yr old in not a parent. i feel the parent should be punished "

cheney119 wrote on Aug 13, 2008 10:15 AM:

" This is not about hunting age, Bear Hunting is starting in August and there are too many people up there that aren't hunters. I came across three bear hunters on Forest Road 99 while riding my bicycle to Windy Ridge and 2 miles away from dozens of hikers at the Bear Meadows parking lot. This season is starting way too early given the number of non combatants in the area. Yet consider the area, this is the St. Helens National Monument and if Forest Road 99 weren't closed awaiting repairs there'd be 100,000 motorists on this road in the summer, yet there are bear hunters with high powered rifles there in August. This is not compatable use. Bear hunting should start in October, like all other high powered rifle seasons, when the are fewer people in the woods and they should not be in such high use areas. What are the Fish and Wildlife and National Forest Regulators thinking? The nut in this article, appearently thinks he owns the entire mountain is what makes it so easy to condemn the entire sport of hunting. The numbers of hunters continues to decrease every year and people are losing patience with the type of behavior depicted in this article. "

tvstad wrote on Aug 13, 2008 10:49 AM:

" I started going in the woods with my dad at a very young age. I didnt pack a rifle until i had gone through the hunter safety course AND my father felt i was mature enough to handle a weapon. My father stayed by my side the first 2 years until he was confident in my abilities. The state doesnt need to change there policies, they need to increase the education of the hunters and soon to be hunters. The hunter safety course is good, but the parents need to use there judgement on if the child is ready or not. If there is any doubt, keep them by your side until you are absolutely sure. As far as hunters and hikers in the same area, it goes back to the hunter being 100% sure of there target before ever raising a weapon. This kid will live with this for the rest of his life, and the hikers family will also. "

cheney119 wrote on Aug 13, 2008 11:40 AM:

" The number of hunters has slid from a peak of 19.1 million in 1975 to 12.5 million last year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (taken from a USA Today from 6/18/2008 that's a fact, something you other posters might consider using now and then, a fact now and then) . A 35% drop in 33 years, that's over 1% a year, so in 65 years hunting will no longer exist. I suspect we won't have to wait for you to all die off, you will be outlawed first.
Because people are tired of land users that murder other land users, funny how that works out. "

mom of four wrote on Aug 13, 2008 11:40 AM:

" It is very sad that the woman was shot and killed. I hope that the family is doing better. The grandfather should had been supervising him. The age limit should not be changed because of this. My kids go with their father and it is unfair if this law is put into effect. Children need to be TAUGHT not just let loose to do what they please. This was a 14 year old and should had been with a supervised adult period. "

Nom D'Plume wrote on Aug 13, 2008 12:28 PM:

" It is unfortunate that so many people are so uniformed about hunting. I believe that a 14 year age restriction is a reasonable one to require that hunters be accompanied by an adult. However, the anti-hunting folks need to do more homework on the issue of conservation. Hunting is a necessary practice in most areas of the US due to human development on what used to be wild lands. There is simply not enough habitat to support many of the animal species that are trying to inhabit areas. The problem is that when there is not enough food for all the animals in an area, all of them suffer. For example, if in one are there is enough food to support 1000 ducks and 2500 are trying to live there, all of the ducks are subject to ill-health. None of the other ducks offer to starve so the others can be healthy. Rather than spouting off such hateful rhetoric, try to educate yourselves. Remember, all of us are responsible for the killing of other creatures, it is all where you draw your own line. In case you don't believe me Adolf and Cheney, take a look at the bugs you murdered with the windshield of your car. A "deplorable" "fact" neither of you can deny. "

Cheney119 wrote on Aug 13, 2008 1:34 PM:

" You convinced me my windshield is a mass murderer, that is beyond silly, you are convincing no one, besides you don't believe it yourself. I eat hamburgers but I don't call it a sport. Hunting does nothing for the natural balance, you remove the fittest of the species, not the weakest as nature would do. You might want to try some real facts instead of the fantasy you are nonsense you are spewing. You are doing no service for your nonsport. "

duckguy wrote on Aug 13, 2008 1:40 PM:

" Wow Cheney, aren't you an enlightened individual. Since you are such a fan of using facts in posts, why don't you look up the number of land users that were murdered last year by other land users (that's the anology you used for this hunting ACCIDENT), and compare that to the number of murders that were committed in only 1 of the largest 10 cities in the United States.

