Outdoors

Hunter who mistook hunter for bear faces felony charges

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Wear orange when hunting to avoid shooting accidents, Vermont game wardens say.

Game wardens urge wearing blaze orange

The Vermont Warden Service issued charges today against Alex Gaudette, 25, of Bolton, for the hunting related shooting of James Cameron, 35, of Fairfax, in Huntington earlier this month.

Gaudette faces felony charges of aggravated assault and negligent use of a gun, and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment.  Gaudette will answer to the charges in Chittenden County Court on September 22. 

If convicted of aggravated assault, Gaudette could face up to 15 years of jail time and be fined up to $10,000, as well as losing his hunting license for five years.  Additional convictions could add up to six years of jail time and up to $2,000 in fines.

Cameron remains at the University of Vermont Medical Center in stable condition.

Cameron was walking to a tree stand in a wooded area off Main Road when he was struck in the abdomen by a single gunshot fired by another hunter, who claimed that he mistook the victim for a bear.

The victim was transported to University of Vermont Medical Center where he remains in critical condition. 

At the time of the incident none of the parties involved were wearing blaze orange, an important piece of safety equipment that hunters are highly encouraged to wear.

“These incidents are highly preventable and highlight the importance of positively identifying your target while hunting,” said Game Warden Detective Sergeant Robert Currier.  “The Vermont Warden Service encourages hunters and the general public to wear blaze orange while in the field during Vermont’s hunting seasons.”

Categories: Outdoors

5 replies »

  1. So, he can spend up to 15 years in jail for this negligence, but he can only lose his hunting license for 5 years?? OK, so he’ll be hunting with a gun from his jail cell should he receive the maximum or a term above 5 years???

    And hunters think THEY are persecuted??

    • Please, just stop. It’s still less of a sentence for killing a baby in utero (not wearing blaze orange). It’s totally wrong to shoot at anything that you are not 110% sure of, and he should probably never hunt again. That said, I think it is of more concern, that some would be elected representatives think it is OKf or defenseless babies to be “terminated”up to the 2nd trimester.

  2. Sorry but you cant just point and shoot at bears. You have to identify your potential target from head to tail, make a decision and place a lethal shot. This man deserves to be incarcerated as do so many other criminals that committed crimes with guns but are released. This guy might not be so lucky. He should take up drug dealing instead of hunting.

  3. Hunter safety course…….I’d be looking at when he took it…….and obviously he didnt learn much from it. target is identified as intended target before shots fired….25 yr old, maybe not so long ago he took hunter safety. I know when my sons took hunter safety (and me with all 3 times…) it was drilled into the course over and over……identify; if any question, no shoot……..downright near impossible to identify a man as a bear……….no matter whats going on in the world