Father Kills Son After Mistaking Him fo r Turkey

“BELLE PLAINE, Minn. � The Sibley County Sheriff says that a man who accidentally shot and killed his 9-year-old son while they were hunting apparently mistook the boy for a turkey.

Sheriff Bruce Ponath says that Anthony Klaseus of Belle Plaine and his son Hunter were hunting turkey about three miles west of Belle Plaine around 6:30 p.m. Saturday when Klaseus shot his son in the chest with a 12 gauge shotgun.

Klaseus dialed 911 on his cell phone. Emergency responders pronounced the boy dead at the scene.

"He was absolutely panicked. That would be an understatement," Ponath said. "Very distraught."

Ponath said the shooting was an accident but that his department is continuing to investigate the circumstances.”

“mistook the boy for a turkey!!! No way in hell can you mistake a 9 year old by for a turkey !!!”

“I don't know how that's possible. I would think the boy would be right next to him since they were hunting w/a loaded gun. I'm curious to know what the circumstances were.

That's just f'ed up.”

“I recently heard of an incident where a man shot his own brother, mistaking him for a turkey because he was wearing a red scarf..

'fool”

“Latest reports on cnn.com say dad told the boy to stay put while dad climbed a ridge to find a flock they had seen from across the field. Boy did not stay put and was about 20 yds behind dad. real sad.”

“I alway hate seeing stories like this. Always, always identify what your target is and what is behind it before firing. I can only imaging what is going through the fathers head at the moment.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea what is going through his head. I had a very similar incident happen to one of my Scouts in '04.

Bad memories”

“I remember that story, Packmule.

That story about your Scout kid made me shudder being as close as I am to my boys.

I knew a guy who had killed both of his young daughters in a car crash that he walked away from.”

“I've been thinking about that a lot lately now that all the boys he came into the troop with are now graduating high school.

What could have been and all that.”

“This is a heart-breaker of a story, I can't imagine how that Dad must feel :(.

I did a short backpack trip this weekend in an area of CA I never have hiked in before, we encountered a bunch of hunters - it actually scared me to death running into all these guys with their shotguns roaming around!

Accidents do happen :(
last edited: 4/21/08 6:06:03 PM”

“I'm sure all of this media hype isn't helping the situation any. This poor family not only has to deal with this accident, but also has to deal with the publicity.”

“i didnt attack just your GRAMMAR, i also attacked your spelling and debate tactics. i may or may not agree with your position (not your topic, one cant agree or disagree with a topic, which is a neutral designation), but that cannot be inferred one way or the other from my post

my point is, someone who freely tosses around words like "stupid" and "idiot" should try a little harder to sound smarter than the people he or she is insulting”

“Your a idiot to

but since you have a sense of humor, i'll cut ya some slack”

“If crash were shot in a hunting accident, claiming he was mistaken for a turkey would be a valid excuse.”

“Squirrelbait stop bein' stupit.”

“As you wish.”

“damn shame. worst way to learn a lesson, that's for sure.”

“Here ya' go Squirrelbait... and I won't even call you an idiot for having a different perspective on all this than I do!

Hunting Accidents 2008
IN - man shot by 11-year-old hunter - 20 Apr 2008
MN - Dad accidentally shoots, kills son while hunting - 20 Apr 2008
WI - River Falls, Elmwood men involved in hunting accident - 10 Apr 2008
SC - Teen Shot While Hunting - 25 Mar 2008
AL - assistant principal dies in accident - 24 Mar 2008
FL - Man killed while hunting - 21 Mar 2008
VT: Teen hunter shoots hunter he thought was a partridge -3 Mar 2008
OR - Hunting accident victim still recovering - 3 Mar 2008
NJ: Police find 2nd hunter's body - 16 Feb 2008
NY - Hunter dead after being shot Sunday - 4 Feb 2008
NY: Man wounded in apparent hunting accident - 3 Feb 2008
NJ - hunter shoots himself - 28 Jan 2008
IA - 10-year-old shot while hunting - 27 Jan 2008
FL: Man accidentally kills best friend in hunting accident - 24 Jan 2008
KY: Daviess Co. boy hurt in hunting accident - 21 Jan 2008
GA: Children are victims as fatal shootings rise - 20 Jan 2008
AL - Alabama man in jail after fatal hunting accident - 18 Jan 2008
VT - Man Hospitalized After Hunting Accident - 15 Jan 2008
MI - Teen Accidentally Killed While Hunting - 13 Jan 2008
WA: Granty County deputy wounded while hunting - 11 Jan 2008
TX - Dog triggers gun blast, killing owner - 8 Jan 2008
WA: Teen Hospitalized After Hunting Accident - 7 Jan 2008
MS - Deer hunting accidents claim 4 lives - 6 Jan 2008
Washington Nationals player hit by shotgun pellet during hunting trip - 5 Jan 2008
AL - Teen charged with manslaughter after hunting accident - 4 Jan 2008
AR - Duck hunter killed - 2 Jan 2008
OH - Hunter killed on his birthday - 1 Jan 2008”

“I'd be interested to see the ratio of hunting accidents to hunters verses car accidents to drivers.”

“My apologies for the thread drift.”

“You forgot: USA VP shoots hunting buddy. (Not that the additional stat helps refute squireelbaits claim.)”

“HPM - your story came to mind from the thread title too.”

“Im with Squirrelbait on this one. Whenever some moron shoots somebody on a hunting trip they start jumping all over hunters yet they still have sympathy for the jerk that shot his own kid!”

