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Hunter Shoots Son Dead After Mistaking Him For Moose

Hunter Shoots Son Dead After Mistaking Him For Moose

The man was on a hunting trip in Russia when the tragic incident took place

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

A father accidentally shot and killed his son after mistaking him for a moose while out on a hunting trip.

According to reports, the hunter was out with his 18-year-old son in a rural region in northern Russia when the incident happened.

The pair were out hunting in the woods near Khanty-Mansiysk, which is known to experience subarctic temperatures and snowy conditions and were suffering with poor visibility on the day.

According to the authorities, the dad raised his rifle to aim at what he though was a moose before pulling the trigger.

However, it was only when he approached the animal to check whether he had managed to kill it, that he discovered it was in fact his teenage son, lying motionless on the floor of the forest.

The dad thought he had shot a moose but after approaching the carcass discovered it was his young son.
PA

Reports in Russia have said that the young man would have died instantly after being struck by his father's bullet.

Investigators based in the country's capital city of Moscow told the Moscow Times: "The hunter fired a rifle into a moving object in poor visibility, mistakenly believing that it was a moose.

"Having come closer, the hunter saw that he mortally wounded his 18-year-old son."

The father of the dead teen has now been charged with causing death by negligence, which, if he is found guilty of, could see him spend up to up to two years in prison.

Last month after being convicted of hunting deer, American David Berry Jr was sentenced to a year in prison, but during his time behind bars he must also watch the classic Disney film Bambi as part of his punishment.

It's hoped that by watching the 1942 animation once a month the poacher will see the error of his ways.

Investigators told Russian press that the visibility was poor when the father took the shot.
PA

According to official court records, dated December 6, Berry 'is to view the Walt Disney movie Bambi, with the first viewing being on or before December 23, 2018, and at least one such viewing each month thereafter, during defendant's incarceration in the Lawrence County Jail'.

Local media outlet, Springfield News-Leaderpringfield News-Leader, reported that after killing the poor animals he would chop their head off before leaving their bloody corpse to rot.

Berry, along with three family members, was busted by police following a multi-year poaching investigation, which saw the gang target young bucks.

It's understood to be one of the largest such cases ever investigated by the state of Missouri.

Randy Dorman from the Missouri Department of Conservation said they heads were taken as trophies to feed their 'greed and ego'.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Extinct, World News, Interesting, Animals