NPR reporting Whittington was BEHIND Cheney...

[MnFats]

...and Cheney turned quickly, following some quail that had been flushed from the grass/brush....then fired, hitting the victim in the body and cheek.

Sorry but if I recall my Boy Scout firearms training....all are to know where the other hunters in a party are, and the shooter is responsible for SHOOTING BIRDS AND NOT PEOPLE!

[Tiggeroshii]

1. Either he's no smarter than Bush or..

Those rumors about him being satan are true...

[DS1]

2. The guy watched Cheney do a 180 and didn't think to duck?

Probably stood there, bravely, ready to take the hit just so Cheney wouldn't lose his 13 shot hitting streak

[napi21]

5. It really doesn't happen like that.

And especially not with a 78 year old guy.

I understand you follow the bird, and quail are very fast!

That's NOT the point! The shooter is responsible for where he aims and shoots! You must be sure you have a CLEAN SHOT!

[stepnw1f]

3. Maybe He Told Cheney That He's Toast?

:shrug:

[Montagnard]

4. Has anyone said what kind of shotgun Cheney was using

just wondering if it was a street sweeper on tame birds.

[benEzra]

11. 28 gauge, I think (n/t)

[Dees]

6. I used to bird hunt with my dad

decades ago. I put my guns down many many years ago. But, one thing my dad would preach to us youngins was to know where all people in your party were at all times. And, you have a pattern in front of you extending about 45 degrees to be safe. Who in the hell does a 180 leading a bird?

[fiveleafclover]

7. Maybe he was shooting over his shoulder

and using a mirror.

"Hey, check out this trick shot I learned while draft-dodging....oops!"

[mcscajun]

8. No control of the firing line here. None.

You never discharge a weapon BEHIND the firing line. Never. You always take care to point your weapon AWAY from people. Always. (Oh, and I've never been in the service, but my brother-in-law, who taught me to shoot skeet, was.)

I had a close call a couple of years ago while skeet shooting: a teenager was loading a shotgun and had it pointed in my direction (unknown to me - I was loading the skeet thrower at the time). I had just bent down to reload the thrower when I heard (and felt the force of) a gun going off behind me. Fortunately, the shotgun was pointed at the ground, and not any closer to me when it went off; only some dirt and gravel got kicked up at my leg...a couple of inches closer or higher...
:scared:

All hell broke loose on the firing line at that point: my brother-in-law took the kid aside for a talking to, I walked off the line, shaken (*but not stirred*), but not so badly as those who had been behind me and had SEEN it happen. My sister was sitting in the pickup truck watching the whole thing...and afterward was trying to figure out what she would have told my other sisters if my leg had gotten blown off.

The teen came back to me to apologize for the accident, and I know HE won't make that kind of mistake again.

Cheney obviously is a bozo hunter...but then again, WE'VE known he's a bozo on all fronts for some time.

[leftchick]

9. and in the face!

I heard that report on my local channel.

[DCSteve]

10. The last five years

This is symbolic of the entire last five years, somehow.

[meisje]

12. Freedom BB's rained down

[wicket]

13. I took firearms training at conservation camp

They could not stress enough that you always must be SURE of your target and never point your muzzle at anything you do not plan to shoot- Cheney broke these 2 cardinal laws!

[tyedyeto]

14. Each and every hunter should be required to take...

the Hunter Safety course every X number of years, just like you need to renew your drivers lisence. It would help cut down on the number of accidents while hunting.

[Rex_Goodheart]

15. An obvious question...

How would NPR know that?