SCN's post about turkey hunting becoming the most accident prone form of hunting in Tennessee (largely due to mistaken identity) got me to thinking: Who has had close calls with mistaken identity?
2 years ago, I was hunting the Shelby Forest quota hunt. I was way out in the middle of the slough -probably the farthest point you can get from a road in all of SF. I had 2 gobblers and hens land in front of me just out of range (45-50 yards), hang around for awhile and then head off. I decided to go after them and try to cut them off. I did a big circle at a half running pace in the direction I figured they would head due to be cutting off by a large swamp. I set up in a well concealed position tucked under a cypress tree. A few minutes later, I see movement through thick underbrush. I see two red heads floating along at turkey head height about 25 yards away and looks like they are going to pop out in the open at one particular spot. I flick my safety off and reposition my barrel. Out of the brush, busts two guys wearing red hats and sporting fishing gear. I later determined they had been walking in a dry slough bed which made their red hats appear they were turkey head height.
I never had my finger on the trigger, but these two guys came out of the woods with my barrel pointed directly at them. They never noticed me. Now, note that I don't think these guys were supposed to be out there fishing and, even if they were, it would be highly unusual to see anyone fishing in a spot that remote in the mosquito infested nastiness that is SF. They had to know there were quota hunts going on, because otherwise, the gate to access the bottom would have been closed. Regardless, I felt sick at my stomach about it. Someone with less discretion could have easily shot these guys.
