Hunter shot during fight over 1st elk in WY

[spectr17]

October 5, 2003

Hunter shot during fight

Associated Press

CODY, Wyo. - A Cody-area man died after he was shot during a hunting camp quarrel over who would kill the first elk, authorities said.

Marty Buffington, 46, was shot in the knee Thursday and bled to death, the Park County Sheriff's Office said.

The case remained under investigation and charges could be filed soon, Sheriff Dave Doyle said.

The shooting occurred in a remote part of the county near Hoodoo Creek, just east of Yellowstone National Park in the Crandall area.

"There were three men in a hunting camp, and they'd been out hunting and an argument broke out over the elk hunting and who was going to shoot the first elk," Doyle told Casper's KTWO-TV on Friday.

"It progressed through the day and when they got back to camp, two of the members of the party became involved in a physical confrontation and from there a shot was fired. One subject was shot in the knee and it severed an artery."

Authorities were not notified until Buffington's companions hiked out of the mountains Friday morning.

The names of the companions were not released.

The body was to be flown to the State Crime Lab in Cheyenne over the weekend.

Neither drugs nor alcohol were involved in the altercation, Doyle said.

 

[hunthog]

With friends like that who needs terrorists. Choose your friends and hunting partners wisely. Remember, they're armed and dangerous.

hunthog

 

[YH88]

 

[Dan Moss]

Whats the world coming to. One more point for the anti hunt/ anti gun yahoos.

 

[subfan]

My feeling is that the hunt is not about killing an animal but taking something away from the experience. To place friendship and your freedom before killing an animal is insane. There is usually more to these stories that is not released like, the victim was involved with the wife of the suspect. Probably off base here but you get the idea...

 

[jackrabbit]

Man, this is really stupid. I've had to swallow my pride in the past when a couple other hunters claimed my deer, saying they shot him before he came over a ridge (only my bullet was in him) to avoid a potentially serious confrontation; but this was apparently just an argument over who WOULD shoot the first elk. At least one of these combatants had some serious self-control issues and maybe wasn't even aware if a "winging shot" to an extremity is often lethal due to severing arteries (and that's only if he intended to just wound the other hunter). When people like this are armed, it is a very good idea to just be humble and bite your tongue until you can get out of their presence entirely.

 

[dr_nate]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Authorities were not notified until Buffington's companions hiked out of the mountains Friday morning.[/b]

From the story, it sounds like the fight broke out Thursday afternoon....and they waited till Friday morning to hike out? Apparently they didn't try or didn't know much first aid. You would think that they would have tied a tourniquet on him and up and hiked him out that night to try to seek additional medical attention...or did they just watch him bleed to death??

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

With friends like that who needs terrorists.[/b]

 

[Kentuck]

That is truly scary. To shoot someone, not help??? and then wait at least a day to tell anyone. Hope they throw the book at both of them. It would be frightening to know either one of them would be back in the woods in the future.