“LOL, squirrelbait should change his name to crashbait

...but back on topic, this would just make me sick...it would be bad enough to loose a kid but to actually be the one that did it would be horrible
last edited: 4/22/08 9:57:50 AM”

“It was a frikkin accident, Streamweaver, how could you not feel bad for the guy?

I wasn't "jumping all over hunters" either, I only stated that it scared me watching all those guys with their guns roaming around looking for something to shoot, I said nothing negative at all about them, if anything you could percieve my comments as me being a wuss.

I wish you guys would learn to read.”

“wuss




;)

i know what you meant wonderer...no matter how much exposure you've had to guns there's something unnerving to come upon a group of people in camo with guns in the middle of nowhere
last edited: 4/22/08 10:00:36 AM”

“wanderer, I wasn't picking on you or anybody specific.It was jusy a general statement because these things happen alot.”

“RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT. (1) A person is guilty of reckless endan-
11 germent when he or she recklessly:
12 (a) Engages in conduct that creates a substantial risk of death or seri-
13 ous physical injury to another person; or
14 (b) Fails to engage in conduct and the failure creates a substantial risk
15 of death or serious physical injury to another person.
16 (2) For the purposes of this section, a person recklessly engages in con-
17 duct resulting in reckless endangerment when he or she knows of and disregards
18 a substantial risk that death or serious physical injury to another person may
19 occur and his or her disregard of such substantial risk through commission or
20 omission is a gross deviation from what a reasonable person would do or not do
21 in the same situation.
22 (3) A person committing reckless endangerment shall be guilty of a mis-
23 demeanor.”

“Just pulling headlines is certainly sensational, but really isn't a good way to compare the safety or danger of hunting.�
squirrelbait

I wasn't comparing the safety of hunting to anything else, I was commenting that it scares me, (as Thriftyhiker stated above), when I see a bunch of guys in their camo outfits & rifles wandering around, they don't strike me as "hunters", they strike me as idiots playing war. If they were hunters, IMO they would have been wearing what I consider "hunting" clothes. They were in the middle of wide-open areas, there was no need for camo clothes, I wondered why they didn't have the typical orange jacket or sirt so that they'd be easily seen....

I should probably have initially stated that they looked like they were playing war, not hunting!”

“A group like that could certainly make one uncomfortable not knowing what, if any, level of idiocy is present.
Being in an armed environment has the potential for great danger.

During infantry training trainers are ready to whack trainees on the helmeted head with a steel cleaning rod at the slightest sign of carelessness.

I believe a large component of "hunting" is spending time with like-minded guys who dig most or all aspects of the activity such as the gear and camaraderie.”

“I believe a large component of "hunting" is spending time with like-minded guys who dig most or all aspects of the activity such as the gear and camaraderie.”
MarkO
2:38:29 PM
4/22/08

not to mention.. and I have seen this personally... beer. That is truly a freaky combination.”

“What??????

"Hunters"..................d-d-d-d-d-DRINK???

I'm ass-tonished!!”

“not to mention.. and I have seen this personally... beer. That is truly a freaky combination.”
ramblinrev
2:41:13 PM
4/22/08

I hope you reported them.

Beer should only be consumed once the hunt is over and guns are put away.”

“I couldn't care less if they want to throw their guns in the truck for the day, swig down some brew and share stories, but I cut out real quick when they keep the guns handy just in case something comes along.”

“Beer makes me smarter..................that's why I got rid of my weapons.”

“but I cut out real quick when they keep the guns handy just in case something comes along.”
ramblinrev
2:50:03 PM
4/22/08

Can't blame you for that.”

“when I see a bunch of guys in their camo outfits & rifles wandering around, they don't strike me as "hunters", they strike me as idiots playing war. If they were hunters, IMO they would have been wearing what I consider "hunting" clothes.


Talk about elitist! Oops, wrong thread.”

“I have heard some of the harshest criticism of hunters from hunters.

Are they Elitist Hunters?

Non-parents criticizing parents........now THAT is elitist!!!!”

“I have heard some of the harshest criticism of hunters from hunters.


And I'm usually one of the critics too, lol.”

“I must confess I have some regrets about retiring my international orange external frame pack. I may pull it out on occasion

A lot of how I feel when meeting a hunter on the trail has to do with how the weapon is carried and what the person is doing. If the breach is broken I have no problems. but if the dude is walking around, two hands on the rifle waiting to jerk it to his shoulder and squeeze off a round at any rustle in the bushes I get a little nervous.”

“on hunting forums they probably complain about all the dirty stinky backpackers scaring away all the game.”

“no doubt hyway... but at least if we mistake a target we pee on our boots. No body dies.”

“You should not be out, during hunting season. Your just inviting yourself for a mistake to happen.”

“I love to scare away the game!!

I am an elite backpacker!

Though I really must lighten my load.

Those guys I hiked with last weekend with the lite packs.....................elitists.”

“Hey Marko, I apologize, but had I known that once I left camp Saturday morning I wasn't going to see you again, I would have said goodbye...

I wasn't too-lite.. 30 lbs including the 3 empty Foster's 'Oil' Cans

'fool
last edited: 4/22/08 12:35:07 PM”

“Yeah Fool, I thought I might catch up with the rest of you guys.

Hmm, I guess I was only a few pounds heavier.
Twas a joke anyway.”

“I know, I was just busting your chops..

I hope to see you on a PA or WV trip soon..

'fool”

“We are turkeys for going off topic here.”

“LOL, wander you have to stop signing your posts...i keep thinking you're insulting us”

“LOL

Someone said that on the McAffee knob trip...

I'm going to get my butt kicked one day...

notaninsulting'fool
last edited: 4/22/08 1:32:40 PM”