Hunter Mistakes Man for Deer, Shoots Him —Twice

A hunter in Tampa, Fla., mistook a man practicing turkey calls for a deer Sunday night and shot him—twice—with a high-powered rifle. Amazingly, he survived, Opposing Views and the New York Times report. Clint Galentine, 37, was walking with a friend in a wildlife management area when the bullets hit him in the left side; one shot passed through his arm and broke a bone. The hunter, 43-year-old Michael Trott, rushed over and apologized as Galentine and his buddy wrapped up his arm. "I don't know how he mistakenly thought we were animal[s]," Galentine said.

What's more, Galentine says he saw a sign on the trail reading "Boundary Closed to Hunting"—but he overlooked the fine print that said, "access is provided at designated access points." And Trott, 43, had the required firearm and hunting licenses, officials say. Now Galentine, who often walks the path with his 8-year-old daughter, is having trouble speaking and may have suffered permanent damage. "I do not know who enforces those rules, but it definitely needs to be stepped up," he said. "[If] I was there with my daughter, she would not be here right now." (More hunters stories.)