pete, why do you say the hunting partner is guilty? Guilty of what?
if the other hunter who bugled was he right next to the muzzle loader hunter, and did the guy bugling tell him to shoot ? did the caller feel it was a bull too ? did the bowhunter bugle back ? what side of the muzzle loader hunter was the caller standing ? was the caller a friend or a guide working for cash with no guide license ? was the bowhunter rattling a tree while he was bugling ? lot of of unanswered questions and probably more. but yes the muzzleloader shooter is guilty but his partner might be guilty too of some think ? someone needs to post the court case just thinking its a open and shut case is not always the compete answer.
pete, no one can post the court case because there hasn't been one yet. But I did post this a few pages back, it will answer some of your questions:
https://www.durangoherald.com/artic...r-trial-in-fatal-shooting-of-bow-hunter/Nothing in there about the hunting partner acting as a guide or telling the guy with the rifle to shoot. And nothing about the hunting partner being charged with anything, including guiding without a license. If he'd been doing that, it no doubt would have been reported on.
But you didn't answer my question so I'll re-state it a little differently: What could the hunting partner possibly be guilty of?
And why would it matter if the bowhunter was bugling and raking trees? Why would it matter where the hunting partner was, or what he said? Is it his responsibility to be sure of the target someone else takes a shot at?
As far as being an open and shut case, the shooter told a deputy exactly what happened and how it happened. It involved him shooting his rifle at what he thought was an elk, and killing the bowhunter Greg Gabrisch. His hunting partner confirmed what happened. Everyone deserves their day in court but there's not much doubt about what happened. At least the relevant facts, that is.
