Post by jimh on Apr 22, 2008 13:35:42 GMT -5
www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/susanweich/story/3CF8F81D5035D8D88625743300159AFE?OpenDocument
Russ Ermeling of St. Charles was a safety-conscious outdoorsman.
When his three sons, Scott, Michael and Matt, were old enough to hunt, Ermeling took the boys to safety courses. He sat through the classes with them.
Ermeling wanted to be there to stress the importance of being careful.
Years later, when he helped his granddaughter Hannah catch her first fish, he threw her line in from the dock. Hannah had wanted to go out in the boat, but she didn't have a life jacket. Ermeling wouldn't let her on the water — not even just that one time. He wanted her to learn the right way, not to start any bad habits.
Ermeling was careful in other things, too. He worked as a shipping clerk at Didion & Son Foundry Co. in St. Peters. In the 33 years he was employed there, he never had any safety violations.
Even when he cut the grass at his friend's farm in Gasconade County, he always wore safety goggles.
"He was a man of safe habits, and he was a creature of habit," said his wife, Karen. "He did things a certain way."
So when Ermeling was killed in a hunting accident in October 2006, his wife, Karen, couldn't understand how it could have happened.
Ermeling, who was 59, was hunting turkey with a family friend, Andrew Mittelbuscher, then 22, on private property in Camden County, about 170 miles southwest of St. Louis.
Since Ermeling had already gotten two birds, he went out with Mittelbuscher to call the turkeys for him.
A short time later, Mittelbuscher, who was sitting against a tree, fired his 12-gauge shotgun, striking Ermeling in the head. Ermeling later died.
Mittelbuscher told police he had seen a turkey run behind him and had turned and fired. He said Ermeling, who had been calling from near a creek, must have moved behind him without his knowing it.
The claim didn't sit well with anyone who knew Ermeling. Safety guidelines require that the turkey caller stay put until the shooter signals a desire to move to another location.
"Russell would never move on his own," said Paul Helvey, a longtime hunting buddy of Ermeling's. "That's probably what shocked me the most was that Andrew thought he had moved."
Ermeling's family and friends also were surprised that Mittelbuscher, an experienced hunter, could mistake Ermeling for a turkey. The two were less than 10 yards apart. Only a small amount of foliage separated them.
Initially, no criminal charges were filed. But after a police investigation, Mittelbuscher was arrested on an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Last week, he pleaded guilty of the felony. He was placed on five years' probation and must spend 100 hours talking to hunter education classes about the incident.
Mittelbuscher still maintains he did nothing wrong. He agreed to the deal because it was lenient, he said. If he had taken his chances with a jury, he could have been sentenced to seven years in prison.
"I'm guilty on paper, but when it comes down to the facts, I'm not guilty," he said. "I didn't shoot at a sound; it was a turkey that I shot at. I know that, and that's all I care about."
Karen Ermeling said she resents the fact that Mittelbuscher never took responsibility for what happened or even apologized.
"He just didn't think; he was very careless," she said.
Capt. Gary Bowling of the Camden County Sheriff's Department agreed, saying the shooting was reckless.
"Maybe he did see a turkey, but he ended up killing a friend," he said. "If you're not sure, don't pull the trigger."
Karen Ermeling said she and the rest of her family and friends feel that her husband has been vindicated by the guilty plea. A wrongful death claim against Mittelbuscher previously was settled for $500,000.
"You don't want your husband to die and people thinking it was his own fault," Ermeling said. "I think we've cleared his name and for that, I'm proud."
Because spring turkey season started Monday, Ermeling said the timing of Mittelbuscher's sentence gives her the perfect opportunity to spread a message that her husband would have been behind.
"I want to warn hunters to be careful of your surroundings, and to observe the rules," she said.
Russ Ermeling of St. Charles was a safety-conscious outdoorsman.
When his three sons, Scott, Michael and Matt, were old enough to hunt, Ermeling took the boys to safety courses. He sat through the classes with them.
Ermeling wanted to be there to stress the importance of being careful.
Years later, when he helped his granddaughter Hannah catch her first fish, he threw her line in from the dock. Hannah had wanted to go out in the boat, but she didn't have a life jacket. Ermeling wouldn't let her on the water — not even just that one time. He wanted her to learn the right way, not to start any bad habits.
Ermeling was careful in other things, too. He worked as a shipping clerk at Didion & Son Foundry Co. in St. Peters. In the 33 years he was employed there, he never had any safety violations.
Even when he cut the grass at his friend's farm in Gasconade County, he always wore safety goggles.
"He was a man of safe habits, and he was a creature of habit," said his wife, Karen. "He did things a certain way."
So when Ermeling was killed in a hunting accident in October 2006, his wife, Karen, couldn't understand how it could have happened.
Ermeling, who was 59, was hunting turkey with a family friend, Andrew Mittelbuscher, then 22, on private property in Camden County, about 170 miles southwest of St. Louis.
Since Ermeling had already gotten two birds, he went out with Mittelbuscher to call the turkeys for him.
A short time later, Mittelbuscher, who was sitting against a tree, fired his 12-gauge shotgun, striking Ermeling in the head. Ermeling later died.
Mittelbuscher told police he had seen a turkey run behind him and had turned and fired. He said Ermeling, who had been calling from near a creek, must have moved behind him without his knowing it.
The claim didn't sit well with anyone who knew Ermeling. Safety guidelines require that the turkey caller stay put until the shooter signals a desire to move to another location.
"Russell would never move on his own," said Paul Helvey, a longtime hunting buddy of Ermeling's. "That's probably what shocked me the most was that Andrew thought he had moved."
Ermeling's family and friends also were surprised that Mittelbuscher, an experienced hunter, could mistake Ermeling for a turkey. The two were less than 10 yards apart. Only a small amount of foliage separated them.
Initially, no criminal charges were filed. But after a police investigation, Mittelbuscher was arrested on an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Last week, he pleaded guilty of the felony. He was placed on five years' probation and must spend 100 hours talking to hunter education classes about the incident.
Mittelbuscher still maintains he did nothing wrong. He agreed to the deal because it was lenient, he said. If he had taken his chances with a jury, he could have been sentenced to seven years in prison.
"I'm guilty on paper, but when it comes down to the facts, I'm not guilty," he said. "I didn't shoot at a sound; it was a turkey that I shot at. I know that, and that's all I care about."
Karen Ermeling said she resents the fact that Mittelbuscher never took responsibility for what happened or even apologized.
"He just didn't think; he was very careless," she said.
Capt. Gary Bowling of the Camden County Sheriff's Department agreed, saying the shooting was reckless.
"Maybe he did see a turkey, but he ended up killing a friend," he said. "If you're not sure, don't pull the trigger."
Karen Ermeling said she and the rest of her family and friends feel that her husband has been vindicated by the guilty plea. A wrongful death claim against Mittelbuscher previously was settled for $500,000.
"You don't want your husband to die and people thinking it was his own fault," Ermeling said. "I think we've cleared his name and for that, I'm proud."
Because spring turkey season started Monday, Ermeling said the timing of Mittelbuscher's sentence gives her the perfect opportunity to spread a message that her husband would have been behind.
"I want to warn hunters to be careful of your surroundings, and to observe the rules," she said.
And then to shoot your hunting companion at 10 yards....Holy crap! I don't feel the punishment is harsh enough... 