Have fun with that Cougar or Bear in your backyard when the population goes through the roof because hunting is banned. You might change your tune then. "

lucky1 wrote on Aug 13, 2008 2:05 PM:

" First off I love to hunt and will probably always hunt but there are definately a lot of improvements that could be made. Cheney has a good poing at the rate that hunting license's are declineing and all the land being locked up and privately owned it will become a rich persons hobby or not exhist anymore. I dont think that I would call it a sport its is more of a hobby. The whole isssue with this case is that that child should not have been alone. It is the grandparent who took hims fault. "

Nom D'Plume wrote on Aug 13, 2008 3:43 PM:

" Cheney, you really don't understand. Do you? Since when does hunting remove the fittest of a species? Odds are that the dumbest ducks are the ones flying in to the decoys. The trusting deer are the ones who stand around long enough to be shot. Hunting eliminates the culls from the species, not the fittest. As far as killing bugs, you missed the point by a mile. My point is that all of us are responsible for the deaths of other creatures. For you to set a personally defined threshold for the rest of us to follow is absurd. Not to mention, your hypocrisy is as thick as your hamburger. How dare you hide behind your veil of kindness when you, too, have animal blood on your hands. I respect my vegan friends who are annoyed by my hunting habits. I admire their ideals. I don't agree, but I respect them. I don't, however, respect carnivorous hypocrites who believe that there is some moral line between eating wild meat and eating farmed meat. Call it what you will, but realize the hypocrisy is rampant. Beyond that, how dare you presume to tell others what they believe? That would require omniscience. Were you omniscient, you'd realize the value of hunting as a tool of conservation. "

El Gabilon wrote on Aug 13, 2008 4:33 PM:

" Some people would say we need to "cull" the human race which has reached the billions level. There certainly was a time when humans needed to hunt to survive. In todays world it is unnecessasry. With the exception of the human race, no species when it begins to expand has the ability to expand vertically. Humans should be living in "skyscraper" types of cities thus reducing the space they need to live. The City of Longview for example could be contained in one skyscraper, within a less than square mile of acreage. We are not the only species on this planet. Those that are on it are dependant upon each other in one way or another and in ways humans are ignoring to their peril. If we really must hunt, then let us hunt without weapons, barehanded so to speak. All life forms regardless, are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness whatever that might be. Tomorrow we shall be hunting for bugs in our house provided the machine guns, howlitzer, and nuclear weapons arrive on time. "

Adolph Oliver-Bush wrote on Aug 13, 2008 4:44 PM:

" Nom, you're really stretching. To make the leap between eating farm raised meat and hunting is impossible. I know, you'll say "You're still killing an animal". The difference is that a cow, pig, goat, etc. wouldn't exist if it were not being born and bred to eat, milk or shear. Wildlife on the other hand are doing nothing more than looking for food and shelter. I know how many, many hunters practice their craft. All it takes in a hunting license and a full tank of gas. They drive the logging roads until they happen upon one of these animals. Where is the sport in that? And please, don't tell me you're one the good hunters who garb up in face paint and cammo, tracking the quarry through the woods. If you are, you certainly are in the minority. To try to connect eating meat with hunting is far-fetched at best... "

MTMAN wrote on Aug 13, 2008 7:29 PM:

" I am a hunter. This is what I think should be done. I think there should be no hunting until October like what cheney119 said. We have to share our forest with everyone. Hunting in August is way to early to hunt. It just anouther way for the game department to make more money. I also think the age should be higher like around 17 or so. Thats so if you do something wrong like shoot someone you can be charged like and adult not a KID. "

Gondolapete wrote on Aug 13, 2008 7:33 PM:

