(update 11-a.m.) 4 Iowa hunters shot in deer hunting accidents
December 5th, 2011 by Ric Hanson
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Natural Resources Department says three people were shot during hunting accidents over the weekend, while another was injured today (Monday). All four men are expected to survive their wounds.
The latest incident was reported this (Monday) morning, when a Fort Dodge man suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound while hunting deer in Webster County. 36-year old Michael Ziemann, was preparing to take a shot at a deer with a .44 magnum handgun when the gun went off and the bullet when down through his right leg. Zieman was hunting with two other people at the Brushy Creek wildlife area when the incident occurred shortly after 7-a.m. DNR Recreational Safety Officer Jeff Barnes said Ziemann was wearing heavy gloves at the time which caused him to activate the trigger. Barnes warns “Hunters need to be aware, particularly during cold weather, of the effects heavier clothing may have.”
Ziemann was transported to Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge by other members of his hunting party where he was being treated for what was believed to be a non-life threatening injury. The DNR says a Grinnell man shot himself in a foot during a hunt in Page County on Saturday. 35-year old Benjamin Parker‘s gun fired after it got tangled in some bags he was carrying.Parker was taken to a Des Moines hospital. His injuries were not believed to be life threatening.
Also Saturday, an Altoona man was injured in Lucas County. The department says 25-year old Ryan Mills was shot when a deer ran between him and other people in his hunting group. The department says 38-year old Thomas Burns, of Waterloo, was shot on Sunday while hunting in Appanoose County. Burns was shot when another person in his group shot at a running deer.