|
|
|
Liberty County man shot in hunting accident December 31, 2007 A Liberty County man who was shot in the arm in a hunting accident Saturday is recovering in a Tallahassee hospital. Noel Brock Reynolds, 49, Bristol, was shot once in the right forearm after his brother-in-law Steven Mark Flint, 52, Milton, mistook him for a deer. The accident occurred around 11 a.m. EST on a family farm near the community of Orange, south of Bristol. Reynolds was taken to Tallahassee Regional Medical Center where he underwent surgery Saturday afternoon. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Investigator Steve Thomas said Reynolds, his brother and another person were on foot attempting to drive deer toward Flint when the shooting occurred. “Flint said he saw movement and fired. He thought he was shooting at a deer,” Thomas said. Investigators say Flint and the others were 350 feet apart. They also said there was some brush between the men. Flint was using a .45 cal. lever-action rifle. Thomas said none of the hunters were wearing hunter orange clothing. However, hunter orange is required only for deer hunters on public lands. “This is a textbook example of a hunting accident caused by ‘failure to identify your target,’” Thomas said. “This is why we encourage hunters to wear hunter orange, even on private property. It pretty much eliminates ‘mistaken for game’ hunting accidents.” Thomas said he will sit down with the state attorney in the next few days to review the investigation. FWC Officer Lane Bentley assisted with the investigation. |
Our mission: Managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people.
 |
|