" I never, EVER would have thought that any ignorant replies would result here!! Even though science has proven hunting as the most effective tool in managing wildlife, you imbeciles instead allow emotions to "disprove" that!!!! But that of course will not change the fact I will KILL an animal this hunting season. In fact in honor of the ignorant I am gonna shoot as many as I legally can!!!! "

Sea-Gal wrote on Aug 13, 2008 9:14 PM:

" Some of you are not reading the entire story, simply skimming the headline to form your (mis-informed)opinion. The Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and Brian Blake are proposing to raise the age limit of SOLO hunters. This means young hunters can still hunt, they just need to have adult supervision. As they should. Two families would not be going through the anguish they are experiencing now if an adult had been with the 14 yr old and said "Wait! Make sure of your target before you pull the trigger." That was my Dad's rule #2. Rule #1 was "The gun is always loaded". "

FlyingSquirrelsRule wrote on Aug 13, 2008 9:39 PM:

" It is funny they are trying to jump to a QUICK solution. Anyone read that this is first time in 25 years that a non-hunter has been killed by a hunter? Freak accidents are going to happen. One person makes a mistake, and everyone else has to pay for it? It is a sad thing that happened, accidents happen, UNLESS, this was intentional act and boys knowling knew it was a woman. Otherwise, they shouldn't jump to conclusions. "

turkeyhunterman wrote on Aug 13, 2008 9:43 PM:

" Will someone please check El Gabilons medication.. Hunting in and of itself is not a bad thing. Some people do hunt out of necessity. I did when I was a kid. It was all we had to eat. Yes there are stupid people out there with guns. That's why I quit for a long time. Now I'm one of those guys that get all camoed up and walk the woods. But that doesn't make me better that any other hunter. Just different. People who choose not to hunt or fish don't understand those who do and usually don't understand that there are good consequences as a result of hunting. Also some bad. Minimizing the bad should be everyones goal. "

My Kids' Mom wrote on Aug 14, 2008 12:08 AM:

" AMEN! to turkeyhunterman. I was wondering about El Gabilon, but most of the time I don't comment on "certain people", it is a waste of typing in my opinion. Some people can't be reasoned with. What the heck does El Gabilon mean anyway? "

lucydflower wrote on Aug 14, 2008 7:09 AM:

" I do not think there should be an age limit on who can hunt with adult supervision. However, I do believe there should be an age limit on who can hunt without adult supervision. If 7 and 8 year old children are taking safety courses, does anyone really believe that it should be alright for them to hunt alone? I can't imagine why anyone would object to a law that would require adult supervision to young children with guns. It would be a wonderful world if everyone were so repsonsible that we didn't need any laws. However, we don't live in that fantasy world. There are adults who would indeed let their children hunt alone. A law would help insure that they are held responsible. "

DW wrote on Aug 14, 2008 10:06 AM:

" I wonder which came first? The hunter, or the granola crunching bicycle riding earthfirster critical mass crowd, that intentionally beat up law abiding motorist when they get mad. I don't think this boy had any intention of killing another human. This is very sad and also very rare. I actually think that hunting should be promoted and all users of the wilderness should abide by new laws such as wearing reflective bright orange clothing when out hiking or whatever. I started hunting and trapping when I was 12 years old and I have never shot or shot at anyone other than the animal I was going to take. I have not hunted in the last couple of years, but because of the way hunters are being demonized by people like cheney119, I am going to get my hunting license, get my son his license and my 17 year old dautgher hers so I can take all of them hunting this fall. I kind of forgot what PETA stands for...People Eating Tasty Animals. "

Rosey Glasses wrote on Aug 14, 2008 6:29 PM:

" DW what a fun time you and your children will have! We used to do that with our kids. recently one of the grandkids decided they wanted grandpa to teach them to shoot properly and be able to hit his target with one shot! My hubby couldn't be happier. The kid scored over 150 on the AQT! Hubby and son-in-law and grandson might just go this year and get us some tastey meat for our freezer! I could use a week without them...that would be my vacation! (camping is one of the family favorite things to do, hunting adds to the closeness of the group). "

Top Jobs
More Top Jobs
Top Garage Sales
More Top Garage Sales
Top Rentals
More Top Rentals