A Matter of Public Safety

[#59]

With the recent spate of incidents wherein individuals were basically running around the woods, spraying buckshot at targets they really didn't have a positive ID thereof and in the process causing all sorts of damage, some of which they actually fessed up to causing, there needs to be an element of common sense inserted into the situation.

There is currently a move underway to encourage some of the various tribes to issue ordnances that would basically forbid any and all "BF research" activities on tribal lands.

The incidents of late have made such action not only feasible but a matter of necessity given the apparent desperate motives of many such so-called BF researchers.

It is also hoped such tribal action would spur other governmental entities to follow a similar course of action in the hope of curbing such behavior before a homo sapien (of whatever vein) is murdered.

Some of us came to our senses before such a tragedy but unfortunately for others, the call to fame & glory is apparently far too addictive.  

[Yosemite Sam]

I totally agree #59.  To many of these so called researchers goal  is simply to kill one.  They think that in doing so they would "prove they (BF) exists", but more than that that the killers of one would guarantee their place in the lime light, and bring untold riches.  My personal thought is that the BIA is hopefully headed in the right direction.  Let BF alone and don't harrass them and for SURE don't kill one simply for fame and fortune.

[#59]

On another forum, Alton Higgins attempted to defend these actions however the fact of the shooter firing at a "going away" target is strong evidence of either the desperation and/or incompetence of these individuals.

I am aware of two individuals that were in a position to take a kill shot at UHS entities.  Both had the opportunity to view the target (from a forward position) through magnification optics for several minutes prior to the shot.

Neither pulled the trigger.

Both had the same reason for not doing so.

The face looked too human.

Wonder how "Enduring" this so-called Operation Endurance would be if they had a similar opportunity?

[Yosemite Sam]

I was thinking about this topic last night and the thought popped into my head that...What if a rather large bearded man was coming out of the woods at dark after spending the afternoon in a deer stand, the area is wooded and in the dark and in the shadows of the surrounding trees he is mistaken for a bifgoot by one of these over zealous "?researchers?" and they take the shot.  Have they wounded or worse yet killed some innocent hunter?  Is is worth having to live with that for the rest of your life?  And I think that the possibility of a prison term would also be in the future for that "?researcher?". 

Oh the price some are willing to pay for fame and fortune.

[Ray Ford]

The question really devolves down to responsibility. 

1. Is it responsible to shoot at anything that is not a clearly identified target?
2. Is it responsible to shoot at anything that is not in good shooting range?
3. Is it responsible, if the clearly identified target is a UHS, to shoot at it?

It is, in my opinion, irresponsible to shoot at any target that is not clearly identified.
It is, in my opinion, irresponsible to shoot at any target that is not in good range.
It is, in my opinion, irresponsible to shoot at any rare species.

[Yosemite Sam]

Ray--

I totally agree, however there are manyof these so called BF researchers that have NO sense of responsibility at all.

[Bullet Maker]

Deer Hunter coming out of the woods at night, its dark, real dark, hunters flashlight, is dead, and he has no batteries, no worry, he knows the way, out of the woods,... well out of the woods. As he steps out into a meadow, only lit by the full moon, he hears voices in the dark, "look, there he is, SHOOT. The poor hunter is scratching his head wondering who they are talking about, when all of a sudden.. BAM, the buck shot goes sailing past his ear. All of a sudden his heart jumps into his throat, and he cant talk, so he grunts, trying to get out any syllables, arrr, arrrr, brrr, ...SHOOT AGAIN. says the  bigfoot hunters, you missed him the first time, and he is growling at us, BAM BAM....now the poor hunter is disorganized, with all the blinding flashes from the shotgun blast, and is heading straight for the bigfoot hunters to let them know that, they are making a mistake...when all of a sudden BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM, more blinding muzzle flash.  "LETS GET OUT OF HERE", say`s the leader of the (let`s get some D.N.A., by shooting up the woods.) As the Bigfoot hunters are peeling rubber from  the tires on there 4wheel drive trucks to flee the scene, The poor ol deer hunter, emerges from the field onto the road where his truck is parked and scratches his head as to what that was all about. "Good thing they missed me" thought the poor Ol deer hunter.
     While back at the truck, he reaches into his backpack and pull`s out a thermos of coffee to settle his nerves. "Ya know, it just ain`t safe no more to enjoy these woods, what with all of them Bigfoot hunters running around"

[Yosemite Sam]

I am assuning that this is a senario of what possibly COULD happen and not an event that ACTUALLY happened.  Is that correct?

[#59]

Sam,

I took it as a representation of what could happen in such a scenario.

What's troubling is the Operation Endurance participants have publicly admitted to opening fire (and apparently striking the target in at least one instance) upon subject(s) they did not have a positive ID thereof.

And, they are allegedly still at it.

Shooting the flank of a subject is the hallmark of either a rank amateur and/or someone at level V desperation.

I can think of several game law violations they committed (per their publications) as well as possibly engaging in the act(s) of reckless endangerment of the public especially as person(s) & property have allegedly sustained collateral damage.

This a major train wreck of epic proportions in the making.

[Yosemite Sam]

Absolutely correct!  It is freightning and sad at the same time.  Hopefully LE will get involved some time, hopefully sooner than later, before someone gets hurt or worse killed.