Hoss

I heard that on the radio this morning...right after the idiot radio guy said that some of the "buckshot" was going to be left in the "victim" because the surgery required to remove them was too risky. Then he stated that no criminal charges would be filed.

I'm telling you...some people are just idiots. First of all, you don't hunt quail with buckshot. The name alone...BUCKshot...should make that pretty clear. If you get "peppered" with buckshot from 30 yards away you die.

Second, of course there won't be any criminal charges filed. A crime was not committed!!!

Third, I can't believe they are making a big deal about the stamp. The whole stamp system with TP&W is ridiculous. First you have to buy a hunting license and then you pretty much have to buy a stamp for any animal you want to shoot at. Thing is, they're constantly changing it...so it's hard to know what you have to have a stamp for and what you don't.

That being said, ignorance of the law is not a good excuse to break it. Cheney should have had the proper license. He also should have been aware of his hunting partner's location. STILL...the media is making a mountain out of a mole hill.

In bold letters in the paper this morning I saw, "CHENEY DID NOT HAVE QUAIL STAMP". Tell me....what the heck does THAT have to do with the fact that he had a hunting accident?

ctd89-99

Friendly Fire !!!!

P.J

I guess to some extent we hold public officials to a certian standard. Considering they probably don't even have to pay for the license, stamps, ammo, hunt lease,
ride there or the ambulance on call, you would think they would be sure to get the proper stamp?

It's common, Govt. officials all over the world throughout history are above and or no subject to the law. I suppose all the other people that were fined or had their license suspended should get a reprive over the last 7 days?
Looks like the guy took buckshot to the heart and suffered some kind of silent heart attack. He's sounding more and more like a victim to me.........

It's like rule #3 in huters safety we all took as pre-teens.
"Know your target and whats beyond"!

Shovelhead

If you think the media hype is over playing it now.......
Just imagine how much the media would be in a feeding frenzy if the shooter and shootee roles were reversed......

RustyJC

Here's an ARTICLE from this morning's Houston Chronicle that has statements from the legal parties involved.
Rusty

t-15 firefighter

Reminds me of the old Aerosmith song:

Cheney's got a Gun

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Britt

Lary Ellis (Top)

When I made my original comment in this thread, the victim was listed as just having a few pellets under his skin and doing fine. Now we learn that he is not doing so well and it bothers me that I made such callous and un-caring remarks.

I certainly don't see anything funny in this poor fellows injuries and regret my callous attitude in the beginning. I certainly hope he recovers with out any lasting damage from this unfortunate accident.

On the license thing, the VP's aides secured all the necessary licenses and stamps required before the hunt. Between them and the agent who sold them, they some how forgot the $7.00 stamp he also needed.

These guys do not get to hunt without the same licenses as you and I do as previously mentioned in this thread. They can however make the same mistakes as you and I, and fail to get the proper stamp by being misinformed or ignorant to that States specific statutes.

I know I failed to get a trout stamp one time that was required for a lake I was fishing in. I bought the license from the marina at the same lake and the agent never mentioned the stamp.

I was not fishing for trout and did not catch any, but technically I was in violation and it would have been considered my fault. This is similar to the mistake made with the VP's issue. The press is just making a mountain out of a mole hill again.

Eskimo

....isn't. (One of Murphy's laws of combat)


Honestly though, NBC this morning was comparing the White House not making a statement about this whole incident, and not making a statement when they learned about the guy's heart attack to the Iraq war!

Let's make public statements everytime a congressman or other official speeds, writes a bad check, or farts in public...

Hoss

Lary, if it makes you feel better, my understanding is that the pellet is not IN his heart, but is instead resting against the outside wall of his heart. The report I heard said that Whittington didn't even FEEL the heart attack. The doctors just noticed an irregular heartbeat so they investigated and found that he had a very minor heart attack. Although it is a light setback, they do not anticipate further problems.

I am in no way defending Dick Cheney. If you are shooting a gun you are responsible for knowing where the shot is going and what is behind it. In the heat of the moment, anyone could make the mistake he did....ESPECIALLY hunting for quail. Regardless of that fact, he still made a mistake. Any time you are hunting in a group you have to be aware of the other hunter's position.

That being said, unless something goes terribly wrong and Mr. Whittington dies, I still think the media is making WAY too big of a deal out of this.

