Hunter Says Someone Fired in His Direction Without Realizing He Was There
He was tucked into a thicket on public land, completely camouflaged and watching a deer trail 80 yards away. Then a bullet cracked past him, followed immediately by the boom of a rifle.
Another hunter had fired directly toward him without ever knowing he was there.
Too close for comfort
The hunter, who asked not to be named, was hunting a remote section of national forest during rifle season. He was wearing blaze orange on his hat and vest, sitting motionless against a large tree. He had been in position for over an hour when the shot came from a ridge about 150 yards away.
“I heard the bullet zip through the brush right beside me,” he said. “Then the report. My heart damn near stopped. I stood up, started yelling, and waving my orange hat, but the guy had no idea I was even there until I made a scene.”
The other hunter later apologized, saying he had glassed the area, saw movement, and assumed it was a deer. He never spotted the orange because of the thick brush and poor angle.
A growing danger in crowded woods
Incidents like this are becoming more common as public land hunting pressure increases. Hunters are pushing deeper into timber, sitting in thicker cover, and sometimes taking low-percentage shots without confirming a clear, safe background.
Even with blaze orange, dense vegetation, poor light, and long distances can hide a person. Add in excitement or carelessness, and near-misses turn into real tragedies far too often.
What hunters should learn from this
The hunter who was shot at now follows stricter personal rules:
- Always assume other hunters are nearby on public land
- Never take a shot unless you have a clear, safe backstop and positive target identification
- Use binoculars or a spotting scope to thoroughly glass the area before shooting
- Avoid shooting toward ridgelines, saddles, or thickets where other hunters are likely to sit
- Yell or use a whistle to announce your presence when moving through active hunting areas
He also now carries a bright orange vest or panel that he hangs in the tree with him during gun season for extra visibility.
The responsibility falls on the shooter
In hunting, the shooter is always responsible for where the bullet goes. “I thought it was a deer” is never a valid excuse if someone gets hurt. Every ethical hunter should live by the rule: If you’re not 100% sure, you don’t pull the trigger.
Game wardens and safety instructors continue to stress that orange saves lives — but it only works if everyone uses it properly and hunters slow down enough to truly identify their target.
Stay safe out there
This hunter was lucky. The bullet missed him by just a few feet. He finished the day shaken but unharmed. The other hunter was apologetic and embarrassed.
But not every story ends this well.
As more people head into the woods each season, taking an extra 30 seconds to glass carefully, confirm your target, and know what’s beyond it isn’t just good advice — it’s what keeps fellow hunters alive.
Have you ever had a bullet come too close, or nearly taken a risky shot yourself? How do you stay safe when hunting crowded public land?
Leo’s been tracking game and tuning gear since he could stand upright. He’s sharp, driven, and knows how to keep things running when conditions turn.
