Mother and daughter hit by buckshot

MISSISSIPPI - It was a close call for a mother and daughter who were hit by a buckshot, when a hunter was hunting from a public road.

Morgan Gill and his group never miss hunting season, which just started up in DeSoto National Forest. They said it's fun, but can also be dangerous.

"It was sad because people were out there enjoying themselves. It was just a freak accident is what I understand," Hershel Parker said.

They had their dogs and were deep in the woods at DeSoto National Forest when they heard about the unfortunate accident.

"The guy was 100 percent wrong. You never shoot unless you know exactly what you're shooting at," Gill said.

Officials said a mother and child were riding horses along Big Foot Trail when a man who was deer hunting on Forestry Road 434 shot in their direction.

"He shot at the deer. Where he was shooting at, they were coming through on the horses and a buckshot hit the lady and the daughter. The last I heard they were both fine, a couple of pellets in them but they're doing fine," Gill said.

These guys hope this incident doesn't give hunting a bad rap. They said that the shooter should have followed procedure. T hey said it's paramount.

"You have to know what you're shooting at and what's beyond. You have to understand the laws and follow the laws. You have to anticipate that other people around you may not be aware of the rules," Pascal Gill added.

Every day folks walk and ride along the trails, and for their safety many hunters think they should also wear bright colored vests.

"If you're in the woods during deer season you should wear orange. You can see it, hunter's orange is not a color you see in the woods, and it identifies a person," Gill added.

Only hunters are required to wear the vests, but these folks said it's better for everyone to take all possible precautions.

No word on whether the mother and child were wearing orange hunter vests. As for the shooter, he was ticketed for hunting from a public road. Investigators said toxicology tests are underway.