Ray Roton

I'd much rather go hunting with Dick than a car ride with Teddy.

gobucks

You beat me to it...can you believe I have already seen the "I'd rather hunt with Dick Cheney than ride with Ted Kennedy" bumper sticker for sale???

Mexstan

As I mentioned earlier, the press is in a feeding frenzy, even tho there is no real food. Guess what, another media type has spouted off with something else. I can't believe that papers even print this kind of garbage. Supposition at it's worst:

A North Carolina columnist claimed today Dick Cheney's shooting of friend Harry Whittington was not an accident, but was meant to be a message to his former chief of staff, Scooter Libby, not to testify against the vice president in the Valerie Plame leak investigation.

"Accident my eye. Or rather, Harry Whittington's eye," writes Barry Saunders in the Raleigh, N.C., News & Observer.

"If you believe it was just an accident that Vice President Dick Cheney shot his hunting companion last weekend, you obviously have never seen 'The Godfather' movies."

Continued Saunders in his column: "Just as surely as a fish wrapped in a bulletproof vest means 'Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes,' that shotgun blast to Whittington's face was meant to convey that I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby had better bite his tongue and forget about testifying against Cheney, his former boss, in the Valerie Plame spy case."

Libby has been indicted on federal charges he lied to investigators probing the leak of Plame's identity to the media. Last week, prosecutors reported he told a grand jury that superiors authorized him to disclose classified information to reporters because they were angered about Plame's husband's opposition to the Iraq war.

"A vice president who'll shoot an ally to get across his message of omerta – that's mobspeak for 'hush up' – may be considered a national disgrace by some," writes Saunders. "Not by me. I embrace the prospect of a lead-slingin' veep. Think of the impact Cheney's shot heard 'round the world will have on America's diplomatic efforts. When obstinate countries declare their unwillingness to negotiate with Secretary of State Condi Rice, all we have to do is roll out Deadeye Dick."

Brock

I have not listened lately as I get tired of the drama and sensationalism the media throws on it...though it should never have happened, it did.

What I heard was they were in line walking and the Lawyer broke the line and went forward to retrieve a bird he had shot and was bent down. Then a bird flushed and VP swung on bird at same time guy stood up in front of the safety line and VP gave him an upper body of bird shot at 30 yards.

While it should never have happened if VP would have noticed him and checked his fire....and if the lawyer had not broke ranks without announcing it to his party. Accidents happen and this is no more unfortunate than any other...Ijust get tired of hearing it over and over and over like it is a scandal.

He told the ranch owner to release it to press as she saw fit...it was reported to sherrifs office that same day. Not like he was trying to cover it up. Losing his license for a year ought to give him time to think about safety...but just because he is VP does not afford him any less or more than one of us.

He was fined...citation issued...and now he has to live withthis for rest of his life if the guy recovers fully and does not sue someone...even though he is huge Republican contributor in Texas. VP Cheney f'd up....

I am already over caring how it happened or hearing about it.....it is old news now and reemphasizes how even if you are an experienced hunter as VP apparently is....that any lapse in judegment or concentration could have disasterous results.

Saw a Tshirt today...

"I would rather go hunting with the Cheney, than go for a midnight drive with Kennedy!"

mainer

Was I the only one that heard the doctor on TV say he had over 200 pellets in him? Seems to me that he was shot more than once. I dont think there is any 200 pellets can fit in one shell, not even a 3 1/2 12gague. Maybe it was just me hearing things, but I think i heard a doctor say he removed, or found 200 pellets in him.


COop

RTillery

I don't know what load Dick was shooting in his 28 gauge, but there are 308 pellets in 3/4 ounces of number 8 shot(typical quail load) so if Whitty took a fair portion, 200 is not out of the question at all. You obviously do not know too much about firearms and insinuating that he was shot multiple times is irresponsible. This is the same ignorance the media is feeding on.

Unfortunately this is not an uncommon situation for anyone who has hunted ground flushing birds for any length of time. Spacing, safety glasses, and careful attention to your companions minimizes the risks, but accidents happen. I have been peppered twice in nearly 50 years in the field. It is a sobering experience, but so is a car accident. I have not stopped hunting or driving and would consider it an honor to go hunting with Cheney tomorrow. He is a fine man.