A 38-year-old bow hunter is in critical condition after being struck by a stray bullet while sitting inside his hunting blind in Essex Township, Michigan, just days into the state's archery deer season. Deputies found him with an apparent single gunshot wound to his chest after someone target shooting on a nearby property fired an errant round that found its way into his blind.
According to MLive, deputies located the hunter inside a hard-sided ground blind with the gunshot wound before he was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, where he remained in critical condition. Clinton County sheriff's deputies said preliminary findings indicated the shooting was accidental, and as of Oct. 4 the investigation remained ongoing, per the same report. CBS Detroit reported that deputies were called to the scene on Lowe Road at 5:50 p.m., in Essex Township, which sits roughly 30 miles north of Lansing.
A Hunter's Fear: 'That Scares Me a Bit'
The shooting has rattled other hunters in the area, including Brent Langenbacher, a lifelong hunter and manager at Moose Creek Sports. Langenbacher, who hunts in Clinton County, told KPTV, “I hunt up in Clinton County, so that scares me a bit.”
Langenbacher suggested placing a blaze-orange hat on top of a blind to make it more visible, according to WILX.
Michigan's Orange Rule Has a Bowhunting Exception
Michigan law generally requires hunters to wear bright orange during daylight hunting hours, but archery season carries a notable exception. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources' equipment-regulations guidance states that hunters using a bow or crossbow during archery deer seasons are exempt from the hunter-orange requirement, though bowhunters may still choose to wear orange voluntarily.
The DNR has also said bowhunting typically involves fewer people in the woods than firearm season, and that arrows generally travel less far and penetrate less deeply than bullets.
What Michigan’s safety data shows
MLive reported that Michigan Department of Natural Resources records show 38 hunting-related injuries and 18 deaths from 2015 to 2020. Those broad totals do not distinguish stray-bullet incidents from other hunting-related incidents. The DNR’s hunting-safety guidance advises firearm users to be aware of their surroundings and know their target and what is beyond it.
Who Bears Responsibility Going Forward
Hunters and shooters alike are ultimately responsible for their rounds and where those rounds end up, a principle at the center of Michigan's firearm laws. Under state statute, a person who recklessly, heedlessly, willfully or wantonly discharges a firearm without due caution and circumspection for the rights, safety or property of others can be charged with a misdemeanor, according to the Michigan Legislature.
No charging decision, arrest or citation has been announced in this case, and the identity of the person who was target shooting has not been released. The investigation remains active, and for hunters like Langenbacher, the episode is already reshaping how seriously they think about visibility in the woods this season.
